April 5 - 180

Acts 3:19

19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

Today, this is going to be short and to the point. I was flipping through the pages and I came across this verse in Acts. It's not a happy, feel-good verse for most people. It should be, but unfortunately it isn't.

It should be a feel-good verse because we find a promise within it that can not be fulfilled through anyone or anything besides the blood of Jesus Christ. We have the opportunity to have our sins washed clean and to have a second, third, fourth, and fifth chance. Christ forgives those who strive to live for him. He understands that we as humans make mistakes and fall short...He came to die for that very reason.

Repentance is not a once a year thing. It isn't a once a month thing. It is a process and commitment that is completed within the relationship between the believer and Christ. In all honesty, we should all be in constant repentance. We are buried up to our necks in sin and dirt. Jesus has made an escape for us however. He offers an opportunity for us to be refreshed and washed clean. Take the time to assess your relationship with God. Are you where you should be? That's not where YOU think you should be, but is it where God would have you to be? I'm not...I am barely ever even close to being where God would have me to be. Repentance is a 180 degree turn from anything that is against God, which is sin or of the world. To repent, it must be a 180 degree turn, not a 90 degree turn where you can still see your sin out of the corner of your eye. Not a 179 degree turn where you still could run into that sin again if you walked long enough. It is a complete 180 degree turn.

Take time to repent and seek God's face in silence, isolation, and humbleness.

Turn off the TV.
Hibernate the computer.
Ignore the video games.
Connect with God...