What is the first thing, that Acts says we must do? Well, lets see what, Peter said. Remember, Peter, was the one, that has the key.
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not 
prevail against it. Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth 
shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Acts 2:38...... 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, "Repent", and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the 
remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ( so Peter, said the first thing, that must be done, is to repent. If this 
is not done, you can forget about the other things, in Acts 2:38. They will not happen.)

So what is repentance? Repentance meaning, 1) to change one's mind, i.e. to repent 
2) to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins.

So, we see repentance is, changing our mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins. 
Acts 3:19 states...... 19 "Repent" ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall 
come from the presence of the Lord. ( So here again we see"repent", is the first thing one must do, to have our sins blotted out.)

John, also preached, "repentance".... Mark 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of "repentance" for the 
remission of sins. ( John, is saying the same thing that, Peter, was saying in Acts: 2:38. Peter, preached, the baptism of repentance for 
the remission of sins.)

Jesus also said the same thing, that Peter and John said. 
Luke 24.. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47 And that "repentance" and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 
(Here is several scriptures, stating that "repentance" is the first thing, one must do. There are many more stating "repentance" is the first 
thing.

Sin is first mention in, Genesis 4:7.... If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. 
And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. ( we know that Cain did not doest well. but God is showing his sins. If God brings up your sins, there was no true "repentance". Your sins were , not blotted out. 
We also know that,Cain, lied to God.........Genesis 4:9 And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: 
Am I my brother's keeper?

God, also brought up, Cain's, sins in the New Testament.
1 John 3:12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were 
evil, and his brother's righteous. ( The wicked one, here is Adam.)
Jude 1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. ( Balaam was a prophet. He was hired by Balak to curse the Israelites; and influenced by the love of reward.)

Here is where it all started.
The same thing with Adam, he brought up his sins. so as
There was no true repentance from Adam.)

Job 31:33 If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom: ( Adam covered his sins....
Cover, means to conceal, hide. He tried to hide his sins. No true"repentance".Not only did he cover them, he tried to blame the woman.
Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's 
transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. ( There is nothing but, death in, Adam. To show you this, let's go to the next 
scripture......... 1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. ( if you are in, Adam, you die. There
is no life in Adam. No true "repentance)

Matthew 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for "repentance."
(True "Repentance" will bring forth new fruit. You will be able to produce new fruit. New Produce, Praise the Lord.The old fruit will begin, to rotten.)

Matthew 27:3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, "repented" himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, ( The reason, that Judas," repentance", was not accepted, because it was not 
true "repentance" He saw that, he was condemned, was the only reason, he repented, no true repentance. If he had repented, and 
brought the money back before he had betrayed Christ, I truly believe, that he would have been forgiven.

2 Corinthians 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly 
manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing
2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
( We can see from these verses, that godly sorrow, brings forth "true repentance". That is the only "repentance", that God will accept.

Hebrews 12:16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of "repentance", 
though he sought it carefully with tears. ( the meaning of profane is to treat (a holy place or object) with great disrespect: 
to treat (something sacred) with abuse, irreverence, or contempt: to debase by a wrong, unworthy, or vulgar use.
There is no way, that he had "true repentance." If it was true godly "repentance", God, would have granted it and cast it: As far as the 
east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. That is what, God, does when one has true "repentance"
He cast our sins, as far as east is from the west, and never remembers our sins again. He will forget, and never bring it up again. That is true "repentance". True "repentance" is to turn from sin and have a mind change.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, 
not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (The Lord, wants everyone, to come to true "repentance" and it is not is will, that any should perish. He is longsuffering, to us. He is very very patient, with us.
There are many scriptures, in, Revelations where God was speaking to the churches and told then to "repent" but we will
end this, with one last scripture.

Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Praise, the Lord, there is joy, in the presence of the angels of God, when one has true "repentance"
Like I said at the beginning, of this message, I knew not, where this is going to take us. I did this as the Lord led me.
I hope this shows you, what "true repentance" is.

Larry Bray
10/11/2016