32 As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord's people who lived in Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. 34 "Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat." Immediately Aeneas got up. 35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!"
39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43
Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon. Some Christians believe that God does not do miracles like this today - that was then, this is now. If someone paralyzed suddenly walked, how would we explain it today? If someone was raised from the dead? Most people would assume there was some scientific explanation and would not give God credit. I think that God's plan is to draw us to know, love, and depend on Him. If miracles like He did through Peter would not accomplish this purpose, why would He work them? He certainly Loves us and sometimes does miracles just to show it - I've seen many of those kinds of miracles - things we might attribute to coincidence. The only miracle that we really need is the atoning death and Resurrection of Jesus. That one act accomplished over 2000 years ago opened to us the door to God's Kingdom, to relationship with Him, if only we'll walk through the door, leaving our old self behind and letting God transform us into the people He created us to be.
