When the times of refreshing shall Come...the Wayfarer

When the times of refreshing shall Come
6/14/14

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”

(Acts 3:19)

As Peter and John went to the temple to pray and preach after the Pentecost, they did so with the same authority as did Jesus, with the same concern for the people that Jesus had, and the same lack of fear for their own lives held by Jesus when He taught.

“Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

And a certain lame man from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple:

Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.

And Peter fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.

And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: 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.

And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God.

And all the people saw him walking and praising God.

And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.”

(Acts 3:1-10)

The lame man that sat at the gate each day did so because he expected something from being there. He knew that those going into the temple would be penitent, desirous of forgiveness, themselves seeking something by being at that temple.

What the lame man sought was alms. Charity, given by those entering that could keep him alive as he had no other means of supporting himself having to rely on the generosity of others.

Peter told him that he had no silver or gold to offer, but offered instead the marvelous restoration of the ability to walk and to fend for himself.

For his part, the lame man recognized the value of that restoration and gave thanks where it was due, not to Peter and John, but to God himself who had accomplished that restoration through these two faithful and spiritually powerful disciples.

“And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.

And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

(Acts 3:11 & 12)

The people gathered that day rushed to Peter and John, immediately, without thought or reasoning, crediting what their eyes saw to those seen, amazed, enthralled, wondering, at what was without doubt a miracle accomplished in their presence.

As for Peter and John, they knew where the power came from, and used this particular gathering to preach about just how such a thing could come to pass.

Note that Peter was quick to announce that what had happened was not by any power or holiness held within them of themselves, no righteousness of their own that gave them that ability to be used as healers, no accolades sought for themselves for what had been done but instead what Peter did was to proclaim the righteousness and ability of Christ Jesus, his Master.

“The God of Abraham, and of Isaac , and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified  his son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pliate, when he was determined to let him go.

But ye denied the Holy One, and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

(Acts 3:13-16)

Peter is quick to remind these gathered that the very one they had railed at Pilate to crucify was the same one from whom this miracle came and without whom could not be accomplished.

He reminded them that it was only through the faith in Christ Jesus and in his name alone any miracles were done, that were done, not of themselves, by themselves, but of Christ alone.

“And now brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.

Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord:

And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you.

Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things which God hat spoken by his holy prophets since the world began.

(Acts3:17-21)

Peter tells them that he understands that it was through their ignorance of who Christ was that the crucifixion was forced upon him in place of the murderer released to these same people gathered in the temple that attempted to honor them for a single miracle far less significant than all that had been done by our Savior.

He reminds them of the need to repent and be converted in order for sins to be forgiven, to include the sin of having allowed the persecution and crucifixion of Christ, whose name, and faith in that name alone granted that miracle seen by them.

He reminds them and us as well that there is coming a time of refreshing, a time when the old will be called into account, and expunged from the earth, a restitution to God made for what has been done.

We have been given prophecy, and warning since Adam managed to throw away the gift of perfection and a perfect existence to seek “knowledge” that mankind continues to seek as we flail about this earth forgetting the lessons learned that have already been given as we search for answers not to be found by means of those lessons.

Faith is abandoned for science, grace forgotten for political promise and gain. Once again ignorance has become the watchword for the means by which most lives are lived.

Ignorance is what most will claim at that day of refreshing, asking as did so many when they were taught, when did they see the things warned about, when did they fail to do the things required of them?

Ignorance will be no excuse, and is no excuse. Failure is a choice.

“For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord  your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 

And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

Unto you first God, Having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

(Acts 3: 22-26)

Christ Jesus was that prophet spoken of by Moses. Peter put emphasis on the warning that every soul which would not hear that prophet would be destroyed.

That prophet is still speaking today, still preaching the same, message of redemption through repentance, still preparing any and all willing for that refreshing yet to come by means of what He has already given us.

Peter goes on to state that all the prophets since Moses foretold the days of Christ, and the rejection of him by the majority, The reminder continues that we are children of the covenant, children of the prophets who the world failed to listen to Children of God who seeks only our love and to love us in return requiring only repentance in return for the offered redemption given through the sacrifice of His Son.

That final verse of this third chapter, still speaks the truth of the hope for that refreshing; Jesus was raised up, resurrected from the death that he faced because of the ignorance of those gathered that day and those still today who in ignorance attempt to deny him.

Jesus was sent to bless us, to teach us, to show us the path to forgiveness and to turn us to God and from our own iniquity.

Just as Peter made clear to the people that day, clarification needs stressed today of the absolute power of Christ, and the complete inability of man to accomplish anything by himself.

Credit is given to men and to science for their skills and knowledge, for many things done today.

Credit needs given to the one who allows that skill and knowledge to exist, and who uses those tools to accomplish even greater miracles than that done by Christ through Peter for that lame man. Peter gave credit to Christ, and to God. It is time that we return to the realization of where the power lies, and honor the source of that power instead of the men loaned it instead.

That 19^th verse, with which I opened, is a continuation of the message given by Jesus, given by all the prophets, preached though all the ages to include now, and still the least heeded of all though granting the most promise of all.

“Repent: for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”

As reminder of that refreshing yet to come, as reminder of what we face even now I take you to other scripture that speaks about that refreshing to come, the 13^th chapter of Mark, the 24^th chapter of Matthew, the entire book of Revelation, all foretell that refreshing, as do old Testament books as well to include the greater prophets such as Isaiah, and the “lesser” prophets such as Zechariah.

We have been given ample warning of that refreshing; it is left to each of us to make preparation for it.

We have been given the precious gift of redemption through the sacrifice of God’s own Son, all that is required is the acceptance of that gift and repentance for what has been the objective of men since Adam, sin, adherence to men’s teachings, pursuit of the physical and corporal pleasures and riches instead of the spiritual blessing and eternal satisfaction of soul that is possible through giving that repentance.

Yes, it is time to repent and be converted, have your sins blotted out at the time of that refreshing  or face the alternative of being told to depart to the confines of eternal punishment prepared for those too stubborn to recognize their own ignorance, their own iniquity and repent.

I remain the same simple sinner saved by grace through the faith in my Savior, that same Jesus whose name and faith in that name allowed and allows the lame to walk, the blind to see, and the deaf to hear, if they only choose to accept His sacrifice for them and meet the requirement given of repentance for the redemption.

I remain also the soldier still on the field of battle awaiting that day of refreshing I know is coming and continually asking prayerfully, even so come Lord Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:12 ¹²For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen.
the Wayfarer
CMc