But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. 2 Corinthians 4:13-14.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
Today we will begin to consider, in studying how to bring days of Heaven to the earth, the miracles done by Jesus through believers in His Name after His resurrection and ascension back to the Kingdom of Heaven. We will be looking at the miracles done in the Acts of the Apostles. This is when His followers, being obedient to His Word, began doing the works He did and greater. And you are part of that heritage.
“Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith equally precious with ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” 2 Peter 1:1-4.
And the very one who wrote you that is My apostle Peter who with My apostle John was the first one to take up the works Jesus had done after His resurrection and ascension. And he stated that it was faith, the same precious faith you have handed down to you, that wrought the great miracle that took place. The faith that flowed from the Name of Jesus, His faith, was to what Peter attributed the mighty work. And that is the same precious faith– mountain moving, body healing, provision supplying faith.
Jesus had prayed that Peter’s faith would never fail. And Jesus ever lives to make intercession for you as well, you who have believed in My Word as spoken by the apostles and prophets. Jesus prayed for you the night He was betrayed, saying of His followers, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. John 17:16-21.
And John spoke of your common faith, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:4-5.
You have this precious faith that connects with My power to work wonders. And Peter and John knew they had received this marvelous gift and they did not just keep it to themselves in their hearts, they gave what they had to others by speaking it. And you will see this throughout the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. You release the abundance of your heart by speaking it.
“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” Colossians 2:6-7.
How did you receive Christ? You believed in your heart and spoke with your mouth. And that is the same way you are to walk out your life, firmly rooted and grounded in Christ, being built up in Him and established in your faith. “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” Romans 10:8-10.
And what has the power to save you and others? “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” James 1:21-22. Receive the implanted Word which is able to save your souls, and you will prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers.
So how do you receive the implanted Word that can heal your body and set you free? The same way you received Jesus, by believing in your heart and speaking with your mouth.
In the wilderness as My people camped at the entrance to the land I had promised them, they did not believe in their hearts that the promise I made was theirs so they spoke against it, but Caleb did not follow their example. He believed My promises in his heart and spoke them with his mouth as sure, and what did I say about him? I said he had fully followed Me and I rewarded him by renewing his youth and bringing him into the Promised Land.
And that is how you do the works Jesus did and greater. The same way He did. He believed in His heart and spoke with His mouth. And that is the same way I bring everything into being and do impossible things—I believe in My heart and speak it with My mouth. “Light be.”
Now take a look at the first miracle by the followers of Jesus after He was back with Me in glory, having finished the work I gave him to do. He is the author and finisher of your faith.
Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, which is 3:00 p.m., the hour of prayer being the hour of the evening sacrifice—the unblemished lamb, the unleavened bread, and the hin of wine. And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple, which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple. Acts 3:1-3. This man had been lame from birth. Like the man born blind, he was missing the parts in his legs and brain that would make him walk. This was what looked like a case that was impossible to make whole, to restore to the perfection in which I originally made man, with every member of your body doing its work in perfect unity until Adam corrupted the seed by murdering the eternal life that was in him by giving his life and authority over to the devil. This released the curse which wreaked havoc in your bodies and in the physical world and its elements. Corruption entered the earth and you have all felt its effects. But the good news is Jesus has redeemed you from the curse and given you the Blessing of Abraham and the promise of the Spirit by faith. You can put right the deformities and sicknesses the devil has caused. Like Jesus, you are sent to undo the works of the devil. The works He did and greater. Cast out demons, heal the sick, set the captives free so the lame walk and the blind see. And Peter and John were out to be doers of the Word.
When the beggar saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, “Look at us!” And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!” Acts 3:4-6.
Peter knew what he had. He had My wonderful Holy Spirit dwelling in him, directing him and guiding him to all truth. And he had faith in My Word. But he had even more, he had the Name of Jesus. He had been authorized to use that Name. “These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16:17-18.
And the night of that last Passover meal with Jesus before He was betrayed, Peter would never forget what Jesus had told them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:12-14.
And then after telling them that He would leave them and they would grieve for a time, but then He would return to them and they would have a joy that no one could take from them, He told them again that same night, “In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” John 16:23-24.
And Peter knew the One who gave him this magnificent promise, indeed, years later he would write, “For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” 2 Peter 1:4.
And after working this miracle, Peter would say to the religious leaders, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:8-12. To Peter, and to you, the Name of Jesus is the key to unlocking Heaven to earth.
But back to the miracle. After Peter had spoken to the lame man to be healed in Jesus’ Name, he seized him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God; and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. Acts 3:1-10.
Every bone every cell in that lame man’s body had obeyed the command spoken to it in the Name of the One who “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation—for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.” Colossians 1:15-16. “In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!” For at the Name of Jesus every knee must bow.
“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11.
And Peter now began the second sermon he preached after the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the disciples on the fulfillment of the day of Pentecost.
While the healed man who had been lame from birth was clinging to Peter and John in gratitude, all the people ran together to them at the portico of Solomon, full of amazement. But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His Son Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, but put to death the author of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. And on the basis of faith in His Name, it is the Name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.” Acts 3:11-16.
Remember? “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:14. Just as He had promised, when Peter called upon His Name in faith for doing a work as Jesus had done, Jesus showed up to do it. “And on the basis of faith in His Name, it is the Name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.” Jesus is His Name. He is My Word made flesh. He is My Word in action. Speak My Word and put Him in action. Use His faith. He is ready to give it to you to do the works of the Kingdom. To bring the Kingdom to the earth.
And Peter continued the sermon, “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Messiah would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Messiah appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you. And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ For you first, God raised up His Son and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.” Acts 3:17-26.
“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Messiah appointed for you.” Times of refreshing. That is what I give you in Jesus. “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:1-3. “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
As Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. Acts 4:1-4.
This wonderful miracle and Peter’s eloquent sermon filled with Scripture landed Peter and John in jail for the night and got them severely chastised the next day by the religious leaders, but it was so powerful that about five thousand new believers joined the church that day. And Peter the fisherman would also be their shepherd and feed My sheep, as Jesus had told him to do.