Friday, April 17, 2026

Opening Scripture

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Opening Prayer

Lord, as of old at Pentecost, Thou didst Thy power display, with cleansing, purifying flame, descend on us today. For mighty works for Thee, prepare and strengthen every heart. Come, take possession of Thine own, and nevermore depart. All self consume, all sin destroy! With earnest zeal endue each waiting heart to work for Thee; O Lord, our faith renew! Speak, Lord! Before Thy throne we wait, Thy promise we believe, and will not let Thee go until the blessing we receive. Lord, send the old-time power, the Pentecostal power! Thy floodgates of blessing on us throw open wide! Lord, send the old-time power, the Pentecostal power, that sinners be converted and Thy name glorified!

Daily Bible Reading

Acts 2:29-41

“Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.” 

“For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 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. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Reflection  

Today’s passage continues Luke’s description of the events that launched the Church. As followers of Jesus filled with the Spirit, we are an extension of that momentous occasion. And in that sense, we are all “Pentecostal People!”

Peter offered a spontaneous and impassioned sermon to the curious crowd that gathered after the dramatic arrival of the Holy Spirit on Jesus’ disciples in Jerusalem. He explained how Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah and the fulfillment of King David’s prophecy.

The Holy Spirit is the only One who can bring true conviction of sin in a person’s life. Clearly, that took place at this event. “Cut to the heart” indicates the deep sense of personal and collective guilt the people felt as a result of the Spirit’s work in them. There’s a sense of desperation in their tone – “What shall we do?” – reminiscent of the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:30).

Peter’s statement, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” has raised some questions about the essential nature of baptism for salvation. On other occasions, Peter promised forgiveness of sin on the basis of faith alone. Grammatically, the verb “repent” and “your sins” are plural in the Greek and go with “forgiveness.” The imperative “be baptized” is singular, setting it off from the rest of the sentence.

Interestingly, Peter shared a similar sermon a short time later before the Jewish leaders, and the results were very different (Acts 5:27-33).

The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.

Not everyone who hears the Good News about Jesus responds humbly in faith. There’s a divine mystery to salvation.

The young “church plant” in Jerusalem added a bunch of new converts that day. What would they do now?

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Communities

A September 2023 article in Baptist Press by Kie Bowman asks the question, “Whatever happened to the prayer of repentance?” The author references a 1974 book by Karl Menninger entitled Whatever Became of Sin? In that book, Menninger argued that the concept of sin as moral rebellion against God would eventually be replaced in the modern mind by psychological explanations for behavior. People would, therefore, prefer therapy over repentance and psychiatric treatment rather than spiritual conversion.

Bowman then states, “Obviously, sin is as popular as ever; but, as predicted in 1974, our culture has replaced the concept of sin with psychological explanations for our numerous ‘addictions’ and ‘disorders.’ Mental health challenges and addictions are real, of course, but they can’t explain every disobedience and sin. We still need repentance and forgiveness. Do we still believe that?”

Dick Eastman wrote, “Confession is a heartfelt recognition of what we are. It is important to God because it indicates that we take seriously our mistakes and failures. Of course, God does not ask us to confess our sins because He needs to know we have sinned, but because He knows that we need to know we have sinned.”

To understand what repentance is, we first need to be clear about what repentance isn’t. Repentance is not sadness over getting caught or regretting the consequences of our sin. The word “repent” that Peter used (metanoēsate) means to change your outlook or reverse your direction. This repentance involves changing your mind about your sin and seeing it the way God sees it.

True repentance is a turning from sin to God through faith in Jesus Christ. It is a change of heart that leads to a change of life. Repentance doesn’t mean we won’t sin again. It means we are no longer comfortable with our sin.

Repentance is essential for salvation. From the very beginning, Jesus preached a message of repentance, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17). In Acts 3, Peter preaches another sermon to a curious crowd in Jerusalem and pleads, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”

Repentance involves confession. It’s important to avoid vague generalities and be specific about our sin. Admitting our sin to God, agreeing with Him about it, and asking for His forgiveness, are key steps toward repentance.

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:8-10).

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge” (Psalm 51:1-4).

Is there anything you need to repent of today?

Ask the Holy Spirit to convict, comfort, and clarify as He sees fit.

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!