The False Prophet Becomes A False Priest

Giving God bigger and better worship will not help you get your way.

Numbers 23:1-3 Then Balaam said to King Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice." 2 Balak followed his instructions, and the two of them sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offerings, and I will go to see if the LORD will respond to me. Then I will tell you whatever he reveals to me." So Balaam went alone to the top of a bare hill.

In the previous post we learned that Balaam is not at all who he seems to be from a casual reading of his life story in the Book of Numbers. We have to look at all of the scriptures about him to get the rest of the story. This is a double minded man that God will use as a tool to tell us about his chosen people.

After Balaam encounters God on the road he arrives to find that the king is irritated with him for taking so long to get there, this would have been a great opportunity for Balaam to tell the king what happened that caused the delay, instead he suddenly changes the conversation. Maybe he didn't want to give a testimony of what God had done in his life because it may lead to the king changing his mind and canceling the offer to pay him big for his services. (Numbers 22:35-41)

Balaam didn't testify about his experience with God on the road but later he does testify that he cannot say what God doesn't allow. But the king doesn't care about the disclaimer, in the morning Balak took him up to a location that was a good lookout to see God's people. The people of Moab are so involved in worship to false gods that every time the king takes Balaam to a high place it is a location that is used to worship Baal.

The False Prophet

The blessing is the Lord's and a prophet for hire cannot change what God has declared about His people. Balaam is paid to speak the king’s desires, but he is shrewd enough to protect his reputation. If he curses Israel and God still blesses them, his credibility—and future business—is destroyed. Who would hire a prophet proven so wrong?

Balaam demonstrates that even the most extraordinary revelations from God can be squandered by a stubborn heart. God revealed Himself multiple times—sending an angel with a drawn sword, even opening the mouth of Balaam’s donkey—yet Balaam still sought to curse God’s people for profit.

The False Priest

To become more effective as a false prophet, Balaam tries to gain God's favor by also pretending to be a priest, he is probably hoping that he can get a different answer from God after he sacrifices a bunch of animals. Balaam ordered the building of too many altars, and he sacrifices too many animals as if he were trying to impress God with his worship in order to get what he wanted from God.

Balaam seems to know the number seven is used by God to signify that something is set apart as perfect, complete or holy. The number seven shows up hundreds of times in the Bible starting in Genesis with the days of creation and the day set aside for the Sabbath. Seven's continue throughout the Bible to Revelation where there are seven churches, seals, bowls and more.

Balaam tried to give God "better worship" in order to get his way, instead of serving God as a real priest should, this priest is self serving, trying to manipulate God to get the desired outcome. That might work on the other "gods" that he is familiar with but not the God of Israel.

"Better Worship" Didn't Change God's Mind

Numbers 23:20-21 Listen, I received a command to bless; God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it! 21 No misfortune is in his plan for Jacob; no trouble is in store for Israel. For the LORD their God is with them; he has been proclaimed their king.

Balaam has done everything possible to gain favor with God and change God's mind about his chosen people but none of it has made any difference. God sees the heart of his worship and is not impressed, instead of Balaam getting his way, God's will is still going to happen. Balaam will be used as God's tool to confirm and clarify the blessings of God's people.

This false prophet, false priest and the ungodly king are a picture of the opposite of Jesus (anti-type). This unholy trinity will come against God's people but Satan's power is limited in strength and it will only last for a season. (Revelation 12–13 and Revelation 16:13)

Just as God had a plan for his people in the wilderness in the days of Moses he has a plan for his people in the wilderness of today's world. God has declared a blessing in my life that can not be reversed. I can be confident that God will take me to the Promised Land despite the accusations of Satan about all of my shortcomings. 

I Am The Resurrection

Jesus predicted the events surrounding his death to make it obvious that he is the promised Messiah.

 

John 11:25  Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after dying.

Luke 18:31-33  Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, "Listen, we're going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true.  32  He will be handed over to the Romans, and He will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon.  33  They will flog Him with a whip and kill Him, but on the third day He will rise again."

Luke 22:37  "For the time has come for this prophecy about me to be fulfilled: ‘He was counted among the rebels.’ Yes, everything written about me by the prophets will come true.”

John 13:19  "I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I AM the Messiah."

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If you met a very nice person today that predicted that they would be sentenced to the death penalty and all of their friends would desert them and then he would come back from the dead three days later you would think that they were insane. But that's exactly what Jesus did, he told us what would happen.

Jesus claimed to be the resurrection just a few days before Passion week, he told Martha that she will see her brother when he is resurrected, she knew that was true but what she didn't know is that Jesus was going to display his resurrection power right away. She wasn't going to have to wait very long to see her brother Lazarus alive again.

Jesus prophesied that he would be resurrected, he made a lot of detailed prophecies about his last days on earth and his return in three days. How could any ordinary man make such bold claims and then make it happen?

Jesus Predicted:

✔  The disciples would find an unridden colt when they entered town to prepare for Passover (Luke 19:30)
✔  When the disciples entered Jerusalem he predicted they would meet a man with a water pitcher who would have a room for them to meet in (Luke 22:10)
✔  His Words Would Be Everlasting (Matthew 24:35)
✔  The Story Of Mary Of Bethany would be well known (Matthew 26:11-13)
✔  His Own Betrayal By One Of His Disciples (Matthew 26:21-22)
✔  All Of His Disciples Would Leave Him (Matthew 26:31,32)
✔  Peter Would Deny Him Three Times (Matthew 26:33-34)
✔  He Would Suffer Because Of The Religious Rulers (Matthew 16:21)
✔  He Would Die By Crucifixion During The Passover (Matthew 26:2)
✔  His Resurrection From The Dead On The Third Day (Matthew 16:21)
✔  The Coming Of The Holy Spirit (John 14:26)
✔  The Destruction Of The City Of Jerusalem Within One Generation (Luke 19:43-44, 21:20)
✔  The Temple In Jerusalem Would Be Destroyed (Matthew 24:1-2)
✔  The People Would Be Scattered And The Holy Land Would Be Ruled By Gentiles (Luke 21:24)
✔  The Jewish People Would Be Persecuted (Luke 23:28-30)

None of it made sense from the human perspective but it was all a part of God's plan to save the world. Jesus made the connection to the Old Testament prophets, he said that the predictions of the Messiah and his sufferings would be fulfilled in himself. He told us that it was going to happen and then it did! What a way to prove your authenticity as the Messiah!

"If a man can predict his own death and resurrection, and pull it off, I just go with whatever that man says"

-Andy Stanley

If you are struggling to believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah, that he is the one who was in the beginning with God and was God, that he is the divine Son of God, who can forgive all your sins and give you eternal life then take a look at the predictions that Jesus made in his last days and consider the odds of somebody making all this stuff come true.

Jesus truly is the resurrection! He brought other people back from death, he came back after his own death and we have every reason to believe that he will resurrect us after we die if we have his life in us.

Thank you Lord for what was accomplished through your brutal death and victorious resurrection! You have made it easy to have faith in you!

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Come Lord Jesus Come

Like a bride waiting for her groom we'll be a Church ready for You

All of creation

All of the earth

Make straight a highway

A path for the Lord

Jesus is coming soon

Call back the sinner

Wake up the saint

Let every nation shout of Your fame

Jesus is coming soon

Like a bride waiting for her groom

We'll be a Church ready for You

Every heart longing for our King

We sing

Even so come

Lord Jesus, come 

Even so come

Lord Jesus, come 

There will be justice

All will be new

Your name forever

Faithful and true

Jesus is coming soon

Are You Longing For That Day

Revelation 22:1-7  Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.  2  It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. 3  No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and His servants will worship Him.  4  And they will see His face, and His name will be written on their foreheads.  5  And there will be no night there--no need for lamps or sun--for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever. 6  Then the angel said to me, "Everything you have heard and seen is trustworthy and true. The Lord God, who inspires His prophets, has sent His angel to tell His servants what will happen soon. " 7  "Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book. "

This world of sin should make us long for something better and we should be anxious for the day that Christ returns and puts an end to the sorrow and pain that we must experience here. We should think often about the fact that He is coming soon and that every person must stand before Him and give an account for how we lived.

Are you enjoying this world too much or are you hungry to go home? Are you longing for that day with great anticipation?

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Be Ready

I am compelled to look like Him and live for Him until he returns.

2 Peter 3:10-13  But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

11  Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live,  12  looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, He will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.  13  But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth He has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness.

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The book of 2 Peter has been a great guide to help us see that the Christian life should look different in comparison to the rest of the world. We believe that Jesus gave us the power to live for Him and be productive and useful for a cause that has eternal significance. I have a solid foundation of truth to build my life on and I have God's promises that I will share His divine nature and escape the world's corruption.

Despite the overwhelming evidence for the truth, the world is going to make fun of us when they see that we are compelled to live for him and they will scoff at the idea that we are looking forward to Jesus return. How can you think that he is still on the way? Peter tells us that the length of the wait doesn't change the certainty that it will happen. (2 Peter 3:3-8)

2 Peter 2:9 So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.

Jesus return is still coming, he hasn't changed His mind, judgment will follow and then we will see what is really important. The world and all of the things that it thinks is important is going to burn. Sometimes we get sidetracked by these things but we need to ask ourselves if we want to live for everything that will certainly be destroyed, or do you want to live so that you will have an inheritance in the new heavens and earth?

Romans 2:4-5  Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that His kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

There isn't an escape route. The world likes to think that they get another chance, they want to see some more information before they decide that they need to accept the truth, there isn't a second chance or reincarnation or purgatory, we don't get to change our situation or improve ourself after we die. Your relatives cannot light enough candles or pray enough prayers to change what has already been decided.

Devoted To God

Titus 2:11-14  For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

Are you ready for that day? Are you digging in the Word to find out how you can be more like him while you are waiting? God doesn't want to wait and change us after he comes and gets us, he wants us to start the change now, the surest way to know that I am ready and anticipating that day is for me to begin to look like who I will be after his return.

The new earth will be a place where righteousness dwells. It will then be impossible for sin to mess things up! And, we will be in God’s glorious presence forever! Are you ready?

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A Special Announcement

“Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

John 1:6-9 God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The One who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

John 1:15 John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”

16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

John 1:29  The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

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There is a special announcement to be made and God like he usually does sent a special messenger to give us the news. God sent John the Baptist to break the silence that has lasted for four hundred years. Nobody heard anything from God but now he is ready to reveal the Light of the world to us.

You may wonder why a dark world would have a problem seeing the Light. Even a small match would be obvious to somebody that was living in total darkness. It would be just like standing in a cave without any light at all. As soon as a source of light is turned on everybody knows it but that isn't true if you are a blind man. 

2 Corinthians 4:4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

You have to realize that a blind man is always in the dark, even if he is standing in the brightest light, that's how it is for those that need Jesus. We needed John to tell us about the Light because Satan has blinded our eyes.

John the Baptist had to do some searching to find out the truth about Jesus, God gave him proof, he made it clear that he didn't always know that Jesus is the Messiah. (John 1:31-34) The men that the religious leaders sent to question John and ask him who he is were not open to the truth that John shared with them.

Are you trying to decide about Jesus identity, is he really God in a body? John the Baptist says "Look at Jesus, he is the one." But what makes John a good witness and why should we listen to him?

Is John a credible witness?
John 5:31 “If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid.  32 But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true. 33 In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true.

Jesus confirmed that John was a credible witness that we should listen to. Everything from his special birth to his peculiar lifestyle is evidence that John's testimony should be admitted into the courtroom in our minds as we attempt to know who Jesus is.

✔  His birth and his ministry were a fulfillment of prophecy. (Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1)
✔  He is a good and holy man. (Mark 6:19-20)
✔  He didn't show any desire for power, for wealth or to exalt himself.
✔  He stood up to the powerful for what he believed. (Matthew 3:2-10)
✔   He died for his mission. (Matthew 14:1-12)
✔  He was an eyewitness to God's revelation. (Matthew 3:16,John 1:30-34)

When John says, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" we have plenty of reasons to believe him. John didn't have an agenda other than the one that God gave him, it was the reason that he was born, it was the reason that he lived, and it was the cause of his death.

Prophecy Confirms Who Jesus Is

Look to the prophets for proof about Jesus.

1 Peter 1:9-12  The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls.  10  This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you.   

11  They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when He told them in advance about Christ's suffering and His great glory afterward.   

12  They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.

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Salvation by grace is here! Peter told this good news everywhere that he went and to everybody that would listen. This good news had been anticipated for hundreds of years has finally come to pass. People were having their doubts but the events that had just recently happened in Jerusalem were the fulfillment of prophecy.

God had revealed a lot of the details about the coming Messiah long before it happened. The events surrounding Jesus birth, lifetime and his death authenticate his identity. If you just look at the prophecies concerning Jesus birth in Matthew chapter one and two you will see significant details that prove that the Messiah had arrived. Starting with the proof of Jesus lineage as a descendant of King David, Matthew continues to tell us that Jesus was born of a virgin, he would be born in Bethlehem, called out of Egypt and he grew up in Nazareth. (Matthew 1:1-2:23)

Peter told the Jews

Acts 3:17-18, 24  "Friends, I realize that what you and your leaders did to Jesus was done in ignorance. 18 But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had foretold about the Messiah--that He must suffer these things. 24 Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today."

After Peter and John healed a man at the temple gate Peter jumped at the opportunity to tell everybody that was there about the source of the healing. The power of the Holy Spirit gave Peter the ability to fearlessly explain the events that had just happened a few days ago. The people that killed Jesus were right there when he accused them of killing God. (Acts 3:15)

Peter told the Gentiles

Acts 10:42-43 "And He ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the One appointed by God to be the Judge of all--the living and the dead. 43 He is the One all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in Him will have their sins forgiven through His name."

Peter didn't want to go to Cornelius' house but God didn't give him much of a choice. Peter needed to learn a lesson about the Gentiles being included in the good news of the gospel, he would tell them about the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled. (Acts 10:34-35)

There should not be any doubt about who Jesus is or why he came to earth and died, the prophets make it crystal clear, Jesus claims to be God should be indisputable.

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Destruction Of The Temple - The End Of Judaism?

Our relationship with God is totally changed by Jesus sacrifice.

Luke 21:5-9 Some of his disciples began talking about the majestic stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls. But Jesus said, 6 “The time is coming when all these things will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”

7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to take place?” 8 He replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and saying, ‘The time has come!’ But don’t believe them. 9 And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won’t follow immediately.”

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On his last day of public ministry, Jesus is leaving the temple with his disciples when they begin to talk about the magnificent building that was the second temple. The first temple was destroyed by the Babylonians when the Israelites were taken into captivity, the temple was rebuilt to a lesser degree (Ezra 3:12) after it was authorized by Cyrus the Great, this temple came to be known as Herod's temple after he renovated it and made it into the spectacular sight that the disciples marveled at.

Jesus breaks into their conversation and tells them that the temple, as massive as it is, will be completely demolished. The disciples must have stood there in shock, this building was constructed from stones that were huge, Jesus told them about the events that would occur in 70 AD, political unrest would lead to an uprising that would trigger the destruction of the temple.

One of the ways that Jesus proves himself is through prophecy, he has given two in my recent studies the first of his crucifixion and the other is the prophecy of the destruction of the temple. They may not have liked the fact that a Gentile had built up the temple, but at least they had a temple, what sorrow they must have felt to think that they wouldn't have a temple again.

Did God bring the destruction of his temple on purpose to tell us something?

The temple was destroyed:

✔ Justly - because of the sins of the Jews
✔ Mercifully - to take away from them the occasion of continuing in Judaism
✔ Mysteriously - to show that the ancient sacrifices were abolished, and that the whole Jewish economy was brought to an end, and the Christian dispensation introduced.

Adam Clarke's Commentary

The temple was destroyed because of Israel's many sins, including defiling the temple, remember just after Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey he did a partial cleansing of the temple before he began teaching there.

The disciples didn't realize that they were not going to need this temple anymore, soon there wouldn't be a need to practice Judaism any longer. There wasn't any reason to keep this building around, soon Jesus would enter the "more perfect Tabernacle in heaven" the "Most Holy Place" (Hebrews 9:11-12, 24) and while he is there he would offer the final sacrifice for sin. (Hebrews 10:1-18)

There is a new temple

Ephesians 2:19-22 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.

We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

Even if the building was still standing that building was defiled and the glory of the Lord would probably not be there. Jesus is the cornerstone for a new temple, a temple where Jews and Gentiles have equal access, we are all a part of God's family and we are all a part of his temple.

The old temple is gone, our bodies are now God's temple and his spirit lives in us, we are a royal priest hood, I don't need to go down to a temple building and ask another sinner to make an imperfect sacrifice for me. What I need to do is live to please God so that his Spirit will have a holy dwelling place. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 2 Corinthians 6:16, 1 Peter 2:5, Hebrews 7:26-28)

Thank you Lord for coming to live in me! I want to live each day to please you and present you a holy temple. (Galatians 2:19-20, Titus 2:12-14)

Love Is the Greatest

The greatest is love.

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.

If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless.

When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

God Has Always Been Saving His People

Scripture

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Acts 6-7

Observation

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I have been in church since I was in diapers and over all these years I have never understood why in the world Stephen gave such a reply to a question that is so simple. Isn’t this a simple yes or no answer kind of question?

Then the High Priest asked him, "Are these accusations true?" Acts 7:1

But instead Stephen begins a lengthy speech and then we have Acts chapter 7. What’s the deal, why did Stephen give us Acts chapter 7?

God, the original prophet, spoke to Abram about what was going to happen to him and his descendants. God told him that he would become a great nation, that his descendants would be slaves for four hundred years and that God would punish that country that had held them captive (verse 2-7).

As the story unfolds we see a picture of the Messiah in Joseph, his brothers rejected him but later he saved them and the rest of his family during the famine when Egypt was the only place to get food (verse 9-14).

Then came Moses as yet another picture of the coming Messiah. Moses was to save his people from the four hundred years of slavery that God had predicted. At first he is rejected just like Joseph was, but later he became the savior, ruler and judge for God’s people (verse 30-40).

Then Stephen makes his point while completely ignoring the original question. God’s people had rejected Him over and over, just look at how poorly the people behaved toward God right after he showed Himself to be so awesome (verse 41-43). Now God’s people had rejected the true Savior and Messiah (verse 52).

Next Stephen goes on to confirm who Jesus is:

And he told them, "Look, I see the heavens opened and Jesus the Messiah standing beside God, at his right hand!" Acts 7:56

Application

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God has been in the saving business all this time, I should be more serious about the business of helping my friends and neighbors find the Messiah.

Prayer

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Lord, help me to see the importance of working for you in your most important work of saving man.

A Changed Mind

Scripture

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Acts 3:1-26

Observation

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Walking to Temple each day everybody saw this crippled guy that someone carried to the outside of the Temple gates to beg for money. I am guessing that a person with a deformity was probably not allowed to go inside the Temple and since he was lame from birth, then he has never been inside the building. Do any of you know, please comment?

We see this guy trying to get his or her physical need for food and clothing met but Peter and John go beyond this to the source of his problem. This man never expected to walk home from the Temple that day, he was always carried home, why would today be any different.

It is cool that Peter saw an opportunity (verse 12) to give a witness and he jumped on it, he made it clear to everyone why this man was walking around inside the temple today when he was always sitting outside begging.

The basic message that Peter gave the people was that you rejected Jesus before (verse 13-15) now change your mind (verse 17-19) and turn to Jesus, realize that he died according to God’s plan to save us from every wrong thing that we have done, said or thought. Just like that crowd we have rejected Jesus and at some point in life hopefully you have changed your mind about Jesus.

Peter said that Jesus fulfilled prophecy in his first coming and in His death. God told his people through the prophets that the Messiah would come and that he would die a dreadful death and rise again and it all happened just as the prophets said. The last thing that Peter told his audience that day in the temple was that Jesus will fulfill another prophecy in the future, He will return for those of us that have changed our minds about him (verse 19-26).

There is no better assurance that future prophecy will be fulfilled than to look at the past prophecy that was fulfilled. We can place our confidence in these words:

John 14:1-3  "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Application

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I will be bolder in jumping on an opportunity just as Peter did.

Prayer

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I pray Father that just like I blogged yesterday that I will be bold and confident in sharing the good news. I pray that my co-workers hearts will be softened to hear your message. I pray that they will let go of the classic excuse of the hypocrites in the church.