Restored

 

Acts 2:38

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

❤️❤️❤️

Have you ever felt like you needed to have a do-over? If so, you’re in good company. Peter did as well.  Peter was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, invited by Jesus Himself to leave his life as a fisherman and join Him during His ministry on earth. On the night that Jesus was betrayed, Peter followed Him to the sham trial. The people in the area were openly and aggressively hostile to Jesus. Imagine what that must have felt like, to be surrounded by people who may choose to treat Peter the way they were treating Jesus at that very moment.   In Matthew 26 and Luke 22, we see that Peter chose to keep a low profile. He wanted to go unnoticed by the angry mob. That didn’t work for long, though—three different people recognized him as a follower of Jesus and asked him about it. Each of the three times, Peter denied ever knowing Jesus. If we skip ahead in Scripture, though, we find Peter doing the exact opposite. In Acts 2, Peter is standing in front of a big crowd, filled with people who may persecute him. Rather than denying knowing Jesus, he proclaims the secret to life: repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and receive the Holy Spirit. This is risky. What will people think? What if they turn on him the way that they did Jesus? Yet, he was bold anyway. He was a transformed person compared to who he had been earlier in the story.  How did Peter transform? He was restored by Jesus. He also received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Two major things happened between these passages of scripture: Jesus visited Peter, and with grace, restored him. Secondly, the Holy Spirit came down from heaven for the followers of Jesus. With the Holy Spirit came power, empowering the believers to live bold, transformed lives (Acts 2). Many of us face moments like this: moments where the right answer is boldness for Jesus, but the easy answer is to keep our heads down. What will people think? What will they do?  Here’s some great news: we’re never alone. We don’t have to be bold on our own. The Holy Spirit is with us every day, giving us the power to be bold and transformed. We can walk out our newness each day with His help.  You can start today. Boldness is now. The Holy Spirit is ready to walk with you. Prayer:

Jesus, thank You for giving me Your Holy Spirit as a gift. I choose to acknowledge Your Spirit's presence in my heart and life. Holy Spirit, please help me to be bold today. Please help me to recognize each opportunity to share the gospel and give me the courage to do it well. I am so grateful for You. In Jesus' nem, Amen.

John 6:35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Jesus replied, “I tell you for certain that you must be born from above before you can see God’s kingdom!”
Then everyone who has faith in the Son of Man will have eternal life. God loved the people of this world so much that He gave His only Son so that everyone who has faith in Him will have eternal life and never really die.  God did not send His Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent Him to save them!
(John 3:3;15-17 CEV)
So you will be saved, if you honestly say, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. (Romans 10:9 CEV)

THANK GOD. Christ Brings Real-Life
You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following Him.  Plant your roots in Christ and let Him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.(Colossians 2:6-7 CEV)
My friends, I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you! (Galatians 6:18 CEV)Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. (Ephesians 6:10 CEV)
In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

God Bless You
Friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble.  You know you learn to endure by having your faith tested.  But you must learn to endure everything, so you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything. (James 1:2-4)
The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:10)
❤️❤️❤️

I pray that God, who gives hope, will bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith. May the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope. (Romans 15:13 CEV)