VOT: May 9, 2024 Beyond Silver and Gold “The Beautiful Gate Encounter” Acts 3:1-9. The Lame Man at the beautiful gate was made to believe that all he needed was “Silver and Gold” because he received financial help from passers by. However, life goes beyond silver and gold. Interestingly as simple it might sound, many still communize or trivialize their relationship with God. The trick of the devil is to make you feel inadequate and undermine the power you have received from God. Peter and John took a different stand and decided to show case the power of God that they carried and open the eyes of understanding of the Lame Man to understand that there is a supernatural power that can intervene in any and every airy and turn the situation around for good. They believed that all we need to access great treasures prepared by God is not just natural or superficial, but rather supernatural. The introduced the Lame Man to Jesus Christ the anointed one, who was able to transform his life for good and do beyond what “Silver and Gold. Eventually as they commanded him to rise up and walk, the testimony moves beyond just leaping for joy, but he obviously be slumped independent and must have been able to gain much more than what “Silver and Gold” had to offer him. The fact that the Man at the beautiful gate was strategically carried to the temple at the hour of Prayer is significant because, that positioned him right to encounter Peter and John. They did not have what he was expecting or wanted, but they had what he needed. He needed Jesus Christ to come into his battered life to make him better. He was also at the “Beautiful Gate” but his life was not beautiful. Therefore, he also needed Jesus to make his life beautiful beyond being around or associated with beautiful people around him who only had silver and gold to offer him. Nugget 1. No matter how beautiful you are, or your surrounding and things around you look, you are NOT beautiful without Christ. 2. Everyone needs a Peter and John (PJ-factor) to point them to what they need or who they need “JESUS” (WORD). This is Permanent and everlasting. On the contrary, what we want is often WORLDLY desires which is temporary and can easily fade away. Choose right by the help of the Holy Spirit. It is wise to invite Jesus Christ into your life so that you can move from the outer Beautiful gate to the Beautiful inner courts or His Holy presence where you can actually behold the beauty of the Lord. Prayer avails much with much Patience P-1: Purify your hearts through genuine repentance P-2: Position yourself to receive the Word P-3: Prophesy to the situation P-4: Praise God before, while waiting and after receiving answers P-5: Persistence-Refuse to quit and you are sure to win P-6: Presence of God P-7: Power of God released when Jesus takes over. P-8: Push (Pray Until Something Happens) the Violent take it by force P-9: Patience will make you wait till you meet your destiny helper “Peter and John” PJ factor “Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭3:1-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬.