In this Bible Story, we see the work of God through Peter. One man is restored from being crippled for eight years. Another is dead and raised to life. In this, we see the will of God moving people out of their beds into a life of purpose. This story is inspired by Acts 9:32-43. Go to https://www.BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.
Today's Bible verse is Acts 9:34 from the King James Version.
Episode 224: Peter, walking the streets of Lydda preaching the Gospel to all who would listen, came to a man named Aeneas. Aeneas had been bedridden for eight years but God had sent Peter there to heal him. And at a word, Aeneas was healed and God used this healing to bring many people to Him. Meanwhile, in Joppa, a disciple named Tabitha became ill and died. Her friends sent for Peter at once and when he arrived he took Tabitha by the hand and told her to arise. God restored life to Tabitha’s body and many people celebrated God’s goodness with her.
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Let us pray, and Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole arise and make thy bed, and he arose immediately Acts nine thirty four. I want to thank you, Lord for all the years that you've loved me and guided me to get me to where I am now. As I stand before others, May my testimony serve as a badge of honor to your goodness and faithfulness to those who love and serve you. Don't let any one for one moment doubt your faithfulness and goodness when they look at all that you've done in my life. Like Tabitha and Aeneas in today's reading, I acknowledge that you have given me the power to speak life into people who have been bedridden and sidelined in life. When I come face to face with these situations, I will activate the same faith that Peter used to heal all those he came in contact with. I will not doubt whether or not it will happen. Instead, I will put my faith in you and watch as your spirit fills them so that you can get the glory in Jesus name. Amen, thank you for praying with me to day continue listening for an incredible Bible story brought to you by Bible in a Year dot com bedridden.
In our last story, the evil intentions of Saul the Persecutor were thwarted by the presence of Jesus himself. Assaul was on the road to drag Christians out of their homes and imprison them. Jesus threw him off his horse and blinded him for three days. Saul wept in darkness, but his sight was restored and he could see the true light of Christ. Now we follow Peter on his journey to Lyda and Joppa. There he visits the bedsides of two specific people, people who would walk again to experience joy everlasting. Inspired by the Book of Acts.
Hello, I'm pastor Jack Graham with another episode of the Bible in a Year podcast. Thanks for joining us. In our previous episode, we heard of Saul's amazing conversion experience on the Damascus Road. He was on his way to persecute Christians to take Christian's lives, but Jesus arrested him and took him himself as a brand new believer and follower of the Savior. When Saul King faced a face with Jesus, the very one that he was persecuting. Jesus changed his life forever, and this man then embraced his calling to take the Gospel to the world. He was a chosen vessel. Today we'll hear how the apostle Peter then journeys to take the good news of the risen Savior around the world. Filled with God's power, he will bring physical and spiritual healing to the sick and the hurting, and the lame and the broken, even restoring one life that had died. In all of it, God's name, the name of Jesus, will be glorified as more and more people multitudes are embracing the message of Jesus Christ. So once again let's hear our reading from the Book of Acts.
Peter walked the streets of Lida with purpose. The small city was filled with people who were not close to the ministry of Jesus on earth, therefore in need of hearing his gospel. There was a small community of believers there. They ministered among the people, feeding the poor and preaching liberty from the shame of in Yet there was a specific need that drew Peter.
There.
A man named Eneus was in the city. He was a man in need of a miracle. Eneus sat up in his bed, looking out the window. The sun peered in through the small space, causing rays of afternoon sunshine to fill his bedroom. It was the greatest part of his day. For eight years he had been paralyzed and bed ridden. Month after month, Eneus would relive the same nightmare of pain and purposelessness. That was until a stranger peeked in through the door. The man was tall and broad. He held the holy and quiet demeanor of a caring priest, but he wore the tattered clothes of a fisherman. Eneus, he asked. Enius gave a curious nod, I am Peter, sent by Jesus Christ. It is him who heals you at this moment, Rise up and make your bed. And immediately Eneus dangled his legs over the side of the bed. With a small leap of faith, he stood to his f He leapt for joy and ran outside, and all the citizens of Lyddah rejoiced and came to know Christ. Meanwhile, in the siny of Joppa, there was a disciple by the name of Tabitha. Her devotion to the character and ministry of Jesus was staggering, and the whole city was blessed because of her. She cared for the sick and lonely. She ministered to the broken hearted, and she did so with joy. She reflected Christ in her city and set an example for what it meant to follow Christ. However, even the pure can be sick, even the strong can become weak. In the prime of her ministry, Tabitha became ill to the point of death. Her friends washed her lifeless body. Tears filled the upper room where she lay. They could not believe that this beautiful soul would be taken from them. So quickly they closed the door to the upper room where Tabitha lay and went downstairs. They wept all night. There was no ceasing to the heartache of death. Even though she Esus had ridden the final sting of death, they were still filled with sorrow over their loss. That was until a stranger peeked in through the door. The man was tall and broad. He held the wholly in quiet demeanor of a caring priest, but he wore the tattered clothes of a fisherman. As this where Tabitha lays. The man asks. The friends nodded, skeptical of the man's intentions. I am Peter, and I have come to see Tabitha. So they led Peter into the upper room. They had heard of Peter the apostle of Jesus. They knew that God was active in his life. They knew that a miracle was not only possible, but probable. Peter closed the door to the upper room. The room was filled with incense to mask the smell of death. Its musk made Peter's lungs feel heavy. Under the dimly lit candlelight, Tabitha could be seen lying on a bed. Peter took a few steps forward and knelt down slowly at her side. He held her hand. It was cold and callous. She was a woman well acquainted with hard work. From what Peter had heard, her hands were used to the glory of God. Peter squeezed her lifeless hand tightly and whispered tabitha aries. The hand Peter held began to squeeze back, and color was restored to Tabitha's face and limbs. Her eyes slowly opened to see Peter's smiling face looking back at her. Peter laughed, and Tabitha wept with tears of joy. The two exchanged a few words, but it was brief since an excited mob of widows and believers stormed the room. They hugged and kissed her. Words of her healing spread, and Tabitha wore her testimony like a banner of God's faithfulness.
We began today's reading in the city of Lida, many miles to the north of Jerusalem. Despite increased persecution and danger for the believers, Peter had not ceased to go from place to place with the gospel message. In Lidda, he found a man Aneas, who had been confined to his bed for eight years, eight years of pain and suffering. He was stuck in his home with little hope of being made well, but the Lord guided Peter to his house. Peter entered the house and spoke to Aeneas, saying, Jesus heals you, and told him to get up and make his bed. If you've ever lived in a small town, you know how fast word spreads, And that's exactly what happened. In this little town. Everyone knew Aneas was paralyzed and confined to his bed, so when they saw him walking around completely healed, they were amazed and glorified God through one physical healing. God then opened the door for spiritual healing salvation for many people listened to what Acts nine thirty five says, and all the residents of Lyda and Charon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. Not just one city, but two, All who lived there turned to the Lord. We then heard of a woman in the nearby town of Joppa named Tabitha. Tabitha was a believer who was busy going about the work of Christ. We're told that she was full of good deeds and charity generosity. In other words, she cared for the needs of people around her. Tabitha lived out the Lord's command to love her neighbor, and yet she became sick and died following Jesus does not automatically mean that the will of God is easy with life and health and prosperity, or even a long life, And so this woman dies. Her friends were not ready to say goodbye to Tabitha, however, so they cleaned her body and laid her in an upper room, and then sent word to Peter, who came right away. When he arrived, he went into the home to the upper room where Tabitha lay. Just as Jesus had done when he went to the home of Jyris to raise his daughter from the dead. Peter spoke to Tabitha, telling her to arise. Peter was carrying on the healing ministry of Ji Jesus, even raising the dead to life. Peter then presented Tabitha to her friends and family, and many turned to the Lord as a result of her resurrection. Today we are reminded that God's miracle working power has the ability of drawing people to himself. God still cares for those who are hurting. We saw the compassionate heart of Christ going about doing good and helping those who were hurting, and healing the sick, and even raising the dead. And in the same way, there is a desire in the heart of those of us who follow Jesus to help hurting people, to bless those who need the blessing of God, and especially those who need to hear the witness of the Gospel, and to turn to Christ. Our mission as the followers of Jesus is to preach the Gospel and to help people know and follow our Lord. We, like the apostle Peter in this case, need to be attentive and alert to opportunities all around us to share the good news of Jesus. Let us always be available to help people discover the power of God in their lives. Let's pray. Dear Jesus, we know that you have come to bring healing and wholeness to the world. May your message of hope and salvation go to the ends of the earth through your witnesses. May we, as your followers, keep our eyes open for the opportunities to obey you in sharing this good news. For we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. You can download the pray dot Com app and make prayer a priority in your life, just like over twenty million people have done to this date. If you enjoy this podcast, share it with someone you know and love, because by sharing this message of the Word of God, you can make an eternal difference in someone's life. And I want to encourage you to go to Jack Graham dot org. That's me at Jack Graham. We have resources available to you and we're also taking a trip. Two trips next year, one to Israel leaving April first, and then an Alaskan Adventure and Bible study cruise in July of twenty twenty four. You can go to our website Jack Graham dot org or Prestonwood that's p R E.
S t O.
N WOD dot org Prestonwood dot org for information about the trip to Israel and the cruise to Alaska. God bless you and we look forward to joining you again the next time.
This episode is sponsored by Meta Share, an innovative healthcare solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.
Hello, I'm doctor Tony Evans, and I'm excited to have you join me on this new podcast. Heroes in the Bible come to me, boy, Oh and your God, well crumble beneath my feet.
He beckoned the giant and said.
I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts and Creator of the stars.
You know, we all have giants that we face in our life, and when you understand that the greatness of God affects our ability to handle the giants of life, it will encourage, inspire, and challenge all of us to our faith in God and our growth in Jesus Christ.
Look past his height and appearance. Samuel for man sees the outward appearance. They see the strength of the man's arms, but the Lord looks and to the heart.
Listen to Heroes in the Bible with doctor Tony Evans on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast