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Act 3,1-12

(143c) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> The public >> The disciples ministered publicly – The man healed was somebody everyone knew, unlike the shenanigans Oral Roberts pulled and those of his caliber, who would stage healings at his revival meetings, who after laying on his hands the person would leap up and throw away his cane (or crutches, walker, wheelchair, etc.) according to the script and jump around the stadium, pretending to be healed. This could not have happened in Peter's case, since the man was born crippled and was over forty years old, probably having lived in the community his whole life, and parked himself in front of the synagogue begging alms every Sabbath over a course of many years. No one would go through the trouble of setting up a 40-year staged healing. There was no other conclusion anyone could draw other than a bona fide miracle had taken place.

Act 3,1-10

(145d) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear witness of Himself >> Healing >> Jesus heals through the Church – Most miracles occur at spiritual junctures as a kind of christening of the event, such as  at the beginning of the first century with Jesus performing so many miracles and then His apostles performing many more. At the end of this age in transition to the Millennium many more miracles will occur during the Great Endtime Revival. These miracles are meant to attract people's attention to hear the word of God that people might be saved and also that God might communicate to mankind His intension that He is about to do something new. This is especially poignant when we remember that healing is an aspect of our salvation. See also: First century Church; Act 3,18-22; 44a

(229f) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Kingdom grows by itself >> God causes the growth >> God uses us to cause the growth – After the resurrection and ascension of the Lord, it appears that nothing had changed, at least not externally, but many changes were happening inside the apostles. God was establishing His kingdom on the earth on a spiritual level, starting in the hearts of the disciples, who had gone through a metamorphosis within the chrysalis through the terrible experience of seeing their Lord and master crucified, and now after the Holy Spirit was sent into the world they were emerging from their trauma as His apostles. life went on as usual for a while, continuing the routine that Jesus started, entering the synagogue and preaching the word of God. This was Peter and John’s intension as they were entering the synagogue and met this man who was crippled from his mother’s womb. It was unbeknownst to those around them the treasures that lay in their hearts after God had invested His life into them, and when they spoke it became apparent to all that Jesus was still alive on the earth, now dwelling in His people.

(246h) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Demonstration of God’s kingdom >> God demonstrates His glory >> Demonstration of His healing virtue – There is a difference between believing in God on a theological basis and believing in terms of receiving something from Him, for then our faith would be based on personal experience. By grabbing this man and yanking Him to his feet, Peter made it a little easier for him to receive his healing. He didn’t have time to think about it, giving the devil opportunity to put negative thoughts of unbelief into his heart. Another thing, this was the beginning of the gospel of Christ and was one of the first recorded miracles that the apostles performed. Hence, for the same reason Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom at the beginning of His ministry, strengthening people’s faith to receive the miracles that He would later perform, so because people were not familiar with the apostles preaching the gospel of the kingdom with power, the crippled man needed a little help with his faith.

Act 3,1-8

(216a) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> Suddenly >> Being healed without delay

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Act 3,4-10

(122j) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Boldness in adverse circumstances >> Do the will of God in the face of adversity

(97e) Thy kingdom come >> Attention >> Facing in the direction of the Lord >> Focusing your attention on the word of God – Giving our full attention is an important aspect of receiving from God. There is a new science called Mindfulness Training that is especially effective in treating Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder (OCD) patients. The psychiatrist seeks to train the mind to adopt different behaviors, not just to do them but to think about doing them, sculpting new pathways in the brain that the patient will eventually follow, instead of the behaviors of his illness. In the same way God wants to impart things in us while we are fully present. He wants us to be there to witness the miracle of transferring His kingdom into us. Fixing the mind is the primary target on God’s priority list of healing and redeeming remedies. He wants to impart His truth in such a way that we understand Him on a conscious level so that our mind might come to life and be healed of its dead thoughts that conflict with His living truth.

(115g) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Laying on of hands >> Seeing signs, wonders and miracles – This man who was healed had been lamb from his mother’s womb; He never was able to walk his whole life. Peter grabbed the crippled man and pulled him from where he was sitting, eliminating the occasion to contemplate whether or not to obey the command. He was either going to stand on his own two feet or crumple into a heap, so the man had to make a quick decision before his feet hit the ground whether he would receive his healing or not.

(121b) Expectation (Key verse)

(121f) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Hope >> Expectation >> Expecting good things based on God’s character >> Expectation based on God’s generosity

(249g) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Wealth >> True perception of wealth >> The infinite and eternal wealth of God >> God’s perception of wealth >> Our hope in this life

Act 3,6-8

(9e) Responsibility >> God strengthens us from our weaknesses – These verses go with verse 16

Act 3-6

(67f) Authority >> Jesus delegates authority >> Name of Jesus >> Performing miracles in Jesus’ name -- This verse goes with verse 16

(150g) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness of Jesus >> Confessing Jesus >> Confessing what Jesus has done -- This verse goes with verse 16

Act 3-10

(88i) Thy kingdom come >> Fear of God >> Fearing the power of God is the beginning of wisdom

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Act 3,11-26

(7d) Responsibility >> Protecting the gospel >> Defend the word by preaching it

Act 3,11-23

(149b) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Three key messages in evangelism >> Repentance – Peter very succinctly laid down the basic principles of the gospel in splendid detail in these verses. There is an adage in evangelism, ‘We must get people lost before we can get them saved.’ This is what Peter was doing when he told the Jewish people they disowned the Lord after Pilate decided to release Him, which cut them to the quick. It was the fault of the people that Jesus was crucified, not their government, not the Pharisees or the chief priests but them. Pilate was actually  better than the people he governed, yet Pilate ended up disowning Him too, regardless of his good intensions. Someone could have argued and said to Peter, ‘I didn’t disown Him; I wasn’t’ even there.’ Peter had an answer for him too in that there was not a voice of support. Had anyone protested Jesus’ crucifixion, they would have hung him on a cross next to Him. One of the criminals crucified next to Jesus was the only person to support Him. “‘Don't you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong’” (Lk 23-40,41). Peter delivered this message, denied Him three times that he even knew the Lord, which made him a sinner too in need of a savior.

Act 3,11-20

(146k) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear witness of Himself >> Purpose of miracles, signs and wonders >> Get peoples’ attention to hear the word – Peter immediately dispelled the notion that power had originated from him but directed the people's attention toward Jesus Christ who dwells in them through the Holy Spirit, who made this man whole. He preached a sermon, basing it on this miracle they all witnessed, using it as a springboard, essentially drawing an arrow from healing to salvation. He made sure to give the gospel its rightful emphasis, not on signs and wonders but on forgiveness, offering a formal invitation to eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. This man could have remained a cripple and still gone to heaven. Miracles get people’s attention, proving that a living God is present and willing to interact with us. Peter used the healing as a sign of His authority, not to perform healing, but to preach the gospel of Christ, emphasizing that his message was not a matter of personal opinion, but the very oracle of God.

Act 3,11-15

(109j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit of truth is our teacher – Peter walked with Jesus for 3 years, being one of his closest disciples, yet Jesus never taught his disciples how to preach the gospel of Christ as Peter preached it that day. When the Lord was with them, they preached the gospel, but it wasn’t the same gospel that Peter preached after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit in His place. The Holy Spirit taught Peter the gospel that He preached; therefore, who else better than the Holy Spirit should teach us also the gospel that we preach?

(149a) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Three key messages in evangelism >> The resurrection -- These verses go with verses 24-26. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, so they crucified Him in effort to gain power over Him, just to see if they could do it (Mat 21,33-46), similar to being amazed at the immense size of a giant sequoia tree and cutting it down to count its rings. If they succeeded, then it proves that either He was not the Son of God or that we are stronger than Him. So the cross represents a direct rebellion against the very person and authority of God. It is no wonder He will not let anybody into his heaven who will not let Jesus into their hearts. The cross proves that if it were possible to dethrone God they would attempt to take it by force, but the resurrection of Christ circumvented man’s rebellion and has ironically become God’s formal invitation to share His glorious throne on His terms. See also: Cross (Why Jesus had to die); Heb 9,15-22; 26c

Act 3-11

(123k) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Love >> Spiritual affection >> Being in love with the body of Christ >> Physical affection with spiritual motives

Act 3-12

(77f) Thy kingdom come >> Humility >> Refusing the glory of man >> Rejecting the worship of men

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Act 3,13-15

(45e) Judgment >> God’s Judgment >> On believer’s sin >> Through His Son >> On the cross – Peter did not try to convince the people they were sinners through the law, but merely reminded them of their denial of Christ, yet he was not a hypocrite in accusing them of the very sin he also committed (Mat 26,69-75), in that Jesus died for sinners. Therefore, if they are sinners who receive Jesus as their savior, what are they who reject the gospel of Christ? Anyone who rejects the gospel has denied the Lord His rightful place in their hearts, and those who deny Him without repentance have Israel as their example of what misfortunes they can expect, who lost their place and their nation. What hope does anyone have after rejecting so great a salvation (Heb 2,1-4)?

(89l) Thy kingdom come >> God convicts us of sin >> Conviction reminds us to repent

(199j) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Rejecting Christ >> Unwilling to receive Christ >> Rejecting Christ as the Messiah

(210c) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Jesus is our sacrifice >> God used sinners to sacrifice His son

Act 3-13,14

(18a) Sin >> Unrighteous judgment >> Condemning Jesus

(12k) Jesus is a servant (Key verse)

(13c) Servant >> Jesus serves His Father >> He is the servant of God – This verse goes with verse 26.

(98f) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> (Faith à Suffering à Glory of Christ) >> The cross -- This verse goes with verse 18

(141h) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Old Testament bears witness to the new >> It bears witness to Jesus >> Prophesy about Jesus’ life -- This verse goes with verse 18

Act 3-14,15

(37a) Judgment >> The cross >> God judged the sin of the world through Christ – The sinner and murderer, Barabbas, whom they released in place of Christ, represents the one who would disown the Lord, the scapegoat, the very one who would call for His death. Let the murderer go free and kill Jesus to destroy the object of their guilt, but the guilt they had in His life could not hold a candle to the guilt they had in His death. It turns out after Jesus was raised from the dead that He made their rebellion futile, and then offered them forgiveness and eternal life, so now Jesus represents the one going free, the scapegoat. There are miles between a murderer who wants to be free of all consequences of his actions, and God offering forgiveness and freedom from our disobedience and unbelief to become the children of God and inherit eternal life to live with Him forever in paradise.

Act 3-14

(133b) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holiness >> God is holy >> Jesus is holy – This verse was taken from Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost, when five thousand people were saved that day, and note that Peter used their sins against them to convince them of their need of a Savior, which was very bold. It is not easy to tell people about their sins; they don’t like to hear it, but the people didn’t retaliate, because they knew what they did was wrong. When they heard Peter condemn them for releasing a criminal and crucifying the Prince of life and then paired their sins with God’s forgiveness, salvation was irresistible to them, even saying that because of their sins they can be forgiven. That is, because of their sins God was able to sacrifice His Son. The people repented immediately, so that many Jews were first to believe in Jesus in the First Century, until their leaders, the Scribes, Pharisees and chief priests dissuaded the people and turned them against the gospel. Eventually the Jewish people quit getting saved, because they were listening to their religious leaders, who were filling their minds full of heresy. It was the fault of their leadership that the Jews rejected the gospel, yet God faulted Israel for listening to them, because they believed man instead of God. As a result they lost their place and their nation, forced to wander for 2000 years from country to country, without hope and without a home. Had the chief priests, Scribes and Pharisees believed the gospel and gotten saved, probably all of Israel would have followed them into salvation. This denotes the strength of influence that leadership has over its people; when they decree a thing, they give it authenticity. As it was, Paul had to abandon his hope for his fellow Jews and instead turned to the gentiles. The Jews only recently have begun to rethink the gospel, and many of them are now turning to Christ as their Messiah and getting saved. If we allow our leadership to lead us astray, something similar may happen to us.

Act 3-15

(39d) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death >> Witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection

(53d) Paradox >> Opposites >> Of life and death >> Life died

(144g) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> Trinity bears witness of Jesus >> Father bears witness of His Son

(254g) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is the life of the Spirit >> Jesus is the substance of God’s life >> Jesus conquered death because He is life

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Act 3-16

(9e) Responsibility >> God strengthens us from our weaknesses – This verse goes with verses 6-8

(67f) Authority >> Jesus delegates authority >> Name of Jesus >> Performing miracles in Jesus’ name -- This verse goes with verse 6. Peter was very quick to give glory to God, for he didn’t want people worshipping Him, though three hundred years later the Catholic Church did just that. He performed the healing and nobody worshipped him because of the words he spoke to them, saying that he was not responsible. Instead, the virtue that healed the man originated from the One they crucified, and rose from the dead and gave His Spirit, who works miracles through those who believe in Him.

(114g) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Obeying the Holy Spirit >> Implementing the revelation of the Holy Spirit

(115b) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Working God’s grace through Christ >> We receive the anointing through Christ

(150g) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness of Jesus >> Confessing Jesus >> Confessing what Jesus has done -- This verse goes with verse 6

Act 3,17-26

(23a) Sin >> Pride closes the windows of heaven – Pilate gave up Jesus for crucifixion and condemned his own conscience. Isn’t that the very definition of sin, doing what you know is wrong, and wasn’t that the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when they ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil? They knew it was wrong to have Jesus crucified, because He had done nothing wrong.

Act 3,17-19

(175j) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Ignorance >> Ignorant of what God means >> Ignorant of the meaning of God’s word – The person eligible for salvation is the one who commits sin in ignorance, not the one who commits sin in full knowledge. However, everybody knows what he is doing when he sins, otherwise it wouldn’t be sin. For example, Paul said that the Law increased sin’s transgression (Rom 5-20). Consider the first sin in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, if God never told the man not to eat from that tree, it wouldn't have been sin to eat of it, but because He said not to eat, it was a sin. So sin is literally defined by knowledge. We all know what we are doing when we sin, so how does the word “ignorance” fit into this equation? When the Holy Spirit speaks to us and we ignore Him, it is blasphemy. Therefore, blasphemy is the antithesis of sinning in ignorance. When we break the Law, we are still sinning in ignorance, compared to sinning against God Himself, such as what Adam did. Note that Eve did not commit the sin of blasphemy because she did not directly sin against God but against the word of her husband. Also note that had Adam not eaten from the Tree of Knowledge but committed some other heinous act, say he beat his wife, it wouldn’t have been a sin, because it didn't fall against a commandment that God had given Him. However, before he ate from the tree of Knowledge, Adam was perfect so beating his wife would have been impossible to him. They were totally free, except for the Tree of Knowledge; they were bound by that tree not to eat its fruit, but curiosity got the best of them, and the rest is history. See also: Adam's knowledge of evil; Heb 6,4-8; 185d

(193d) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from sin to God >> Repent >> Turn from your evil ways >> Turn from sin to God

Act 3,18-22

(44a) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Complete >> It is finished >> Fulfill God’s will – The way of salvation has been prepared, and now we are living in the days of Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast (Lk 14,16-24). Peter was saying that supper is ready and the dinner bell is ringing, and all that remains is for us to come to the table and eat. God butchered His own Son, and the table is set, and we receive Him at communion; we eat His flesh and drink His blood that the Father might accept us in heaven. Peter said that the people acted in ignorance, not only they but also their fathers, referring to generational sins that stemmed throughout the millennia. Mankind has acted ignorantly, but now the time has come to obey Christ and be saved and to enjoy times of refreshing from the Lord. There is no demand made on us, except to attend the feast; it is a gift from God; all we need do is receive it, but of course people are too involved in their sins to receive Christ these days. They start counting all the plans they would have to break in order to attend the feast. Jesus said in His day, “Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest” (Jn 4-35). In the first century people came to Christ by the thousands, even though there was persecution. In America there is hardly persecution, yet people still don’t come to Christ. What would they do in times of persecution? If they don’t join the Church, they will persecute it. See also: First century Church; Act 3-19; 104i

Act 3-18

(98f) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> (Faith à Suffering à Glory of Christ) >> The cross -- This verse goes with verse 21

(141h) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Old Testament bears witness to the new >> It bears witness to Jesus >> Prophesy about Jesus’ life -- This verse goes with verses 21-23

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Act 3,19-26

(210j) Salvation >> Jews and gentiles are being saved >> Gentiles included >> Fellow heirs with Israel (Spiritual Jew) >> God welcomes the Gentiles to the promise of Israel – “In your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed,” speaking to Abraham. Of course, he was speaking about Isaac first, because he was the only child born to Abraham. And then from Isaac would come Jacob, and from Jacob the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. From them a multitude like sand on the seashore, which no one could count traveled the exodus from Egypt in digression to the promise land. Israel made war with the people dwelling in their land, uprooting and utterly destroying whole tribes that once lived there, and it made the rest of the world afraid of sinning. The gospel came through them to all the families of the earth, and the gentiles were blessed throughout the next two millennia. Some say that Christianity was the cause of war that killed many families of the earth, but these so-called holy wars were perpetrated by the Catholic Church, which claims to be the one and only true Christian Church, but their beliefs are pagan and their doctrines contrived, and their leaders unChrist-like. Instead, the true Christian Church is spiritual in nature, and God knows those who are His. See also: History of Israel; Act 11,15-18; 77m

Act 3,19-21

(50dc) Judgment >> Last Days >> Jewish Led endtime revival >> Israel prophesied to restore the gentiles to salvation -- See commentary: Act 3,20-26; 245i

Act 3-19,20

(30i) Gift of God >> Favor by His grace >> He does not take your sins into account -- These verses go with verses 25&26. Repentance is associated with times of refreshing. Talk to people about repentance, and most will tell you it a negative word. In today’s church we can hardly talk about sin, much less repentance, yet if it weren’t for sin, we couldn’t be Christians, because God would not have had a reason to come and die on a cross, and we received Him as our savior. Sin cannot be wiped away apart from repentance; in fact, practicing sin makes for a very complicated life as a Christian, yet probably each of us has experienced this. When we first got saved, we were probably riddled with sin, and then little-by-little we eliminated one sin after another through God’s help, until there were no longer any sins that we practiced. All Christians still commit sin but we are not in bondage to anything, and when we sin, we immediately repent and ask God’s forgiveness. Repentance comes first, then cleansing and then times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord, meaning we cannot enjoy His presence while we are practicing sin. Every Christian sins every day, but we don’t practice sin, because we know it doesn’t honor God, and we have dedicated our lives for the very purpose of honoring Him. We are unhappy when we sin, and we do everything in our power to avoid it. God expects us to stop practicing sin, but He doesn’t expect us to completely eliminate sin. It goes back to the foot washing symbolism; Jesus said, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean” (Jn 13-10). Dust collects on our feet as a natural consequence of walking on a dirt road; there is nothing we can do to avoid dirt, mud and grime, for the earth consists of it. When it says He will send Jesus Christ appointed for you, it is referring to the Holy Spirit. Jesus is in heaven; He hasn’t returned to earth since His ascension 2000 years ago. Sending the Holy Spirit is tantamount to sending Jesus Christ, for the two are one and the same.

(35b) Gift of God >> God is willing to Give >> He is generous with the Spirit of His Son

(35f) Gift of God >> God gives Himself to us >> Father sends the Holy Spirit – Peter was talking to Jews when he said “repent and return.” Had he said that to the gentiles, it wouldn’t have made sense, since they never knew God, hence they couldn’t have returned. God called the Jews through Abraham centuries before Peter. The entire nation of Israel had backslidden and was scarcely following the Lord. It is interesting that Peter told them to return as though the old covenant were still in force, but when they returned to God, they returned to a new covenant. Peter called for times of refreshing to come from the presence of the Lord, suggesting that prior to this there was oppression. The Romans oppressed Israel, though mostly they were oppressed by their own sins. God wants to refresh our souls, not just to save us but to give us a good life, leading us from our darkness into a relationship with Jesus Christ, based on faith and obedience in the Holy Spirit. God has declared anyone free from sin, who repents and returns to the Lord, not just as the work of the Spirit, but also as the work of the Father Himself, who sent His Son. God personally has declared man to be without sin, those who have believed on the name of Jesus and have committed their lives to following Him to His eternal Kingdom.

(117f) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Rest in Jesus (Sabbath) >> Rest in His mercy

Act 3-19

(103d) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> God’s cleansing power >> Cleansing power of the Holy Spirit

(104i) Thy kingdom come >> Pure in heart shall see God >> Shall see Jesus >> Being in the presence of Jesus – The presence of God is refreshing, though it involves repentance. This is just the opposite of what the world thinks. Talk to unbelievers about Jesus, using the word “repent” and they will come just short of screaming at you, if not becoming violent. They see repentance as highly negative and think God is evil because He wants to invade their lives and tell them how to live and take away everything they love, regarding their sinful pleasures and tell them to love those who hate them and despitefully use them. However, the Christian knows that the presence of the Lord is refreshing, and they will repent just to have His presence in their lives. The presence of the Lord is the Christian’s favorite pleasure, and it is not anything they can describe, unlike the unbeliever’s sins that everybody understands, being based on the elementary principles of the world. The principles of God and of His kingdom that He is building in our hearts contradict the world in every respect, and for that reason it is difficult to explain to worldly people the Christian experience. When we think of the world in the first century and all the spiritual darkness that existed, people were tired of their paganism, knowing there was no truth in it, supposing that if they sacrificed what little they had to a so-called god, somehow they would benefit, yet no good came of it. People were unhappy, miserable and in need. In the midst of their emptiness Christianity came with Paul carrying the gospel of Christ and commanded people to repent that they might enjoy the presence of the Lord, and people came to Christ by the droves in those days, because they were hungry for God and His truth. For there to be a church that was rooted in truth and cultivated unity in its members and enjoyed spiritual fellowship, developing a relationship with God was refreshing to them, and these same opportunities belong to us. See also: First century Church; Act 4,1-12; 149a

(120b) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Forgiveness >> God forgives us when we become accountable to Him >> When we repent – The sins we’ve committed are all in the past, and the past is forgiven. Now it is time to seek the Lord for a brighter future and receive the gift of eternal life. There is no more hostility toward us from God, only open doors and open arms. If we weren’t sinners, God couldn’t forgive us, and if God does not forgive us, then we can’t go to heaven, for God only receives and accepts forgiven sinners into His kingdom.

(228d) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> Comforted >> We are comforted in the presence of God >> God comforts us in His company

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Act 3,20-26

(245i) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Manifestation of God’s righteous judgment >> Manifestation of Jesus’ victory over sin – This period of restoration is in reference to the age of Millennium, when Jesus comes to literally establish His kingdom on the earth. This has been Israel's hope and prayer since the ancient prophets first brought it to light centuries before Christ, described as a "period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time," but He will not return while the Church is in disarray. Paul said, "That He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless." This means that Millennium will not come until He has restored the Church. The Church since the time of the apostles has been waiting for the return of Christ, and He hasn't come, because the Church has not fit Paul's description in Eph 5-27. We are grateful that "times of refreshing [have] come from the presence of the Lord," but until Christ physically takes over this world, the kingdoms of men will continue bringing wickedness and shame on one another, and for this reason the age of grace doesn’t seem very refreshing. Had the kingdoms of the earth taken full advantage of the cross throughout the last 2000 years, people could have achieved heaven on earth, but man's sinful nature is too restless and cruel to allow God to have His way, and man’s heart is too rebellious to let it come to pass. When the age of Millennium finally comes, Jesus will establish His righteousness on the earth. It will be a glorious and wonderful age, but Peter is preaching about a spiritual age of grace that must come first. See references for: Israel prophesied to restore the gentiles to salvation; Act 3,19-21; 50dc / Waiting for the Millennium; Rev 21-1,2; 231j

Act 3,20-23

(67d) Authority >> Jesus at the right hand of the father >> He delegates authority – This is quite an amazing statement from the Old Testament: Moses was aware that his ministry was similar to that of Christ, the Great High Priest. Moses had a brother, Aaron, whom God appointed as Israel's high high priest. God reserved Moses as Israel's leader and judge, yet his relationship with God resembled a priest more than Aaron, in that God never invited Aaron into His presence as He did with Moses. No other man on earth before or after Moses except Christ spoke face to face with God, for there was no one since Moses who was humble enough to place so much authority in him without it going to his head. The runner-up would be Elijah, who was the companion of Moses at Jesus’ transfiguration, whose anointings will also compose those of the two witnesses of revelation chapter eleven. Moses never felt special; he was an anomaly to human nature that way, special because he never thought himself special. See also: Patriarchs (Moses); Rom 12-16; 77n

Act 3-20,21

(42c) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Overcoming sin

(237d) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Transferring the kingdom >> The Church is transferred to the kingdom >> The rapture >> Receiving the kingdom in God’s time

(254j) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Holy Spirit >> Salvation of Jesus’ Spirit – We know that once Jesus ascended to the Father, He has not returned to the earth, but remains seated at His Father’s right hand, so when Peter said that God would send Jesus Christ, he meant He would send the Holy Spirit in His place. This verse speaks in no uncertain terms about Jesus being the embodiment of the Holy Spirit, so Peter was able to say that when God sent His Spirit, it was equivalent to sending His Son. This equivalence is not the same as Jesus telling His disciples, “he who receives you receives Me” (Mat 10-40). There he meant, ‘whoever is willing to receive you is also willing to receive Me.’ In contrast, Peter was saying when someone receives the Holy Spirit, it is not similar to receiving Jesus, it is identical to receiving Him. They are receiving someone who is so much like Jesus that He virtually is Him! We know that identical twins are separate and unique people, having their own personalities, attitudes and values, but in the case of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, they are actually the same person. Anyone who does not believe in the trinity has no excuse because of verses like this; they just choose not to believe it.

Act 3-20 

(220d) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> Predestination >> Divine appointments

(238g) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Transferring the kingdom >> The kingdom is transferred to the Church >> Jesus will never leave us

Act 3,21-23

(141h) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Old Testament bears witness to the new >> It bears witness to Jesus >> Prophesy about Jesus’ life -- These verses go with verse 13

Act 3-21

(98f) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> (Faith à Suffering à Glory of Christ) >> The cross -- This verse goes with verse 13

(131k) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Working together for one cause

(214g) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing >> Dispensation of God’s revelations >> Dispensation of the last days

(233a) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >> Seeking the goals of the kingdom >> Seek the goal of the resurrection

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Act 3,22-26 

(210ha) Salvation >> Jews and gentiles are being saved >> Salvation is from the Jews >> The Jew first >> Jesus was a Jew – To the Jew first and also to the gentile nations the invitation of the cross has been extended. Peter brought the gospel to the Jews, who deserve to hear it before any other nation or people. The gospel belongs to them, who actually disowned the Lord, who committed the greatest sin of all. The rest of us have disowned the Lord on a more symbolic level, whereas the Jew literally disowned Him, making their sin greater than any other nation in the world. The beauty of God’s grace, therefore, is that He seeks out sin to forgive it, and His forgiveness destroys its power, and in its place He bestows an anointing. This suggests that the Jew potentially can receive a greater anointing than the average gentile Christian. The greater the sinner, the more the gospel belongs to him. This is why the accuser of the brethren, Satan, is intrinsically wrong, and why our guilt feelings regarding repentant sin is a lie. Next time the devil condemns us for the past, remember that God's love provides power to overcome the world.

Act 3-22,23

(20k) Sin >> Disobedience >> Rejecting the word

(29i) Gift of God >> God is on our side >> God identifies with us >> Jesus is our brother – We should understand this word “brother” to mean fellow Christian. In the days of Moses, when this prophecy was made, the word "brethren" meant a fellow Jew, any citizen of Israel. That makes all the gentile nations of the world neighbors, and we know that God forbade the Israelites to integrate into the neighboring nations but to keep their generations pure and to avoid their idolatry, just as Christ has commanded the Church to remain separate from the world (2Cor 6-17). It is clear that Jesus distinguished the Jews from the gentiles by the Canaanite woman whom Jesus hesitated to help, because she was a gentile (Mat 15,22-28). So the Jews were His fellow countrymen, but His brethren were further defined as those who believed in Him. This interpretation is consistent throughout Scripture, yet people have misinterpreted the Bible to mean that His brethren referred to any human being. No, the Christian meaning of "brethren" according to Scripture refers to our fellow believers in the faith. See also: Brother versus neighbor; Phi 4-22; 131l

(40h) Judgment >> Judgment of Christ >> God’s word judges the world >> It does not obey Him

(47d) Judgment >> God Judges the world >> Hell is a place of destruction – This is a strong warning from God. If we do not believe in Jesus Christ as our savior and receive the Holy Spirit as the pledge of our eternal inheritance, then we will be utterly destroyed from among the people. In Old Testament terms it meant to be destroyed as to physically die, whereas the New Testament defines the phrase "utterly destroyed" in terms of eternal judgment in hell.

(48l) Judgment >> Jesus’ enemies are destroyed >> Enemies of the truth

(51d) Judgment >> Judging the Church with the world >> Warned to heed the word of God – This prophecy, spoken in Deuteronomy 18,15-19, was in reference to Jesus Christ. The majority of Old Testament scripture hinges on this one passage. Exodus 20-19 should be included, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die” (See also: Deuteronomy 5-25). These passages testify that Israel sought Moses to intercede for them instead of God speaking directly to the people in order that their sins may not increase; they were wise to understand this. Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 18 essentially tell us why God sent His Son: the people were unwilling to relate directly with God, so He sent Jesus to us, His divinity cloaked behind human flesh that we might feel more at ease with Him. So what did mankind to to Him? We killed Him, proving that our hatred of God is not in regard to His laws or to His authority but to His ways and to His truth. Israel represents all nations before God, whether we are barbarians without law or sinners under the rule of law; if our ways contradict His ways, and if our truth contradicts His Truth, we will be utterly destroyed from among the people.

(66h) Authority >> Jesus’ authority >> His cross is the power of God

(88c) Thy kingdom come >> Faith produces works >> Relationship between faith and works >> Faith without works is dead – This verse prophesied the coming of Jesus Christ, but it didn’t characterize Him according to the Hollywood profile and as some of our churches portray Him. Instead, it characterized Jesus as a man who was butchered to death that God might pour His grace on us through Him, and our only obligation is to receive Him. Many people claim to believe in Jesus, but when we look a little closer at the things Jesus said, many of us are like the rich man who hung his head and walked away empty-hearted. Many of us are willing to receive His grace, but are unwilling to live according to His will. Easy-believism has infected the Church with perverse doctrines, and whole denominations have taught their congregations they can live any way they want, giving themselves permission to pursue their carnal interests and desires in total disregard of Christ, but the Bible doesn’t teach this as true faith.

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Act 3,24-26

(149a) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Three key messages in evangelism >> The resurrection -- These verses go with verses 11-15

Act 3-25,26

(30i) Gift of God >> Favor by His grace >> He does not take your sins into account -- These verses go with verses 19&20

Act 3-26

(13c) Servant >> Jesus serves His Father >> He is the servant of God -- This verse goes with verse 13.

(37k) Judgment >> Jesus emptied Himself >> Now it’s our turn – Sequence matters to God. Peter was talking to his countrymen in the First Century and said they were the first to receive salvation by this man who bled and died on our behalf. Sequence in this case matters in that they received the doctrines of salvation that were unclouded by centuries of malpractice, whereas we read their account as it was written in their time yet interpret it differently, because of the subtractions and additions that have been made to the gospel of Christ throughout the centuries, so in many cases we understand it totally differently than the way it was written. They had the benefit of being the first to believe in Jesus through pure doctrines, but we have the benefit of being the last to believe. We will likely see the unfolding of endtime prophecy, which will be an extremely profound period in human history and a tremendous honor.

(54g) Paradox >> Opposites >> If repentance is a blessing, why do we need to be coerced?

(193g) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from sin to God >> Repent >> God grants repentance – In Peter’s day it was doctrinally sound that God should bless the people by turning them from their wicked ways, but in our day we see God blessing us by doctrines that we only need to believe. There are some Christians who have memorized Eph 2-8,9 as the only one that really matters to them, caring nothing for what else the Bible says. If salvation is not on the basis of works; what does it mean, then, when Peter says that God wants to bless us by turning us all from our evil ways. Isn’t turning from our wicked ways a type of works? Repenting from our sins is not the active ingredient of our eternal salvation, but it is to our salvation in this life. The grace of God though Christ that we believe has cleansed us from all unrighteousness as the only sacrifice that God has ordained to take away our sins. Therefore, believing in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ is the active ingredient of God’s forgiveness. Although our works do not save us, neither good works nor repenting from dead works, yet without obedience how can we prove that we actually believe? Peter said that God wants to bless us by leading us into repentance. Some people adversely react to the word “repent”, holding anybody in contempt for saying it, especially when they point the word at them, but Peter said that repentance is how God wants to bless us. Repentance is a blessing, because our sins are destroying us. God seeks freedom for each of us; He wants us free from sin, because we cannot serve Him while we are in bondage to sin. The number one service to God is our worship, and one form of worship is to “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Rom 12-1).

Act 4,1-22

(180cb) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Wolves >> Be shrewd as wolves and more innocent than they appear >> Fighting off wolves with a clever innocence >> Being more bold than their cleverness

Act 4,1-14

(183j) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Spirit of Error (Anti-Christ / Anti-Semitism) >> Truth is the enemy of the spirit of error >> Spirit of error interrogates the truth – What would have happened had the religious leaders of Israel received Jesus Christ as their Messiah? They would not have been at odds with the apostles as they were in the Book of Acts. They were responsible for Him being crucified, yet the people had a motive too; when He came to Jerusalem, they expected the Kingdom of God to appear immediately, but when they saw that Old Testament prophecy would not be fulfilled according to their expectations, referring to the up-coming Millennium, the multitudes called as one voice for His crucifixion. They missed the Old Testament prophecy of their Messiah's first visitation, having come as the lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. The genuine gospel of Christ when preached through the Holy Spirit has the power to bring sinful man to it knees but not the religious world. Prior to the visitation of Christ they were the most respected people in Israel, but Scripture depicted them as some of the greatest villains of all time. See also: Expecting the Kingdom of God to appear immediately; Act 10-14; 182i

Act 4,1-12

(149a) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Three key messages in evangelism >> The resurrection – Before the gospel, man’s understanding of God referred only to this life; there was little if any teaching about heaven in the Old Testament. Although Psalms and places in Isaiah spoke about heaven, it made no mention of man going there. The old covenant concerned itself only with this life, and then the new covenant came and brought “life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2Tim 1-10). The Church had to create new concepts in people’s minds before they could believe in Jesus, yet people were highly receptive to it. For example, the resurrection of Christ is the most important aspect of the gospel, yet the first century had to initially build that concept in people’s minds before they could believe in the gospel, because this idea didn’t exist. No doubt people thought about living forever, such as searching for the fountain of youth, but coming to life after the body had died and decayed into the ground was not something anybody even considered until then, though the idea was certainly intriguing. See also: See also: First century Church; Act 4,13-16; 149j / Resurrection; Act 4,1-3; 201f

Act 4,1-3

(201f) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Jesus is an offense >> Jesus offends the world >> The cross offends the world – The cross would be no threat at all without His resurrection. The preaching of the resurrection was a huge threat to the religious leaders of Israel, because they were the ones who condemned and crucified Jesus Christ and they also knew He rose from the dead, though they denied it. They made up stories about it and placed guards around His tomb, handpicking them. Instead of killing the guards, which they normally would have done had they failed in their duties, they instead gave them money to keep the story under their hats. Therefore, the resurrection from the dead cuts both ways, both in the fact that they crucified the Lord of glory, and also by the fact that they themselves will be raised from the dead one day to be sent to everlasting punishment. The resurrection from the dead is indeed man's greatest hope and man's greatest fear, depending on whether or not we believe in Jesus. See also: Resurrection; Act 4-1,2; 39c

Act 4-1,2

(39c) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death >> Preaching the resurrection – The religious leaders of Israel did not want the apostles to teach the people about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They are not the only ones who don’t want to hear about the resurrection from the dead, though it is the hope and promise of Christianity, for the resurrection does not pertain to the believer only, but also to the unbeliever. When God raises the dead and gives the condemned a spiritual body that cannot die, He will then send them to hell. The Bible teaches that God dwells in smoke and fire, which is the environment of hell. Like the burning bush that drew Moses’ attention in the wilderness, God will give the damned an eternal body that cannot be destroyed, and then throw them into the eternal flames of the Lake of Fire, God's preferred environment. God is happy in this environment, but the damned are continually destroyed in it. The Bible also teaches that God will send the redeemed through a fire that will burn up the chaff, and that which remains will be their reward (1Cor 3,11-17). See also: Resurrection; Act 4,1-12; 149a / Righteous judgment; 1Cor 5-1,2; 104a

Act 4,5-20

(7d) Responsibility >> Protecting the gospel >> Defend the word by preaching it

Act 4,6-14

(123a) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Boldness to speak the word by the Spirit – Peter spoke with boldness that was not his own. When he opened his mouth, the words gracefully flowed off his lips without impediment or hesitation. God had driven the truth so deeply into him that it became his very essence. All he had to do was open his mouth and the truth just poured from him. He became a vessel through which God worked, contributing only his will, and the Holy Spirit did the rest. This was not the work of Peter to tell them these things, but the work of God. Peter was a screw-up; everything Peter did and said was wrong until the day of Pentecost, then everything changed. This is the power of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life. See also: Confidence/boldness; Act 4-13,14; 109i