Acts 3:19-20 (AMP) So repent (change your mind and purpose); turn around and return [to God], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, of reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord;
20And that He may send [to you] the Christ (the Messiah), Who before was designated and appointed for you--even Jesus,
The other day I posted part of Abraham Lincoln's call for a national day of prayer where he said (paraphrasing) that as a nation we had been blessed beyond measure but had forgotten God.
Our high school youth group has been asked to read through the book of Acts this week. As part of that reading I came across today's verses and couldn't help but think more about Abraham Lincoln's words. I Googled "we have forgotten God" and came across some more of his words. Today, I'll share some that he gave in calling for a National Day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer on March 30, 1863. He wasn't calling on the people to turn towards the government, but instead to turn back, to repent, and seek God.
"It is the duty of nations…to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins…with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy…The awful calamity of civil war…may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins."
The Amplified Bible speaks of this repentance, as called for by Peter as "changing mind and purpose." As a nation, we need help. The question is where are we looking for it to come from? What would happen if more of us would turn our hearts towards God and seek the times of refreshing that only He can bring? He can blot our and wipe clean our past sins and revive us with the fresh air of fresh faith. A good read on this would be Jim Cymbala's book, "Fresh Faith: What Happens When Real Faith Ignites God's People".
In Christ,
Mike
Follow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
Acts 3:17-24 English Standard Version (ESV)
17 "And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. 22 Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.' 24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days.
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