Repentance
What is your presence Lord?
(Acts 3:19 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.”
Repentance proceeds the presence of the Lord presence of the Lord. I say this because of the evidence of John the Baptist. Jesus Christ is Emmanuel “God with us” [ Isaiah 7:14, Mat. 1:23]. Jesus didn’t simply come one the seen. He was announced. He was prepared for. John the baptist came crying in the wilderness “prepare ye the way of the Lord, make the crocked path straight.” Mat. 3:3.
John the Baptist started his ministry in AD28. Since Jesus started His ministry around age 30; If almost accurate to say John ministered for 2 years before Jesus started his ministry. Jews practiced a form of baptism called Tevilah. (This again seems to be what the man at pool was waiting to be immersed.)
* The Jewish rite of water purifification in a Mikvah (pool) was known as Tevilah. Tevilah was by full body immersion with “living” water from a Spring. The Mikvah had the proportions 3 cubits long & 1 cubits deep and 1 cubit wide. This was done for purifications before certain events such as spiritual cleansing, coming into the presence of God, marriage, and also after certain events such as childbirth and disease. Tevilah was also one of three requirements for conversion of the Gentiles to Judaism. The washing of hands & feet commonly practiced was a miniature Tevilah.
There is a definite preparation for the presence or coming of God. You know I’m thinking about it. Many times we tell people to come as you are, here look at the preparation for the Jesus to come to then Baptize with fire. Are we taking away from the truth of repentance. Which doesn’t mean only to stop or turn around but to consider. Many people say I can’t come until I straighten out my life. We tell them no come as you are and here we find John the baptist preparing the way. We know we are sinners, we know we need to repent. There is no quick fix, but steadfast grace to cleanse and make whole – the steady work of the Holy Spirit. There is a steadfast preparation an inching ahead to Christ being formed in us.
Penitent sinner: This is a word we don’t here often (feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentant)*