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THE BOOK OF ACTS – WIPED AWAY OR WIPED OUT…?

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WIPED AWAY OR WIPED OUT…? 

“Now it’s time to change your ways. Turn to face God so He can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you and send you the Messiah He prepared for you, namely Jesus. For the time being He must remain out of sight in heaven until everything is restored in order again just the way God, through the preaching of His holy prophets of old, said it would be. Moses, for instance, said, ‘Your God will raise up for you a prophet just like me from your family. Listen to every word He speaks to you.’ Every last living soul who refuses to listen to that prophet will be wiped out from the people.'” Acts 3:19-23 (The Message).

That’s a bit rough, isn’t it? Does God really mean that everyone who does not listen to Jesus will be wiped out, as in — removed, destroyed? What happened to the “God is love” thing?

Yes He does.

The tragic truth is that most people do not understand the nature of God’s love. They think that His love is a “do anything you like, spit in my face, ignore who I am, wipe your feet on me and I’ll take no notice” kind of love.  Yes, He loves us even if we have treated Him like that but that attitude does not make for a good Father/son relationship.

Jesus told a compelling story about a son who treated his dad just like that. He was an “I don’t need you; I can make it on my own; I want to be free; I’m sick of you and your stuffy holiness” son. He demanded his inheritance, tantamount to saying, “I wish you were dead,” and set off to live out his “freedom” far away from dad and home.

His plan worked for a while until his funds ran out and his so-called friends ran away. Then reality hit. He had no home, no money and no one to turn to for help. He faced the stark reality that a man has to work to eat. Hunger drove him to do the unthinkable — a Jewish boy looking after pigs! Just imagine that! He was so “free” that he could sit and watch pigs all day. He actually became a servant of pigs!

What option did he have but to eat humble pie and go back home? Suddenly the thoughts of home and dad and all those things he had so despised were no longer repulsive but appealing. It’s funny how hunger and poverty bring a person back to sanity! He wasn’t sure about his father’s attitude to his homecoming. He decided he had better offer himself as a servant just to get a square meal every day. Better to serve his dad than to serve pigs!

The story, among other things, illustrates the heart of the father — his son was always his son, regardless of his failures; but it does not tell us about the cost of reconciliation. God set a price on rebellion from the beginning. Rebellion is expensive. Forgiveness comes at a price.

This whole episode that Peter was talking about, God coming to earth Himself, living a human life for thirty three years, being put to death for being the Son of God with no guilt of His own, was about paying the price He demanded for mankind’s rebellion. We could not pay the price for everyone else’s sin, only our own, and that means everyone will be wiped out of God’s family for ever because the payment for the debt is death.

There’s only one way back into the family — by having our wicked past wiped away. Jesus did that by taking the rap for us. Now we can do what the rebellious boy did, go back home to Dad because there is nothing in the way any more. The Father took His anger at sin out on His own Son so that He can welcome us home with open arms.

So…it’s time to change your ways! The old way does not work and only leads to the pigsty. Daddy’s waiting to welcome you home.

THE BOOK OF ACTS – TURN TO FACE GOD

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TURN TO FACE GOD 

“When Peter saw he had a congregation, he addressed the people:

“‘Oh, Israelites, why does this take you by such complete surprise and why stare at us as if our power or piety made him walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, had glorified His Son Jesus. The very one that Pilate called innocent, you repudiated. You repudiated the Holy One, the Just One, and asked for a murderer in His place. You no sooner killed the Author of Life than God raised Him from the dead – and we’re the witnesses. Faith in Jesus’ name put this man whose condition you know so well, on his feet – yes, faith and nothing but faith put this man healed and whole right before your eyes.'” Acts 3:12-16 (The Message).

What an opportunity! Peter made good mileage out of the situation. It was very current. Some of his hearers were still smarting from his last sermon. They had been part of the mob that had bayed for Jesus’ blood and when the Holy Spirit came with indisputable evidence, they were forced to acknowledge their guilt and seek the forgiveness His death offered.

Now it had happened again — another phenomenal miracle which pointed to a Power outside their everyday experience. Peter quickly jumped in with another explanation and another accusation which once again hit home. They had to face the cold, stark fact that they had mindlessly demanded the release of a known murderer and condemned an innocent man to a horrible death, but not only an innocent man, the very Son of God whom they refused to acknowledge.

No one could deny the miracle. This man was so familiar to them that no one would even question that he was once a crippled beggar and now he walked and was whole again. But how did it happen?

Peter explains. “This Jesus you killed is alive again. God raised Him from the dead as a witness to the identity you refused to acknowledge – the Son of God. Through the power of His name, this man was made whole and can walk again. This is the same God you claim to worship – the God of our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

The evidence was irrefutable. They had only one option – to turn to the one they had spurned and acknowledge that He is Lord. The kingdom He represented is one of mercy and compassion. The Ruler of this kingdom has the power to restore what the devil had lured man into destroying. In spite of what they had done, He offered forgiveness, cleansing, healing and a new life of faith in Him.

The crippled man ,now healed and whole, was a startling declaration that God’s desire is not to condemn and destroy but to restore and heal as a witness to His love and grace. What other God would come Himself to a broken world, pay the debt for man’s sin and offer forgiveness and a new start to anyone who is willing to take up His offer and stake themselves on the reliability of His character and His promise?,