Victory Christian Centre, Hutt City, New Zealand

Acts 3:19–21 (NKJV) Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom 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 had just been used by God to work a miracle of healing a lame man who was begging at the temple gate
• A crowd began to gather because of the miracle that just happened
• Peter began to preach to those present about the resurrection of Jesus
• Then he called on everyone to repent and be converted
• He continued saying (if you do), your sins will be blotted out
• Then he prophesied about future events:
o Times of refreshing will come from the presence of God
o And, God will send Jesus Christ (2nd Coming of Christ)
• Jesus Christ had only just ascended to heaven a short while ago
• And as prophesied, He will return to earth to set up His 1,000 year reign

Acts 3:19 (WUESTNT) Therefore repent at once, instantly changing your attitude, and perform a right-about-face in order that your sins may be obliterated, in order that there may come epoch-making periods of spiritual revival and refreshment from the presence of the Lord …

• Peter prophesied times (plural) of spiritual revival and refreshing
• Right throughout the church age, there have been periods of spiritual revival and refreshing “from the presence of the Lord”
• We call these times:
o Revivals
o Outpourings of the Spirit of God
o The former and the latter rain of the Spirit
 The former rain of the Spirit took place on the Day of Pentecost
 The latter rain is taking place in these last day before the rapture
 There were periods of intermittent rain for the last 2000 years
• When God’s people repent of their sins, it always brings times of spiritual revival and refreshing
• When times of spiritual revival take place, more people will repent of their sins and get converted

• It is interesting, but many Christians are waiting for god to send revival
• But God is waiting for His people to repent of their sins

• Revivals and times of refreshing are never random acts of God
• Revivals and times of refreshing are always in response to God’s people repenting of their sins and seeking God for His will for their lives

• When John the Baptist came he preached “repentance”
• When Jesus first came, He preached “repentance”
• When Peter first preached, He preached “repentance” (Acts 2:38, 3:19)
• All revival preachers throughout the church age preached “repentance”
o John & Charley Wesley – the Great Awakening (AD. 1700’s)
o Charles Finney - the Second Great Awakening (1800’s)

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV) If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

• God says: If My people – those called by My name (Christians)
o Will humble themselves
o Pray
o Seek my face (for His will for their lives)
o Turn from their wicked ways (repentance!)
• I (God) will:
o Hear from heaven
o Forgive their sins
o Heal their land

1 Peter 4:17 (NKJV) For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

• Jesus Christ wants to cleanse His church of all stains & wrinkles
• He is leading His church into new levels of holiness

Five sins that prevented Israel from entering the Promised Land

1 Corinthians 10:1–11 (NLT) I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. 2 In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. 3 All of them ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, 7 or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, “The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.” 8 And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day. 9 Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. 10 And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. 11 These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

The five sins were:

• Craving evil things (lusting after evil things)
• Worship of idols (anything that draws our love away from God)
• Engaging in sexual immorality (all sexual activity outside of marriage)
• Putting Christ to the test (contention about water. Is God among us?)
• Grumbling (murmuring & complaining)

Hebrews 12:14 (AMP) Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.

Practical things to do:

• Cleanse our lives of all things that displease the Lord
• Cleanse our homes of all things that displease the Lord
• Forgive everyone who has ever hurt or offended us
• Choose to walk in love towards everyone
• Put God first in our lives (time, talent, treasure)

Hebrews 12:1–3 (NKJV) Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

• lay aside every weight
• and the sin which so easily ensnares us
• run with endurance the race that is set before us
• look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith
• consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself
• lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls

2 Timothy 3:1 (AMP) BUT UNDERSTAND this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].

• Apostle Paul addressed this Letter of 2nd Timothy to Timothy, and to all future generations of Christians

• He said that in the last days there will be times of great stress

• Of course, there have been times of great stress before for many believers in previous generations and in various localities

• But Paul's warning about times of great stress in the last days should be understood as:

  • Definitely applicable to the last generation of believers
  • A world-wide situation

• When Jesus spoke about end times, He used the phrase: "Distress of nations, with perplexity" (Luke 21:25)

• A minister of the Gospel recently said: There is not one single Scripture in the Bible that says that things will be easy in the last days

• For NZ Christians, things have been "so good for so long", that most are shocked by these new conditions of great stress

• We have to adjust to these "new" conditions, and ramp up our faith walk to a new level

• Great faith will cause us to overcome in times of great stress

Finding your "secret place" & "trusting in the Lord"

Psalm 91:1–4 (NKJV) He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust." 3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. 4 He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge;__His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

• God has a "secret place" for every believer
• Not every believer has found his/her secret place yet
• Some visit it from time to time
• But God wants us to live (dwell) permanently in our secret place
• When you trust God fully with all aspects of your life, you have found your secret place

Good prayers to pray:

• Lord, I fully surrender my life to you now …
• Lord, I entrust you with my whole life …
• Lord, I fully trust you concerning my life and my future …
• (Walking in faith and trusting the Lord is the self-same thing)

Proverbs 3:5–7 **(NKJV)**_ **Trust in the Lord _ with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;fear the Lord and depart from evil.

• We should – trust in the Lord with all our heart
• We should not – lean on our own understanding
• We should - acknowledge God in all of our ways
• God will - direct our paths (notice the sequence!)
• We should not - be wise in our own eyes

Isaiah 28:16 (NKJV)**_Therefore thus says the Lord God: **"Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;__ whoever believes will not act hastily. _

• Those who believe do not act hastily
• Don't let stress motivate you into making rash decisions
• By all means, prepare, but don't act out of step with God's leading

Psalm 18:1–3 (NKJV)I will love You, O Lord, my strength. _ 2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies._

Psalm 20:7 (NKJV)Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;__but _ we will remember the name of the Lord our God. _

• Chariots and horses were means of natural warfare
• The answers to today's stresses won't be natural answers

Proverbs 18:10 (NKJV) The_ _ name of the Lord is a strong tower ; the righteous run to it and are safe._

Psalm 118:8–9 (NKJV)It is better to _ trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to_ _ trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes._

• Many of today's princes (politicians) aren't part of the answer, they and their demands are part of the problem

Psalm 37:39–40 (NKJV)But _ the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. 40 And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him. _

Psalm 37:3 (NKJV)**_ **Trust in the Lord, _ and do good;__dwell in the land, and _ feed on His faithfulness. _

Psalm 73:28 (NKJV)But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Your works.

Psalm 112:5–8 (NKJV) A good man deals graciously and lends; he will guide his affairs with discretion. 6 Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. 7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. 8 His heart is established; he will not be afraid,__until he sees his desire upon his enemies.

Things got very close before:

• The crossing of the Red Sea during the Exodus
• Enemy armies surrounding Judah in the days of Jehoshaphat

Exodus 14:13 (NKJV)And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.

2 Chronicles 20:17 (NKJV)You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you."

• There is no promise in God's Word that says that we will not be inconvenienced
• But there are numerous promises in God's Word that promise us deliverance from the evil plans of the enemy