"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE SAFETY WE HAVE IN THE LORD"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE SAFETY WE HAVE IN THE LORD"

Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;

Psalm 139:24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:

This Psalm, penned by David, is one in which he expresses his praise to God, and brings his circumstances to God, asking God to help him. Right here at the end, in the last two verses, David prays something very wise, and we would benefit ourselves if this prayer and attitude of heart was a regular part of our own lives. David had learned that God knew him, and could help him. The same God who helped David, stands ready at this moment to help any who call upon Him, and, He is able to do more than we can imagine.

1. God can search your heart and know you heart.
Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;

The word search, means to find out to examine, to investigate, to examine thoroughly. To ascertain, to seek out.
David understood, David knew the great power of God, and how God could help him, by looking into his life, and seeing what is there, and what needed not to be there etc. David had learned that he himself needed God's help to run his life, and that God was more than willing to do so, and thus he was asking God to search him, and to know his heart, his inner self.

Imagine for a moment if you will, that there is truly no one else that knows every last detail of your life and heart. He knows when you get up, and when you sit down, and He knows what you are thinking before you think it. He knows everything and wants to help you. David wanted God to examine him.

2. God can try you, and know your anxieties.
Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;

Here, David makes it a little more specific. He was asking if God would try him, or test him, and know his anxieties. His worries.
He was inviting God to really examine his heart and to reveal to David what He found. David knew his heart was very capable of having things in it, that were not good for him, or for anyone else, and that they certainly would not bring honor and glory to God. And, He knew that God knew. And, he knew that God could help him in identifying these things, and help him rid himself of them.

3. God can see if there is any wicked way in you.
Psalm 139:24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

David continues with his being very specific in his requests. And, he asks God to look into his heart and see if there was any "wicked way" in him. Wickedness is anything that would offend God. David knew full well, that he was capable of offending God, and he did not want to do that. And, He knew that God could help him, by revealing any wickedness within.

4. God can lead you in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

Here's the last thing David asked for. Along with pointing out anything in David's life that may be offensive to God, he was asking if the Lord would lead him along the path of everlasting life. Or along the path that is prescribed by God for us. It's the right path, versus the wrong path. What a great prayer, and what a great confidence David had in our great God.

God knows the way, in fact, He is the way, and He as our shepherd, is all about leading us in the right way. Jesus said there were two roads in life, one was very broad that leads to destruction, and one that is very narrow that leads to life. It's the narrow one that David wanted to be led on.

Some questions:

1. Have you ever prayed before like David did here?

2. Do you know that there is nothing to fear by opening yourself up to God in this way, but only benefit can come of it?

3. Do you know like David how much God loves you, and thinks about you and wants to help you this very day?

4. Do you know like David that you do not have to go it alone through this life, but you can walk closely with God?

5. Will you give this prayer a chance today? Pray it and see what God says to you.

A prayer:

Father, who is great like You? Who knows all that You know? There is no one like You. Thank You for Your immeasurable interest and love for us. Who can help us like You? Who is ready to help like You? Lord, we need Your help. We cannot do this on our own. Invade our hearts with Yourself Lord. We welcome Your examination, correction, revelation, etc. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND BEING JUSTIFIED BY GOD"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND BEING JUSTIFIED BY GOD"

Acts 13:38 “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;

Acts 13:39 “and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions, and a prayer:

The above verses, were spoken by Paul in a Synagogue in Antioch He had been asked by the leaders there to share any words of exhortation (Encouragement). Of course Paul was not hesitant to accommodate their request. Thus Chapter 13:16-41 (from the daily reading today, June 20th in the One Year Bible) is a record of Paul's message that includes a review of the historical work and blessings of God among His people the Jews, leading up to the coming of the Messiah, and the heavenly blessing of forgiveness of sins, and the doctrine of being Justified. So, let's take a look at these two rich verses and enjoy learning what our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ has done for all who will believe. (Which I trust includes you also)

1. God wants His truth to be known by people.
Acts 13:38 “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;

God does indeed through teaching and preaching make His Word, His truth known to people. And, one of the main things at the heart of His truth is this. "that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;" How beautiful and amazingly wonderful is that. Through Christ, and the work of Christ in dying on the cross for our sins, and our turning to Him, and believing in Him, we receive the forgiveness of sins.

Forgiving men of their sins is the primary reason that Jesus came to the earth, and it's the primary blessing that God wants to give to people. He wants their sins to be forgiven. This is the truth that the Devil does not want people to know. He wants them to be condemned, to not know about forgiveness, and to keep men bound and enslaved to lies, to corruption, to unbelief, to a sure and certain eternal destruction. He hates the Lord, and he hates the fact that God forgives sins.

I'm certain he also hates the fact that he and his band of evil spirits know they can never be forgiven. They are truly the ones that are enslaved, and headed for eternal judgment.

2. God especially explains His truth among those are His children.
Acts 13:38 “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;

This message was preached among "brethren" And, it's among God's people, the church, where the truths of God are the most widely proclaimed and enjoyed. It's called teaching the Word. This is why God has placed pastor-teachers in the church, to explain His truth to His people, to our brothers and sisters in Christ. What a blessing that God who takes us out of darkness, and then places us in Christ, then through preaching and teaching takes the time to unpack His Word to us, explaining the wonders of His grace, love and mercy to us.

With the above in mind, one can see how we ought to pray for our leaders, our teachers, and how we ought to take full advantage of all the opportunities to gather together for worship, and for hearing the precious Word of God, so that we might be fed, be instructed, be encouraged, be enriched, be restored, corrected, helped, and made to overflow with the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ.

3. God's Son Jesus Christ came into this world to provide us with the forgiveness of sins.
Acts 13:38 “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;

Again, we see the emphasis on "the forgiveness of sins" Man cannot forgive his own sins. Although we often hear, that "we need to forgive ourselves" I disagree. We need to let God forgive us. Since it's more true than we know, that we cannot forgive ourselves. Only God can forgive sins. Look at these wonderful verses below that speak to the issue of being forgiven of sins.

Acts 5:31 “Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 26:18 ‘to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’

Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

Colossians 1:14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

4. God also, through faith in Jesus Christ, will and does justify everyone who believes.
Acts 13:39 “and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Now, here is another of God's blessings. It's called "justification" And, please notice again what the verse says.
Acts 13:39 “and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Not only are we forgiven of our sins by and through Jesus Christ, but also, for everyone who believes in Jesus, that person becomes justified from all things. What does this mean? One simple way to say it, is that we are not only freed from all guilt, ( that's forgiveness of sins ) but, we are "declared right with God" That's what Justification means. God declares the believing sinner to be right with him, because of their faith in Jesus Christ.

Justification really has two parts to it. God removes our sins from us, and then places on us, or imputes to us the very righteousness of Christ. He then declares that we are justified. No greater declaration could be made about a person. There is no one greater than God and there is no more important declaration He can make. And, how He yearns to make it to any and all who will believe. God is our justifier.

Romans 4:25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

Romans 5:16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.

Romans 5:18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.

5. God's justification, is something that could not be found by or through the Law of Moses.
Acts 13:39 “and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

This wonderful declaration of our being declared right with and before God could never be made through the law of Moses. The law came through Moses but grace came through Jesus Christ. The law was important to show us our need for salvation, and that salvation, that forgiveness, that justification is ours, not by the law, but by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.

So, God has done it all of us. We could not do it. God has done it for us. He has justified us. And, to be sure, please notice,
Acts 13:39 “and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

It's from all things. The Jewish law could never do this. But the Jewish God and Savior Jesus Christ could and has, and will do it for all who turn to Him.

Some questions:

1. Isn't it wonderful to know that God wants to make known the riches of His grace to you.?

2. You as a child of God are privileged to know these truths?

3. God has given you a bible, a church full of other members of God's Family, and He wants to build up the church through Christ.

4. Will you please pray for your church, it's pastor, and the other leaders, it's members, the working of the Holy Spirit, the teaching and the preaching of the Word of God, so that what God wants us to know and understand will take place?

5. If you had to define church attendance on your list of priorities where would it be?

6. Has God been speaking to you about your church attendance and involvement?

7. What steps might you need to take to come into line with heaven's priorities for your life and schedule, and use of your time?

8. Do you pray for Heaven's priorities to become Your priorities?

A prayer:

Father, how blessed the people were who heard Paul preach. And, how blessed we are that you have it on record for us in the Bible. And, how blessed we are that You are actively today, still speaking through pastor's, preachers, teachers, etc, to share with us Your indescribable gift in Jesus Christ. He is the gift of gifts. And, You are the giver of every good and perfect gift.
We pray that You would give us the gift of Spiritual wisdom and insight into the truth of Jesus Christ. We pray that You would flood our hearts with Spiritual insight. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE CALLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE CALLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT"

Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Acts 13:3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

Acts 13:4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:

The background here, is that many leaders were gathered together in the city of Antiock, and they were ministering to the Lord, that is, they were worshipping the Lord, seeking Him, walking with Him, meeting for prayer and fellowship. And during that period of time, (in a way that is not told us) the Holy Spirit spoke to them, and called out Saul, or Paul, and Barnabas for a particular work.

The verses above give us a great amount of detail of how the Holy Spirit works, why He works, and what we can do to cooperate with His work and His calling in these last days.

1. Being focused on, and walking with the Lord puts us in a place where God can speak to us.
Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

The Bible says that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. (James 4) And, that is what happened here. These men were drawing near to God, and He indeed drew near to them, and spoke to them, and told them what He wanted them to do.

The same thing happens today. God has a plan for each of our lives, and if we will but seek Him, and be in a place where we can hear Him, we will hear Him. What a blessing that is. God is so interested in carrying on His work. He is looking for people who are looking for Him. And, once He finds them, He speaks to them.

2. Fasting, is not something we are very use to doing. However, it is a Biblical practice, and is very helpful in finding the will of God.
Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

A part of their ministry to the Lord at this time was fasting. Which means to abstain. We are not told just exactly what they were abstaining from, but, they were fasting. Fasting is helpful in this regard, that it can sharpen out attention to the Lord, and it's a sacrifice that seems to yield great results in the sense that it puts us more in tune with the Lord. We become more focused on Him, and He honors that. He sure did honor it in this case

3. The Holy Spirit spoke to these focused worshippers, and told them what He had in mind.
Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

You will notice what God said to these men. It was a call to separate to Him, these two men, for a work that He was calling them to. God has a work to do, and He does His work through people. He calls those people to the work. The calling is His decision, not ours. Ours is to respond to His calling, and to enter into the work that He has for us. God has a work for you to do also, and one for me to do. I pray that we are in a place where we can hear Him, and that we will respond to Him promptly and without delay. We are to redeem the time, because the days are evil.

4. The men who were spoken to, took the time to wait, pray, fast, and attempt to be sure they had heard the Lord.
Acts 13:3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

While it's clear the Lord spoke to them, it's also clear that the men wanted to be sure. They did not just rush off, but they waited, they fasted, they prayed, and once they were convinced it was the Lord, they moved forward.

They heard God, they waited and prayed to make sure they heard God, and then they followed what God had told them to do. What a great pattern to follow.

5. Once these men had the confirmation from God, they put God's plan into action.
Acts 13:3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

God not only speaks to us, but He will confirm to us that He has spoken to us. He will especially do this for people who are asking Him for confirmation. Just as He did in this incident.

It's so easy to just rush off without waiting for God to confirm something to us. A little waiting, a little praying, a little fasting will pay big dividends of confirmation and certainty.

6. God the Holy Spirit selects people for service, and then He sends them out into that service.
Acts 13:4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

Just like the Father sent the Son, and He came to the earth, God is still today, calling, selecting, sending etc. There is a great work of God to be done in the days we are living in, and God is looking for men and women He can use. He will use any person who is available and willing. It's not talent He is looking for, but rather availability.

Questions:

1. Isn't this an encouraging story?

2. Have you had the experience of God speaking to you and calling You to ministry of some type?

3. Do you know that there is no greater blessing in all of life than to be in the middle of God's will?

4. Do you have the desire to be used by God? Have You told Him of your desire?

5. If God is speaking to you, please seek confirmation, He will give it to you, and than move ahead.

A prayer:

Father, thank You for sending Jesus to save us from our sins. And, now You are sending people all the time to tell others about Jesus. Thank You for the people or person who shared Christ with us.
They heard You, and they obeyed You, and we have benefitted from Your calling, and their obedience. Thank You Lord. In Jesus name. Amen

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT DISCOURAGEMENT AND DEPRESSION"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT DISCOURAGEMENT AND DEPRESSION"

1Kings 19:9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions, and a prayer:

The above verse, ( and please notice question between asked Elijah at the end of the verse ) follows a threat by Queen Jezebel, married to one of Israel's most wicked kings, Ahab. If you have been reading the chapters leading up to 19, you will remember that God had used Elijah mightily. But, now following these great victories by God, a simple threat from this woman sent him into hiding, and into discouragement, and I think its fair to say depression.

1. Discouragement which is simply not having courage to face life can happen to anyone.
1Kings 19:9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

The Bible actually says that we are all men of like passions. Sometimes we look at God's servants and think they are super saints, or very different from the rest of God's people. Not so. We are all just men, and Elijah was just a man. And, here was this great man of God scared and discouraged. Giving up hope as it were.

2. Sometimes discouragement can come on the heels of great blessings.
1Kings 19:9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

When you read through this story, and others in the Bible, it's not uncommon to find one thing following another. When you read the biographies of great men, you often read this same sequence. Blessings, and then discouragement. Very interesting. But, it happens more often to many people than we probably recognize

It sure happened to this man Elijah. He was scared to death, and had virtually given up as to the future.

3. Fear ( which is the opposite of faith ) can also contribute to discouragement.
1Kings 19:9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Fear, along with fatigue, can be twin contributors to becoming discouraged. Fear means, we have taken our eyes of the Lord, we are not trusting Him, and we are looking at our circumstances and we are becoming afraid. Fatigue, just being plain exhausted also has a tendency to lower our spiritual view of life, and again, it tends to distract us, we feel very bad physically, emotionally and spiritually. And, the next thing you know, we are discouraged. Such was the case with Elijah.

4. Elijah may have been hiding, but God knew where he was, and asked him a very pertinent question.
1Kings 19:9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Here's the bright spot in this otherwise sad incident. Elijah was hiding out. But, God knew where he was and asked him a question. "What are you doing here Elijah?" In other words, you don't belong here. This is not my will for you. And, in asking this question, it forced Elijah to stop and take stock of what was going on in his heart and mind. God asked him that question to help begin getting back in the saddle as it were, and back to where he should be, and out of his depression.

Some questions:

1. How many people do you know right now that are discouraged?

2. Are you?

3. When was the last time you were discouraged?

4. What happened before you became discouraged?

5. What happened to bring you out of discouragement?.

6. If you are discouraged at this time, I pray that you will not feel condemned, but realize that this happens to many, many people.

7. Will you please take comfort in knowing that God knows where You are, and He wants to lift you up and out of that discouragement.

Here's a few verses to help you if you are discouraged. ( by the way, we will be studying about slaying the giant of discouragement on Sun afternoon July the 20th. I hope you will consider joining us. I believe it may be very helpful to you.

But, here are those verses.

De 31:6 “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

De 31:7* Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.

De 31:23 Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.”

Jos 1:6 “Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

Jos 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Jos 1:18 “Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.”

Isa 42:4* He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”

Heb 12:3* For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

Heb 12:5* And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;

A prayer:

Father. Thank You again this day for Your Word. You do not gloss over the realities of life. And, You do not want us to think we are somehow odd and so much different from other people. Your Word helps us to gain perspective and comfort. We are all pretty much alike. And, the greatest thing we have in common, is that You are our faithful, and loving God. Please come and help anyone who is suffering the terrible debilitating effects of discouragement today, ( people we know, perhaps we ourselves. ) And, Lord is there is a way we can be of comfort to someone who is suffering, than, please put that on our hearts, and maybe the verses above could be shared with them. Thank You Father. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO US"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO US"

Acts 11:18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:

Today we understand that the Gospel of Jesus Christ if for every human being. But, it was not so in the very early day's of the church. The Leaders of the church in Jerusalem, were under the mistaken impression that the Gospel was only for the Jews. And, there was a group there who believed that to be saved, one had to first become a Jew, and then receive Christ as Savior. God intervened and explained to them through what is recorded in Acts 11, that His grace was for Gentiles as well as Jews. So, what we have in Acts 11:18 is a response by these men in Jerusalem, upon hearing the report from Peter of how God had moved to save a Gentile named Cornelius. This was a monumental revelation and understanding to them.

1. God teaches us about Himself by and through His Word.
Acts 11:18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

You will notice the verse above says, "When they heard these things" They were hearing the truth of God through the apostle Peter. He was explaining to them what God had just done.

Today, we also learn about God through His Word, as simple as that may sound. But, it's true, and it's the basic way that God communicates to us. This is why it's so important to be men and women who are men and women of the Word, that we read the Word and that we take it to heart and that we do so regularly.
There is no other way for us to grow. God's Word is our "Daily Bread"

1st Peter 2:2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,

2. When God teaches us about Himself, sometimes it just quiets our hearts as it did in these men's lives.
Acts 11:18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

How interesting that these very men who were now becoming so silent, or quiet had just a little earlier been contending or arguing with Peter. But, as he told them what happened, they became quiet.

This silence would indicate that though they were mistaken and arguing with Peter, they nonetheless were Godly men, with Godly hearts, they were simply misguided. And, God was able through Peter to get through to them. And, as they listened, they were being taught by God through Peter, and they simply became quiet.

This is so much like what happens to us today, if we have the same kind of hearts these men had. God's Word will quiet our troubled hearts He wants us to have peace, and not be troubled.

John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

3. When God teaches us something about Himself, we wind up glorifying Him.
Acts 11:18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

These men went from arguing with man, (Peter) to glorifying God their Savior. As they understood that God had sent Christ to die for the sins of the whole world, they were overwhelmed, and they just began to give Him glory..

Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

4. What God taught these men is that He "grants repentance to life" And, He gives it to whoever wants it.
Acts 11:18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

Repentance is a gift from God. It's not produced by man, but rather it's produced by God and given to man.
The reason God gives man the gift of repentance, is so that sinful man can turn around from the deadly direction he is headed, and turn to the Lord and be saved..

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

The Bible is also very clear, and this is so wonderful, not only does God give repentance, but it's His goodness that leads men to repentance.

Romans 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Some questions:

1. Repentance means, to change your mind about sin, and about God, can you remember when this happened to you?

2. How long or not so long ago was this, that you were changed, that you turned to God to be saved?

3. Can you think of anyone you know that is desperate need of being saved?

4. Would you pray for them even as you read this, and ask that what God has given to you, He would give to that person?

5. In fact, let's pray together for those folks who attend our church, but have not yet come to faith, that God would lead them to repentance by His goodness. Will you please pray? Do you believe God can do it?

A prayer:

Father, we read about Your gift of repentance, and Your goodness that led us to repent, and we like the men in this verse, are made somewhat quiet. When we really stop to think about where we were headed, and where we are headed now, we also glorify You. Thank You for being so gracious, and so patient, to preserve us till we became saved. We love You Lord, in Jesus name.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS"

Acts 10:43 “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”

Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions, and a prayer:

The above verse, is part of a teaching/preaching ministry by the apostle Peter as he was sent to minister to a Gentile named Cornelius. There were many things in his message, but here he focuses in on the very heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

1. Jesus was the main subject of the prophets in the OT.
Acts 10:43 “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”

Interesting to note, that Peter says, "all the prophets witness etc" Jesus was indeed the subject of their prophetic ministries, telling in advance that God was going to send a savior, the Messiah.
So, from Genesis to Malachi, the from start to finish in the OT, it's all about Jesus Christ.

2. Jesus is to be believed in, and trusted in.
Acts 10:43 “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”

Please notice the phrase, "through His name" this is essentially teaching that through what Jesus did, and that Jesus is to be believed in. It's one thing to know about Him, but quite an entirely different matter to to put one's trust in Him. But, that's what God has called us to. To believe in Him.

3. When a person believes in Jesus, they will receive the remission or the forgiveness of their sins.
Acts 10:43 “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”

This is the most wonderful truth in the entire world. That when a person puts their trust in Christ, they will receive the remission of, or the forgiveness of their sins.

When Christ went to the cross, He did so to pay for the sins of the world. Our debt to God has been paid for by Jesus's death on the cross. We are debt free as it were with God when it comes to sins.

We cannot remove our sins, but when we trust Christ, they are removed permanently.

4. Here's a small sampling of Bible verses about the forgiveness of our sins.

Acts 5:31 “Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 13:38 “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;

Acts 26:18 ‘to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’

Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

Colossians 1:14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Some questions:

1. When did you first find forgiveness of sins from Jesus?

2. What were the circumstances that led you to put your faith in Him?

3. Do you remember what it felt like to realize your sins were actually forgiven?

4. Do you ever share with non believers that they can be forgiven of their sins?

5. Would you pray right now that God might open the door for you to tell others what Jesus has done for you?

A prayer:

Father if there is one thing that is the greatest gift we have ever received, it's found in our having received Your Son Jesus Christ. It's not by works of righteousness that we have have done, that has brought us forgiveness of our sins, but rather through Your mercy and grace, and our turning to Jesus and putting our faith in Him. Thank You for your unspeakable gift Lord God. May we burst at the seams to tell others about Jesus. In his name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia