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in turning every one of us away from our sins
Peter and John had been instrumental in the healing of a man who had been lame from birth. A crowd gathered because of that, so Peter took that opportunity to speak to them about Jesus Christ. And he let them know plainly that they had denied the Holy One and the Just (Jesus), and that they had killed the Prince of life (Jesus), whom God raised from the dead. And it was through the name of Jesus that this man had been healed.
Acts 3:17-21 NKJV
Peter let them know that Jesus was the Christ, their Messiah who had come to them, but whom they had rejected, persecuted, and killed in ignorance. And he let them know that the suffering and death of Jesus was in fulfillment of the prophesy of Scripture about him. Therefore, they were to repent of their sins. And to repent is not just saying you are sorry you did bad things, but it is a change of heart and mind resulting in a change of behavior. You were going one direction and now you turn and go the opposite direction.
For Jesus taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. So, to be converted is not just to say, “I believe in Jesus,” and “Jesus is Lord,” and “I believe God raised him from the dead.” It is a complete reversal of life direction and change of heart and mind and behavior. It is a decision to now say “No!” to sin and “Yes!” to God and to obeying his commandments. It is walking the walk and not just talking it. It is living for Jesus every day, all day long.
Will we all be perfect at this all the time? Probably not. But lack of perfection is never to be used as an excuse for deliberate and habitual sin and the lack of genuine biblical repentance and changed hearts. For if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to our Lord and to his commands, when Jesus does return to take his faithful bride to be with him for eternity, we will not inherit eternal life with God. And Jesus will say that he does not know us. So genuine repentance is critical to our salvation and eternal life with God.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
Acts 3:22-26 NKJV
The subject matter here is Jesus Christ, the Christ, the Messiah whom the Jews had long awaited. He had come, but most of them rejected him, and so they had him put to death on a cross. He is the Prophet being spoken of here. He is the “seed of Abraham” in whom all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Jesus is the one who God sent first to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles, to bless us in turning everyone away from our sins (iniquities). For Jesus died that we might die to sin and walk in obedience to our Lord.
And we read in Galatians 3:16 & 29: “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ.” “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” And in Ephesians 2:15-16 we read: “..so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.”
Therefore, it is not the Jews who rejected Jesus as the Christ, their Messiah, who are the promised seed of Abraham, but it is Jesus Christ, and it is all who are in Christ by biblical faith in Jesus. We only are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise God made to Abraham and to his seed. All people who reject Jesus, Jews or Gentiles, are not heirs according to the promise God made to Abraham and to his seed if they do not believe in Jesus, and if they have not died to sin, and if they are not obeying our Lord.
[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; Matthew 21:43; John 8:18-19,38-47; John 10:16; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:1-6; Colossians 3:12-15; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13; 1 Peter 2:9-10,24; 1 John 2:22; Jude 1:5; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Jesus Christ Sent to Bless Us
in turning every one of us away from our sins
An Original Work / May 23, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Peter and John had been instrumental in the healing of a man who had been lame from birth. A crowd gathered because of that, so Peter took that opportunity to speak to them about Jesus Christ. And he let them know plainly that they had denied the Holy One and the Just (Jesus), and that they had killed the Prince of life (Jesus), whom God raised from the dead. And it was through the name of Jesus that this man had been healed.
Acts 3:17-21 NKJV
“Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”
Peter let them know that Jesus was the Christ, their Messiah who had come to them, but whom they had rejected, persecuted, and killed in ignorance. And he let them know that the suffering and death of Jesus was in fulfillment of the prophesy of Scripture about him. Therefore, they were to repent of their sins. And to repent is not just saying you are sorry you did bad things, but it is a change of heart and mind resulting in a change of behavior. You were going one direction and now you turn and go the opposite direction.
For Jesus taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. So, to be converted is not just to say, “I believe in Jesus,” and “Jesus is Lord,” and “I believe God raised him from the dead.” It is a complete reversal of life direction and change of heart and mind and behavior. It is a decision to now say “No!” to sin and “Yes!” to God and to obeying his commandments. It is walking the walk and not just talking it. It is living for Jesus every day, all day long.
Will we all be perfect at this all the time? Probably not. But lack of perfection is never to be used as an excuse for deliberate and habitual sin and the lack of genuine biblical repentance and changed hearts. For if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to our Lord and to his commands, when Jesus does return to take his faithful bride to be with him for eternity, we will not inherit eternal life with God. And Jesus will say that he does not know us. So genuine repentance is critical to our salvation and eternal life with God.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
Acts 3:22-26 NKJV
22For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. 23And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. 25You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 26To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”
The subject matter here is Jesus Christ, the Christ, the Messiah whom the Jews had long awaited. He had come, but most of them rejected him, and so they had him put to death on a cross. He is the Prophet being spoken of here. He is the “seed of Abraham” in whom all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Jesus is the one who God sent first to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles, to bless us in turning everyone away from our sins (iniquities). For Jesus died that we might die to sin and walk in obedience to our Lord.
And we read in Galatians 3:16 & 29: “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ.” “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” And in Ephesians 2:15-16 we read: “..so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.”
Therefore, it is not the Jews who rejected Jesus as the Christ, their Messiah, who are the promised seed of Abraham, but it is Jesus Christ, and it is all who are in Christ by biblical faith in Jesus. We only are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise God made to Abraham and to his seed. All people who reject Jesus, Jews or Gentiles, are not heirs according to the promise God made to Abraham and to his seed if they do not believe in Jesus, and if they have not died to sin, and if they are not obeying our Lord.
[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; Matthew 21:43; John 8:18-19,38-47; John 10:16; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:1-6; Colossians 3:12-15; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13; 1 Peter 2:9-10,24; 1 John 2:22; Jude 1:5; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Jesus Christ Sent to Bless Us
in turning every one of us away from our sins
An Original Work / May 23, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
