Page 35 - GRACE
P. 35
GRACE, Exploring Its Riches
“And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in
Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of
Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee
of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in
the region and shadow of death Light has
dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach
and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is
at hand.”
It does not seem to be by chance that these two great
ministers introduced the kingdom with a message of
repentance. It seems to be the starting point to something
new, the life in God’s kingdom.
iii. When the Church Age Started
At the beginning of the age of the Church, which can also be
regarded as the age of the Holy Spirit and of grace, the
leaders of the early Church preached their first message
with the same emphasis on REPENTANCE. Peter rose on
the day of Pentecost and preached a powerful message,
prophetically using the Scriptures to affirm that the new
thing the religious multitude that gathered in Jerusalem
was observing was a strategic part of God’s plan to release
His Spirit of grace upon the earth. As the multitude listened
to his powerful and inspiring message they were convicted.
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