The Power of Returning to Restoration

The dictionary tells us that “restore” means to bring back to a former or original condition. Over the last few days, thousands of people have been without electricity power in their homes and businesses. Because of this loss of power, many have had to walk through their homes in darkness, close business hours and even resort to other resources to maintain the normalcy of daily living. Once power has been restored, people can carry on with doing things with ease. In God’s restoration work today, He is not simply restoring the church to the glory it displayed in New Testament times, but is seeking to restore it to a state more powerful, majestic and glorious than anything the world has yet to see. If God’s people do not have the power of the Holy Spirit working within them, they will walk around in spiritual darkness, they will lose interest in spiritual matters and God’s business will become complacent to them. Let us be warned, there are gust winds of power in the forecast of the kingdom, and it is going to bring the latter rain upon us. It is beginning to intensify, people are being warned to evacuate the way they live worldly. This rain is bringing hope and redemption to all humanity. Instead of homes being ruined, this rain is putting homes back together. It is building businesses, instead of lives being lost, this Holy Ghost rain is putting lives back together helping people to find restoration and life. Hebrews 12:28 informs us that “we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken…” When God brings restoration(spiritual power)-He always increases, multiplies and improves. The way of restoration is not confrontation, nor condemnation, but demonstration of Christlikeness through forgiveness and restoration.

God is Here

In the pace of our lives, it is easy to forget that God is ever present. Often times, we do not consider His thoughts and simply ignore the spiritual reasoning behind our objectives. However, we must not exclude and never forget that God is ‘omnipresent.’ Which means, He is always present, everywhere and every time. The lyrics of the song we sang in unison at Cornerstone on Sunday goes like this, “come and lay down the burdens you are carrying, for in this sanctuary God is here.” What that means for you my brother/sister, is no matter what you are facing or carrying with you, God is forever omnipresent to bring healing and lift the burdens of your life. I remember an old song we used to sing in the church, “King Jesus will roll all my burdens away when to Him I pray.” When we worshipped together on Sunday, people with burdens and needs began to call upon God, realizing “He is here.” You may have to call on God sometime this week to relieve a burden or take the weight of anxiety off, but when you do, just remember God is ready and willing to be present in your life. He desires for you and I to “cast all our cares upon Him, for He cares for us.” Yes, He means ALL of them!

Prayer

Have you ever thought of this question, “Why Pray?” It makes you stop and evaluate just how important it is for every child of God to spend time talking with the Father. Have you had time to think the question over? If you could respond immediately, you are probably a person of prayer. If not, you might want to consider the reasons you do not ‘make the time’ to pray. Notice I said, ‘make the time’ instead of ‘take the time.’ When we ‘make the time’, we are proving to ourselves how vital prayer is in our daily walk with the Savior. Think of the things you do normally during the course of the day. Because so much of what we do is routine, we, most of the time do not give things a second thought. In many cases, it has become a normal way of life. Is that how prayer is for you? Do you set aside a certain time of the day or night to pray? Is it a normal routine for you as a Christian? Remember this about prayer. God already knows what we are going to say, even before we can think of it. So, prayer must be very important to say those things to God that are dear to our heart. It is not so much that He needs to hear us, as it is we need to express it. In any relationship, whether it is a spouse, child, coworker, immediate family, or a neighbor, communication is a must if that relationship is going to grow and become of value. Our relationship and time with God is most important because it has eternal value. I would ask that you keep my family in your prayers, along with Cornerstone church leadership, workers, volunteers and lost people who need Christ in our communities. May you have a blessed week in the Lord.