“When the people heard this, they were very upset. They asked Peter and the other apostles, ‘Friends what shall we do?’ Peter said: ‘Repent and turn back to God! Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will be given [receive] the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you and your children and your children’s children, and is for everyone our Lord God will choose, no matter where they live.’ Peter told them many others things as well, he did testify and exhort, saying, ‘Save yourself from this corrupt generation, save yourself from what will happen to all evil people.’ Then they gladly received his [Peter’s] words and were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfast in the apostles doctrine [learning from the apostles], in fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayer. They were family to each other.”
Peter quotes from Psalm 16:8, the same Psalm that David wrote speaking of the Messiah who would be resurrected and is at the right hand of God in all His Glorious, saying: ‘I shall not be moved. My body will not decay, but is resurrected and glorified. And the same recurred spirit that is upon me will be on you, and I will give you authority from the Holy Spirit with results and power that you are seeing and hearing today.’
Peter is saying to them you are not here just for the thanksgiving for the first-fruits. You are not here because of the abundance of the wheat harvest, grain harvest, and the barley harvest. Nor are you here just to remember the law that was given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. But you are here, children of Israel, to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit of God—that in the last days, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and all shall receive the outpouring in those days and they shall prophesy. I will work miracles in the sky above and wonders in the earth below. And there will be signs before the great and wonderful day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
Receive this releasing of God and move into new life now. For this is the message that God has for your life. Don’t let this season move without you. This is the timing of God for your life. Get in the right pasture and receive. ‘Don’t lose it.’ What shall we do to receive? Repent! It is not enough to be sorry for your sins. We must let God forgive them by asking God to forgive and to remove the sin out of our lives. Repent with a ‘Godly sorrow’ with the atonement of Jesus Christ.
Atonement is the reconciliation [the restoring] of God and humankind through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. The exemplifying of mankind with God.
Live a life of forgiveness, oh sons and daughters. If you are going to live for God you must repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Change the directions of your life and live for God. Depend on the Holy Spirit for guidance, mercy and power.
