Godly Restoration with Intercession

(Updated from 9/25/08)

The Need is Restoration, but Some Fall Away
The Church is in great need of restoration, but not all of the Church is going to be restored. Part of the Church will fall away! Actually, part of the Church has already fallen away, and others are heading in that direction. There will be a portion of the Church, a faithful remnant, who forsakes all to follow Jesus. There are others who will continue to flounder in their present state. Hopefully, the faithful remnant will be a witness to those who are floundering and will cause some of them to wake up before it is too late.

Need Humble Intercessors, Not Prideful Attention Seekers
Prayers, supplications, and intercessions by humble disciples are needed to help make restoration a reality in the Church. God is looking for humble and obedient disciples who will deny self and cry out to God for the restoration of His people, the Church. I have been involved in prayer and intercession for much of my life. I have ministered and taught on prayer for years. Many of those who are well known in these areas deceive and lead people astray rather than really helping or instructing them. Subtle pride is a spirit that works in many of those who proclaim to be "intercessors." For example, some pridefully think they hear things before God’s true prophets hear them; they think the prophet is hearing because they are praying. The bottom line truth is that they are attention seekers more than God seekers! There is a great need for intercession, but there is a great need for humble and mature disciples who make intercessions. The Church must give herself to prayer, supplications, intercessions, and thanksgivings, but without humility, repentance, and obedience, very little, if anything, will be accomplished.

Overcome Fear and Discouragement
Those who decide to follow Jesus and help restore His Church will become targets for the devil. Fear and discouragement have been two of the devil's strategies for ages. He will try to use both of them against any disciple who answers the call to help bring restoration to the Church. Remember to stay close to Jesus and keep your sword sharp! The Word of God is a mighty weapon to fight against the devil and his tactics. The Word is a sharp two-edged sword and must be in our mouths; it must be released in prayer and in witness. Be encouraged! Be an overcomer! Overcome the devil and his weapons of fear and discouragement with the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony. Testify to the devil what the Word of God says that the blood of Jesus does for you. Fear not for Jesus Christ is with you.

Be Prayerful and Obedient
Without true obedience, little will result from your prayers. There are many prayers that are not answered because the one praying is not living in obedience to Jesus Christ and His Word of truth. In a time of cheap grace and love, many professing Christians will be shocked by such words, but the spiritual will hear. It is time to walk in the Spirit, cry out to God, and see great and mighty things take place. It is time to see true binding and loosing. There has been so much “binding and loosing” in the last several years that if there were any real, long-lasting results, there would not be anything left to bind. It is time to wake up and repent, find and listen to true prophets of God, and forsake all to follow Jesus Christ. It is time to have purified intercession. Purified intercession flows from the heart of humble, faithful, and holy disciples.

A Warning to Prepare
Always look for the glorious return of our Lord with personal and corporate preparation. Be prepared for the marriage of the Lamb in the future, and be prepared for opposition on this earth. Opposition may come before the Lord returns. To American and Western Christians, I say, "Don’t count too heavily on being taken out of situations that you have helped create." We have brothers and sisters all over this world who are better disciples than most American and Western Christians, and they are being imprisoned, beaten, tortured, and killed right now. It is time to wake up! There must be prayers, fastings, intercessions, supplications, but there must be repentance followed by true obedience that results in a Church who is holy as God is holy in all her conduct. There must be a Church that fulfills Ephesians 4:13-26; Ephesians 5:26-27, and John 17:17-22. There must be a Church that makes herself ready (Revelation 19:7). For this to take place, many are going to have to come out of where they are in relationship to the world and the modern Church. Be in the world as a witness, but be not of the world. Be in a local Church that has Christ formed within and is following Jesus Christ and living in obedience to all of His Word of truth rightly divided.

Those with ears to hear and eyes to see must examine themselves. They must repent where needed and dedicate themselves totally to God and His purposes. They must begin to turn the world around them upside down for Jesus Christ. If they don't, there will be a shaking that turns things upside down, but it will not be pleasant for them and those around them. There is a difference in being persecuted for righteousness sake and suffering from your own disobedience. Be prepared, be obedient. Get in the gap and cry out. Help restore the Church. Go out into the harvest fields and make disciples who will be living stones in a restored Church.

Be Encouraged, and Be Victorious
Be encouraged in the Lord! Be victorious in Christ! But be one who has denied self and forsaken all to take up your cross to follow Jesus the Messiah. Let’s have godly restoration that brings godly shaking! Amen.