Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord
Acts 3:19 (NIV)
Blotted Out
The disagreements that flare up in the United States over the separation of church and state are comparatively rare in Canada, a lawyer with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association said on December 14, 2020. Cara Zwibel was commenting on vandalism the previous week to the Firefighters Memorial that was recently erected in Powell Park in Port Dover, Ontario. The defacement involved blotting out the word “God” with a black substance. “God” appears in the Firefighters Prayer, a poem written 60 years ago which is inscribed on the front of the monument.
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In this day of social media, it is critical to be very careful about what you post online. Once something is posted, it is out in the worldwide web forever. There are countless people who wish some things they posted could be blotted out. In the spiritual realm there is some good news. Every one of us has sin in our lives, things that we have said, done or thought that we wish could be blotted out. This is what Acts 3:19 says, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” When we confess our sins, and turn from them, putting our trust in Jesus Christ, we are given a great promise – our sins will be wiped out, blotted out. No wonder the promise is made that times of refreshing will come from the Lord. The moment Jesus removes our sin, there is an overwhelming sense of relief, peace and joy. The Holy Spirit enters in and He completely cleanses us. This is what brings about the times of refreshing.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley