2021 A YEAR OF RESTORATION
As we enter this New year, I notice on social media, that some Leaders/Pastors are calling this year 2021 THE YEAR OF RESTORATION. Whether they are speaking in the context of the Church in the whole world or more particularly in their own ministry context I am not sure.
There is a very real sense that the truth of RESTORATION is something that has been happening since eternity past, God saw His creation SINNING (yet to be created) so He instituted His plan of what we call HIS SO GREAT SALVATION, which was fulfilled in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ which saw His creation being able to be RESTORED into a right relationship with Him.
GOD’S MINISTRY OF RESTORATION is a major theme in the Bible both for the individual and for His Church, David prayed in Psalm 51:12 NKJV RESTORE to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. I am sure many of us who may have backslidden in our heart at times, when we have come to the Lord in repentance, know the personal blessing of RESTORATION.
We know when it comes to truth God used men like Calvin & Luther to bring RESTORATION OF TRUTH to the Church after almost every major truth had been lost over hundreds of years. Sadly the “church” of the day rejected this restoration. Sadly because of man’s sinful nature within a hundred years people who were not born again were being received into membership of local churches. So since the Reformation God has had to continue to restore those truths to His Church, as well as continuing to Further restore truth to His Church.
Not many years after Luther nailed his theses to the Cathedral door, God restored Water Baptism (by immersion) sadly, many in the Church rejected this. Then came the truth of Holiness and a second blessing, again some embraced, and others rejected, then the truth that God still heals today, then the truth of the Priesthood of all Believers. then the Pentecostals with the second blessing teaching plus Believers being able to pray in unknown tongues. Again, many embraced the truths but others rejected it, some even saying the teaching/s were “of the devil”.
The Holy Spirit continues to seek to RESTORE truth to His Church, for we seem to forget so soon, or we embrace the truth with our mind, but it never becomes a personal revelation.
I am sure the evil one does not want God’s people to live in present truth (2 Peter 1:12), but OUR biggest enemy is us an my flesh, and I must keep pressing into the Lord and re-affirming His Word in my life.
In the last few days I wrote a blog entitled THE CHURCH’S GREATEST NEED AS WE ENTER 2021, and I highlighted the need for the Church to return to spending quality time corporately and individually in PRAYER. IT IS ONLY PRAYER THAT TRULY CHANGES THINGS.
There are other needs and challenges I will briefly highlight here, I would suggest we need too:
Return to WORSHIP, many churches now major on music and singing excellence from the platform, and the congregation simply observe as if in a concert!!!
Return to PREACHING THE WORD AND FEEDING THE FLOCK OF GOD.
You may also think of things that you feel need to be “restored” to the Church, please let me know your thoughts.
Many of my readers will say I am a grumpy old man, I do not believe I am. The Bible tells us that if we BUILD ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN OF THE WORD OF GOD, WE WILL SEE THE GLORY OF GOD, that is what I long for.
I look forward to the day Peter prophesied in Acts 3:20-21 NKJV that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive (retain) until the times of RESTORATION of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.
I would appreciate your comments and response please?
