Save Yourselves

SCRIPTURE.

"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation." Act 2:36-40 KJV

OBSERVATION
A hope deferred makes the heart sick, says the word of God, (Pro 13:12). Israel for long time waited for the coming of the Messiah. Messiah means the anointed one. It is an epithet used to described Jesus which connote a person who will come and liberate Israel from her oppressors. All the prophets prophesied about Him. And Moses who all Israel holds in high esteem spoke about him saying.. " The LORD your God will raise up for you a PROPHET like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him." Deu 18:15 BSB. God on His promise sent his son to deliver Israel from her oppressors but they murdered him. They killed him because, He came as a suffering servant not as a warrior King that they were expecting. They lived in a time of war, so their minds were that God will send a warrior King like King David. Most a times, when the help we are looking for does not come in the form we are expecting it, we thrash it and God looks down from heaven and see our frailty. So Peter addressed his fellow Jews on the the fact that, that same Jesus who they have murdered is the Messianic King God has sent to deliver Israel. Scripture said, when they became aware of the matter, they were pricked in their heart. So upon request, Peter gave them three imperative to remedy their situation. He said..
1. Repent. Repentance is a change of attitude which is a result of the change of the human heart. The gate to a man's heart is his mind. to control a man's heart, you must dominate his mind. And Peter's eloquent preaching became a vehicle through which the Holy Spirit reach the heart of the people of Israel
2.  Secondly, he said, be Baptized in the name of Jesus. The original meaning of baptism is submitting under a master teacher. So to baptise in the name of Jesus is to submit under the teachings of Jesus.
3. And thirdly he said, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. That is the seal for our confession of Christ.
So repent and be baptized and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, that is how to save yourselves from this perversed generation. Shalom.

APPLICATION
When we repent, we receive the promise of the Father. The promise is for us and for our children and those that are far off and as many as the Lord our God shall call. When you received your call, please repent.

PRAYER
Father, let your word be pricking to my heart Lord! In the name of Jesus. Amen