13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God ofour fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handedhim over to be killed, and you disowned him beforePilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 Youdisowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked thata murderer be released to you. - P128
15 You killed the author of life, but God raised himfrom the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith inthe name of Jesus, this man whom you see and knowwas made strong. It is Jesus‘ name and the faith thatcomes through him that has completely healed him, asyou can all see. - P128
19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins maybe wiped out, that times of refreshing may come fromthe Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who hasbeen appointed for you even Jesus.
19 Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.
20 Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he willagain send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. - P129
Peter takes the opportunity to speak to those gathered at Solomon‘s Colon-nade. He tells them healing is possible through Jesus‘ name and faith in Him.
- P129
Then, he calls the crowd to repentance so that their sins can be wiped out. Heassures them Jesus will come again to restore everything and reminds themthat all the prophets foretold that this would happen. - P129
After the lame man is healed,
people take notice. Peter acknowledgestheir amazement and then seizes this opportunity to present the gospelto all who are looking. - P130
As people marvel over the change brought aboutin this man‘s life, Peter readily gives them the full picture of the gospelas it is revealed in the Scriptures and explains what the implications arefor his hearers. - P130
Jesus, You are the author and perfecter of our faith. - P131
Help us to give you the praiseand credit that is due to You and help us to turn away from our sins and seek Youalways. In Your name, amen. - P131
Canada is one of the wealthiest nations in the world thanks to its advanced economy, andis the world‘s second largest country by land area. - P130
The Indigenous peoples in Canada havelived there for thousands of years, but the region was colonized by the British and Frenchbeginning in the sixteenth century. - P130
Christianity was introduced by the Europeans, andwhile Christians still represent the majority of the population, the church has experiencedsignificant decline in recent decades. - P130
The church now faces the challenge of reaching out toan increasingly secular society. - P130
7 They had Peter and John brought before them andbegan to question them: "By what power or what namedid you do this?"
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them:
"Rulers and elders of the people! - P133
11 Jesus is the stone you builders rejected, which hasbecome the cornerstone.‘
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is noother name under heaven given to mankind by whichwe must be saved." - P133
The priests and the Sadducees are disturbed by Peter and John‘s teaching,
so they put them in jail. Still, the number of believers continues to grow. - P133
Thenext day, the apostles are questioned before the high priest, rulers, elders,
and teachers of the law. Peter tells them that the lame man was healed in thename of Jesus and declares salvation is found only in Him. cob - P133
The Holy Spirit gave Peter the power to speak boldly yet with grace inthe face of opposition. - P134
Had he relied on his own power, he could nothave been anywhere near as bold, and he would not have been able tohighlight the gospel message even as he answered his opponents. - P134
TheHoly Spirit that gave Peter this power is the same Spirit that Chris-tians have today. He works within all those who have put their faith inChrist. . - P134
It is normal to feel afraid or defensive when facing opposition.
But when you feel weak and afraid, remember that Peter was oncescared to acknowledge Jesus before a servant girl. - P134
The same Spirit thatemboldened him and inspired his speech is at work in you. - P134
Lord Jesus, draw near to all those who follow You and worship You. Pleasebe especially close to those who are persecuted because of You. - P135
Strengthenthem and use them to bring others to know You, the only way to salvation.
In Your name, amen. - P135
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