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Christian
Education Pre-K-12
Richmond Academy
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Restoration
Acts 3:19-21 (KJV) “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; (20) And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was
preached unto you: (21) Whom the heaven must receive until the times of
restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy
prophets since the world began.”
Times of refreshing. Times of restitution (restoration). Both signify a definite
season of opportunity. The word “times” has two different meanings in scripture.
The first is found in: Hebrews 11:15 (KJV) “And truly, if they had been
mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had
opportunity (season) to have returned.” The second is found in: Luke 4:5
(KJV) “And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him
all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.”
The word found in Acts is a definite time or season of opportunity that comes
from God. Definite times in earth’s history have been designated by the Lord for
various aspects of the process of restoration. During these times there will be
opportunities that were not available in the past and will not be available in
the future.
The fullness of the feasts of the Lord are proclaimed in Lev.23:4 “in their
seasons,” meaning the set appointed time by God.
At any given time in history there is a part of the work of restoration taking
place. The appearance of Christ on the earth was one of those times. The return
of the Lord will be another opportunity for restoration. In between, there are
other aspects of restoration for “whosoever will.”
There is always a “present truth” according to 2 Pet.1:12, to fulfill the
work of restoration. Those who will forsake the religious fervor of the hour to
press into Christ are the ones who will receive the times of refreshing which
bring restoration.
We are in a time of Christ Jesus comes to us as the “latter rain.” The climax of
reviving and restoring will be the return of the Lord. But before He comes,
there remains much to be accomplished: The Body of Christ must be built up to
the full stature in order to receive the coming of the Lord. Neither the church
nor the world is ready for the Lord to return.
The problem is that disobedience has not been dealt with. That which is lost can
only be restored as the people of God learn obedience to God.
Obedience is the Presence of God being restored to the Church that will lift the
curse so rebellion and sin can be completely destroyed from her.
We are now working with God as God works in us. God is in control. His authority
and power are being restored to compel nations to obey Him. Jesus possesses all
power and authority. So only the Holy Spirit can reveal to us by the rhema word
what and when we are to respond to God’s power and authority.
The call is for total discipleship. If we are half-hearted as the church has
been for the last generation, then the work of restoration will not happen.
Restoration proceeds only from the cross. Restoration operates only from the
life of Christ and the power of His resurrection, as we suffer with Christ in
His sufferings. If Christ is to live, then we are to die. PAINFUL – but it is
the only way to bear the cross of Christ.
The problem lies in the fact that people are all different. We want them to be
like we are. We want others to stand with us. But the key is to get people to
stand with Christ Jesus. And that comes by accepting what God is doing in the
earth and simply doing what we are called to do without making others like us.
Restoration brings maturity to the Body of Christ. Everyone will benefit when
this takes place. We must never give up hope that God will restore all that is
according to His Word. The glory shall come to pass. If God has promised you
something, never, never stop believing. It will come to pass in your life if you
only keep believing. Remember Abraham.
First the Body of Christ must be brought to the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ. Then God will fill the Body with the fullness of the Spirit
of God. WE DESIRE THE FULLNESS OF THE SPIRIT – BUT GOD DESIRES THE MATURITY OF
THE BODY.
God wants you and me built up. He desires that we build the temple, that we
complete the work according to God’s standard of obedience.
He has a special work for us to perform. When we serve the Body of Christ,
through the life of Christ, which is His body and blood, that is building His
temple, His Body. The goal in restoration is to attain the fullness of
spiritual maturity. God’s standard of perfection and completion is finding
your own destiny and place in the Body.
When restoration takes place, all mountains of difficulty become plain. It
brings us to the place where we are trusting the Spirit of God rather than the
wisdom of the flesh. This is the fulfillment of Zechariah 4:6-7 (KJV) “Then
he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto
Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD
of hosts. 7Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a
plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying,
Grace, grace unto it.” Christ will finish the work He began: Zechariah 4:9
(KJV) “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his
hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent
me unto you.”
And then we will understand John 17:23 (KJV) “I in them, and thou in me, that
they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent
me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”
Jesus will not return until He builds His Church into His own image and then
Jesus will come and dwell in His Church and the world will know that God the
Father has sent Christ Jesus and that God loves the Church even as He loves
Jesus.
The sooner we are willing to do our part of the work, the sooner we will bring
back Jesus. THE HEAVENS MUST HOLD CHRIST JESUS UNTIL THE TIMES OF RESTORATION OF
ALL THINGS. (Act 3:21 paraphrased)
Christ is not just coming to us. He is coming with us and in
us.
Just because people accept Christ Jesus as personal Savior does not mean they
have received Him as personal Lord. Not until He is ruling their life is He
Lord. Multitudes have accepted Him as Savior but don’t serve Him and perform His
will with a mature heart.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS THE RULE OF CHRIST JESUS IN ME!
We find the work of restoration will be brought to completion during the “third
day” (Luke 13:32).
Hosea 6:2 (KJV) “After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will
raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.”
The third day is represented by the third gathering of the feast of Tabernacles,
which includes the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, & the Feast of
Tabernacles itself (Deut.16:16). This is the pressing onward toward the fullness
of redemption and restoration. The fulfillment of Tabernacles is the “rest” of
God.
1. The Lord comes to drive out His enemies from His temple – Trumpets. Every
Saint will experience a spiritual deliverance at the hand of the Lord. This is
the spiritual warfare we are now in. If you remain in the flesh, you will not
warfare in the Spirit.
2. Day of Atonement is the reconciliation to God. It results in the Image of
Christ in us, which is fruitfulness with dominion and authority. It is the
absence of sin and rebellion so that the Presence of God may be seen in us.
3. Tabernacles is the coming of the Father to dwell in the Temple in His Glory.
It is the “rest” of God.
This results in the fulfillment of the New Covenant found in Hebrews 8:10-12
which includes:
1. The divine laws of God being written in our minds and hearts
2. Knowing the Lord Jesus Christ
3. God’s forgetting our sins by removing the sin nature from us.
We are now in this time of restoration. There may never be another time like it.
We must obey the Spirit of God. We must gain the Spirit Victory in the midst of
battles. Those who help the Lord in obedience are going to be rewarded greatly
when the Lord returns.
Christ is bringing order out of chaos. Confusion will be ruled through
certainty. The glory of this latter house will be greater than the former. We
are now beginning the days of double portions (food), greater works (miracles
becoming the norm, and awesome glory (His presence of goodness in our midst).
Never, Never, Never give up and all this shall come to pass as you keep on
keeping on.
Acts 3:19 (KJV) "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; 20And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was
preached unto you: 21Whom the heaven must receive until
the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of
all his holy prophets since the world began.”
-Pr. Steve
June
Newsletter 2008 |
Restoration
Pastor's Journal 2007 |
Spring Forward or Fall Back
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Biblical
Counseling for Leaders
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