Acts 3:15-21 – “You killed the Originator of life, whom God raised from the dead.  To this fact we are witnesses!  ¹⁶ And on the basis of faith in Jesus’ name, his very name has made this man—whom you see and know—strong.  The faith that is through Jesus has given him this complete health in the presence of you all.  ¹⁷ And now, brothers, I know you acted in ignorance, as your rulers did too.  ¹⁸ But the things God foretold long ago through all the prophets—that his Christ would suffer—he has fulfilled in this way.  ¹⁹ Therefore repent and turn back so that your sins may be wiped out, ²⁰ so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and so that he may send the Messiah appointed for you—that is, Jesus.  ²¹ This one heaven must receive until the time all things are restored, which God declared from times long ago through his holy prophets.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I was challenged.   I felt like I was reading the unread in the Book of Acts.  What do I mean by the unread?  I mean the things that are skimmed over and unnoticed.

In Acts 3, we focus on the miracle of healing and give little emphasis to Peter’s charge to the onlookers.  In verses 15-19, he explained the miracle, but his message was in verse 19 – Repent!   That is the heart of God!  His miracles are evidence of His love and desire to restore us.

The religious rulers threatened them with excommunication.   Peter and John rejected the endorsement of tradition and religion in favor of obedience to God.   The result was a prayer meeting where they asked God for boldness to preach Jesus.

The result in Acts 4:31 was another outpouring of the Holy Spirit.   God’s answer to their prayer was another saturation with the Holy Spirit.   We sometimes overlook the fact that they did not seek that outpouring but boldness and courage to continue.   God’s answer was to saturate them again with the Holy Spirit.  The key to fulfilling His commission is saturation with the Holy Spirit.

When Steven related Israel’s history, he spoke of the burning bush.   God said to Moses, “You are standing on Holy ground.”   What made it Holy?   We take experiences and make shrines, but what made that spot Holy?  It was God’s Presence!   God’s Presence makes the place Holy ground.  We seek signs and make shrines.  Seek God, and wherever we are becomes Holy ground.

We are praying for revival, but we will not have it without promoting repentance.  Without repentance, there will be no revival.   Repentance brings us into the presence of God and opens the door to saturation in the Holy Spirit, which produces the boldness and power to bring conviction, the doorway to revival.

We want more of God and His power.  The only doorway through which it comes is Repentance!   If we want more of God and His power, we must submit ourselves totally to Him.  We do not need more programs.  We need His presence.  We are waiting for open doors of opportunity without realizing that when the saturation of the Holy Spirit comes, every door, every place, and every person is an opportunity.

It’s harvest time!   Let’s rejoice and come to Him in