Will You Open Your Eyes to See the Need for Restoration?

I will keep on saying as long as God allows and the need is relevant that the overall Church is in need of restoration. The Lord put three words together in my mind and heart many years ago. Those three words are "Restoration, Revival and Awakening." I am not a restoration minister, but I am a spokesman for God saying that His Church needs to repent, and return to Him and His Word. I minister restoration because that is a great need. The Church or a significant remnant portion of the Church must be restored before she can fully accomplish what the Lord wants His Church to do.

On His return Jesus Christ will do what only He can do, but until His return we are to work toward being and doing all that He assigned His Church to do. Revival without restoration will do some good but also some harm, and it will not last. There must be a remnant Church that is restored to Jesus Christ and the Word. The Word gives us the pattern for the Church that Jesus Christ is building. The Word rightly divided gives us the pattern for all things needed.

Most parts of the present day Church are patterned after a mixture of the Word and man's words. This past week I asked some people to tell me what restoration of the Church means to them. Unless people have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, they will be tempted to give an answer that mixes truth with man's opinions and words. Many would have some right answers but would put it in a Baptist context, a Methodist context, a Non-Denominational context, a Pentecostal context, a Charismatic context, and so on. Some Baptists would say it has to be Independent Baptist; it definitely cannot be Southern Baptist.

I point out these things not to criticize or humiliate, but as a God-given, heartfelt plea for eyes, ears, and hearts to open. A Christian Black woman who was led of the Spirit to start attending our Wednesday night and Saturday morning gatherings was just telling me about an upcoming meeting for her Church and denomination. She wondered if we should go and maybe a door would be open to say something about restoration. I will seek God, but the chances are pretty good that no one will listen presently. Are you listening? A reaction might be, "Who are you to ask." I am a nobody prophet of God, out in the wilderness, looking for anyone with ears to hear and eyes to see. My main way of getting the message out is through prayer and writing. I speak to the few who want to hear personally, and they are beginning to understand that they must pray and fast. I am writing much of what God speaks to me in the wilderness so that someday someone may find it and be used of God to reach many people.

Just a few moments ago, I took a break from writing this because my son called to tell me that his school's former athletic director had died. I knew the man, and he was not that old; he had to retire early because of his sickness. He was a baseball coach and had to retire just before winning something like 300 or 400 games. There are milestones that people aspire to, but what is really important is whether we know the Lord and are fulfilling His will and purposes for us? The need for restoration affects all of us whether we are in the United States, Vietnam, Germany, or any place on this earth.

There will be godly restoration, or there will be devilish storms beyond imagination. The storms will not all be concerning weather. Almost immediately after I preached this for the first time, Hurricane Katrina took place, but that is not the only way that devilish storms occur. A few years earlier, I preached that mothers would be crying, and almost immediately, the Columbine school shootings took place, but that was not the end of things. I drove to Arkansas and back on the Friday and Saturday after September 11, 2001. I listened to the radio about people praying, etc. I saw flags flying on the streets of small towns, but I also saw Christians acting in the flesh. On Sunday morning, I preached that people in Church, government, and everywhere were doing certain things, but no real change for the most part would take place in the lives of people. I am sure that some were forever changed but, as a whole, most were not.

What will cause you to wake up and get serious about the need for restoration?

Restore the Church in the United States to Jesus Christ and His Word and save the United States! Restore the Church in the nations to Jesus Christ and His Word and save the nations. For those critical spirits, I understand that Jesus is the only Savior, but He has decided to work in and through His Church that He is building. His Church has no place for us to add our plans or take away His plans. His Church needs to be restored and get about His business united in faith and love!