Acts 3:19-21 – “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, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before,   21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” NKJV

With so much going on in the world many Bible scholars and prophecy teachers are struggling because things are changing almost daily and each change either solidifies a particular idea (theory) or creates holes in the theory.  It is never safe to assume anything regarding God. 

Can we take the Bible at its word? Absolutely!  The problem is not in the Bible but in our flawed interpretation, as we view things through our particular grid of understanding and belief.  Could we be wrong in certain areas?  The answer is not only yes but likely are, have been, or will be.  We have more “theory-logians than theologians” today.

Some have dismissed the Work of the Holy Spirit in the miraculous for today saying that we do not need it because we have Science and Medicine.  Others have deemed many of the things of the Early Church and before as outdated because they state that those were only needed to get the church initially established and we now have the Full Written Word.  Yet not one of us can say with 100% assurance that we have rightly interpreted EVERY PASSAGE in the Bible.

At the risk of angering those who disagree with my unwrapping this passage, there are some things in this passage worthy of note.  Let us consider them:

Peter, in the New Testament, often says some of the most profound things and yet says them with such simplicity that anyone can understand.  I know that is the inspiration and anointing of the Holy Spirit, but I cannot overlook that He is using Peter’s style and personality in communicating.

• Peter Calls for Repentance and Conversion. 

Repentance is absolutely essential for anything from the Lord.

• He Identifies That This Will Result In “Times of Refreshing” From the Presence of the Lord.

I do not know about you, but I need “times of refreshing” as I traverse this maze, we call life.  I find myself weary and worn – battered and bruised at times.  I need the Divine Presence of the Lord to flow over me in a Refreshing that renews my Spirit.  I love serving the Lord, yet I must confess that at times it is demanding work and quite laborious, and a time of Rest and Refreshing is needed.

• He Touches on Something That Causes Great Controversy in Religious Circles Today in the next two verses.

Out of our Repentance and Conversion, the Refreshing that comes from the Lord.  Peter says an additional benefit is that the Father will send Jesus “whom heaven must receive UNTIL the TIMES OF RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS, which God has spoken by the prophets.” 

I have no desire to get into a debate as to what all that includes, but suffice it to say that God is Restoring today!  He is restoring lives!  He is restoring hope!  He is restoring vision!  He is restoring things that the Church lost sight of through its willingness to rely on the Arm of Flesh.  God is bringing His people back to a place of Commitment, Confidence, and Dependence like we have not seen in generations.  In my view, that is not only a good thing but an essential thing for us to see The Last Days Harvest the Bible foretold.

If you are not where you should be with the Lord, my plea is that you run to the foot of the Cross and cry out in repentance and receive His refreshing and renewal.  Then begin the upward look for God’s Restoration of ALL things in your life and world that are needed to produce the Abundant Life He promised and the ability to go into all the world He ordered.

May God be with you as you go through your day in Him!  Blessings abundantly