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Acts 3:19

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

Encouraging Words

When we choose to follow Christ, to be converted from a person of the world to a person of the kingdom of God, and repent of our sins, we are embraced by God as His children. Our sins are blotted out and we are refreshed in his presence. We are also blessed by God’s grace and mercy to be able to run to Him every time that we sin and be able to repent again and be forgiven again. Our God loves us completely. Glory be to God!

Psalms 61:1-4 (60:2-5)

Hear my supplication, O God;
Attend to my prayer.
From the end of the earth I cried out to You
When my heart was discouraged;
You lifted me high on a rock.
You guided me, for You became my hope,
A tower of strength from the face of the enemy.
I will dwell in Your tabernacle unto the ages;
I will be covered with the shelter of Your wings. (Pause)

Encouraging Words

Our God hears our prayers because He is real, alive, and ever present. He cares about us and is always there to guide us through the rapids in our journey of life. He does attend to our prayers. He lifts us up out of the flood waters of life and sets us up on the High Rock. He is our tower of strength the, our tabernacle, and our protector. Glory be to God!

Acts 3:16

And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Personal Challenge

We, the followers of Christ, often pray for strength to deal with the issues and challenges. Where does that strength come from? It comes from Christ, channeled to us through our faith in Him. He works in us, and through us, synergistically, as we put our faith in Him. That faith comes from Him, but we must hold on to it and exercise it. Glory be to God!

Psalms 59:16-17 (58:17-18)

But I will sing of Your power,
And greatly rejoice in Your mercy in the morning;
For You are my protector,
And my refuge in the day of my affliction.
You are my helper; I will sing to You;
For You, O God, are my protector;
You are my mercy, O my God.

Encouraging Words

Look at the words in these two verses that describe who our God is in our lives. Power. Mercy. Protector. Refuge. Helper. God is all this and so much more. He is this in the life of every person who puts their hope in Him. He is not some historical figure or teacher from the past. He is now, always has been, and always will be, the I AM. And He is my Lord, and I am His child. Glory to God!

Acts 2:38

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Personal Challenge

Repentance is our first step in our lifelong journey with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. That journey does not stop there. We continue our process of transitioning from being a person of the world to a citizen of heaven by submitting our lives to Jesus and demonstrating that by our baptism. He equips us with the Holy Spirit to guide us through our journey. The act of repentance becomes one of the most critical acts in our lives because we need it every time that we turn our backs on God and commit sin. We must continually repent and return to Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner!

Psalms 57:1-3 (56:2-4)

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will hope,
Until lawlessness shall pass away.
I will cry out to God most High;
My God who is my benefactor.
He sent from heaven and saved me;
He gave over to disgrace those who trample me down. (Pause)
God sent out His mercy and His truth,

Encouraging Words

Our God is real! He is alive! He reigns over all of creation! Because of these truths, we can freely call out to Him and ask for His mercy and protection. Because He loves us, and all of His creation, He gives us that mercy and acts as our benefactor. Glory be to God! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Acts 1:9-11

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Encouraging Words

So many of the world religion look backward to base their teachings and actions on. In our Christian faith we look backward for the teachings and events that lay the foundation for what we believe and look forward to the return of our King as promised 2,000 years ago. This gives us hope for tomorrow. Glory be to God!

Psalms 56:3-4 (55:4-5)

I will not fear by day,
But I will hope in You.
I will praise God with my words all day long;
In God I hope; I will not be afraid; what will flesh do to me?

Encouraging Words

I love reading through the psalms and learning from David, the author of many of them. God, himself, labeled David as “a man after His own heart”. David had a very diverse life filled with challenges as well as victories. He sinned in and repented completely. He also proclaimed very often that his hope was in God, and God alone. We can learn from his writings and his passion for his God. Glory be to God!