Jesus fulfilled the scriptures as He ascends into heaven, and now the apostles wait for the Holy Spirit.
Just as the apostles sat and waited for Jesus to reappear in Luke 24:13-35, and Acts 1:1-11, take a moment to reflect, looking back on where we have been and how far we have come. Envision what the future can hold.
We need the Holy Spirit to open our minds to receive what God wants us to receive.
Today and every day.
Repentance and Forgiveness "teshuva".
Forgiveness can not happen without repentance. Not as simple as saying "I'm sorry."
Both repentance and forgiveness are processes. The processes decribed by Rabbi David Blumenthol are:
Repentance is achieved by:
- Recognizing what our sin is through our intellect.
- Feeling of remorse that we broke one of God's rules, against both God and man.
- Desist from repeating the sin. "Just stop it." Otherwise, we are stealing time from God.
- Restitution – give it back, or right the wrong.
- Confess to God and our fellow man.
Forgiveness is achieved by:
- The sinner coming and asking for forgiveness.
- It is up to the person to accept if you have repented.
As Christians, we are called to repent and ask for forgiveness. We are also called to provide forgivness when asked for.
When your fellowship is broken with men, it is also broken with God.
We feel pure and recharged when we repent and have been forgiven.
Go and wait for the Holy Spirit.
Enjoy the quiet. Sit and pray. Take time to thank God for the Blessing God has restored in our lives. This is the end of one thing, and the beginning of something new.
We are now called to witness to all the ends of the earth.
Praise and glorify and witness that God is the Messiah – to give us everlasting life!
