Day 157 Bible Readings – Acts 3: 19-21 (ESV)

2 Samuel 9 & 10, Acts 3, Psalm 89: 38-45

Acts 3: 19-21 (ESV)

“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 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.”

In verses 19 through 21 from Acts 3, Peter preached to the crowd gathered around him and John to repent and follow the teachings of the resurrected Jesus Christ. If people repented, they would receive two (2) blessings. The first blessing would be that their sins would be erased because Christ gave his life to blot out all of our sins. The second blessing would be that when they felt the presence of Christ in their lives, they would be refreshed by the power of the Holy Spirit that came after Christ was resurrected. Believers in Christ would also be part of the restoration of their communities as part of God’s plan.

I love how in these verses from Acts 3 of how Peter spoke about the blessings that are available to the people who had demanded that Jesus Christ be crucified. Peter’s sermon tells us if one comes to faith in Jesus Christ, all sins including the sins of condemning Jesus Christ to die, can be forgiven. Christ welcomes all people, no matter how terrible their sins are, to the blessings of the forgiveness of all sins and the refreshment and restoration that come from being in the presence of Christ through the Holy Spirit.

If you enjoyed reading my thoughts about these Bible verses, find a good, Bible-based church where you can experience the forgives of all of your sins and the refreshment and restoration that come from being in the presence of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Day 156 Bible Readings – Acts 2: 41-43 (ESV)

2 Samuel 7-8, Acts 2: 22-47, Psalm 89: 30-37

Acts 2: 41-43 (ESV)

“So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.”

Verses 41 through 43 from Acts 2 tells us what happened on the day of Pentecost after Simon Peter the apostle finished preaching. Three thousand people were saved and baptized, who then devoted themselves to the teachings of the disciples and saw many wonders and signs done by the apostles. Once the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, the apostles of Jesus were able to perform miraculous acts of healing like Jesus. The people were in the awe because the miracles were a validation of the power and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of the Holy Spirit, the apostles were able to continue the ministry that Jesus started before he was crucified, and they were given everything that Jesus had promised to them before he died.

I recently went to a full-gospel Holy Spirit fire worship service, and I was in awe. The pastor laid hands on everyone in the service, and I watched in amazement as people collapsed and started crying and speaking in tongues. Some people claimed they were healed and everyone I spoke with had the same reaction I did – we had never experienced any thing like this service in our church-going lives. We all felt like we had experienced what the early Christians had gone through in the church that formed after Christ was resurrected.

If you’ve never been to this type of service, I encourage you to attend one. There are still many evangelists holding tent meetings and laying hands on people and healing them, where the attendees are seeing signs and wonders. You can also search for them on YouTube so you can watch for yourself what happens in these evangelistic tent meetings.

If you enjoyed reading my thoughts on these Bible verses, find yourself a good, Bible based church where you can listen to the word of God and discuss it with other believers.

Day 155 Bible Readings – 2 Samuel 5: 19 (ESV)

2 Samuel 5 & 6, Acts 2: 1-21, Psalm 89: 19-29

2 Samuel 5: 19 (ESV)

“And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.”

I love verse 19 from 2 Samuel 5. Even after David became king over all of Israel, he still consulted with Father-God on what to do about the Philistines. He not only asked Father-God if he should go up against the Philistines, David asked if he was going to have victory. Father-God told David he would give David victory over the Philistines. David gives believers in Jesus Christ an example of how important it is seek to Father-God’s guidance and advice in everything we do, even after we achieve in life everything that was promised to us. David shows us that we need to make prayer the first thing we do when we need to make a decision in good times and bad times. I try to pray to Father-God now for every decision I make, large or small, so I can be assured that I have God’s guidance for everything in my life.

If you enjoyed reading about my thoughts on this Bible verse, find yourself a good Holy Spirit filled church where you can hear the word of God preached to help you develop a deeper relationship with Father-God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Day 154 Bible Readings – Acts 1: 4-5 (ESV)

2 Samuel 3: 22-39, 2 Samuel 4, Acts 1, Psalm 89: 14-18

Acts 1: 4-5 (ESV)

“And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

In verses 4 and 5 from Acts 1, Jesus tells his disciples to not leave Jerusalem and wait to be baptized with the Holy Spirit which Father-God promised. Jesus promised his disciples an “Advocate” to help them, and to empower them for the mission that Jesus was going to give them. These verses also fulfill what John the Baptist had prophesied when he said that Jesus will baptize them with the Holy Spirit. When I read these verses, it makes me realize how important it is for believers in Jesus Christ to make sure they are baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a gift from Father-God and Jesus Christ and is the third part of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is needed for all believers in Jesus Christ because Jesus promised in John 14: 26 that the Holy Spirit will teach and remind us of everything Jesus had said to his disciples. As believers of Christ if we want to spread the teachings of Christ like his disciples, we need the Holy Spirit to dwell within us because the Holy Spirit is the only one who has the power to bring people to Christ.

If you enjoyed my thoughts on these verses, find yourself a good full-gospel Holy Spirit filled church so you can experience the power and baptism of the Holy Spirit.