Chapter 22
_______________________________________
GODS RESTORATION PROGRAM

God wants to restore wholeness, happiness, peace and joy to mankind.

There are five areas in Gods Restoration Program:

1. The restoration of the World.
2. The restoration of Israel.
3. The restoration of the Church.
4. The restoration of the Family.
5. The restoration of the Christian.

1. The restoration of the World.

God created the Heavens and the Earth perfectly. When He finished creation after six days, God saw that everything He created was good - very good!

Genesis 1:31

"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good."

After creating Adam and Eve God placed them in the beautiful Garden of Eden. They were placed in total authority over it and told to have children and multiply. Almost six thousand years have past since then.

In many ways man has failed to properly take care of what God has given him. There has been a slow and constant deterioration of the earth. Its resources have been wasted and depleted. Much of the damage is due to scientific experiments, war and irresponsible human behavior. Nuclear and Industrial Contamination have caused much destruction. This world has been shaken about like a rag doll and has become like an old faded garment. The earth is
destined for a final shaking.

Isaiah 13:13

"Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger."

Isaiah describes the earth's final disposition.

Isaiah 24:19

"The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly."

The damage is beyond repair and requires a rescue mission.

Our hope is in Jesus Christ who will return and totally restore and renew the Heavens and the Earth.

2 Peter 3:12-13

"Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."

2. The restoration of Israel.

It is a historical fact that Israel was taken into captivity by Syria and Babylon. In
536 B.C. she returned again to the Holy Land. After 600 years in 70 A.D. Israel again was dispersed amongst the nations. God has promised that in the end-time He will be merciful to Israel and she will again be restored as a nation.

Zechariah 1:16, 2:4

"Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem."

"Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:"

Ezekiel 36: 24-26

"For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you:

Joel 2:26-28

"And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel and that I am the LORD your

God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:"

Israel will experience total restoration:

Jerusalem will be restored.

The Temple will be restored.

The Cities of Israel will be restored.

The Population will be restored.

The Agriculture and Industries will be restored.

Israel will be cleansed from uncleanness and idolatry.

Israel will receive a New Spirit.

The Holy Spirit will be poured out on Israel.

Israel will have supernatural experiences.

God will be in the midst of Israel.

Israel shall never be ashamed again.

Israel's hope of complete restoration is God.

3. The restoration of the Church.

The New Testament book of Acts Church was a powerful and glorious Church.The Christians received a mighty empowering of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They did many signs and wonders and the Church experienced unprecedented growth. The Gospel reached most of the then civilized world by 70AD.

At the height of this experience the Apostle Paul gave the Church a serious warning.

Acts 20:29-30

"For I know this that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them."

Paul knew that satan would try to destroy the Church step by step, which he did:

1. He attacked the Church and the Glory of God diminished.

2. He robbed the Church of the Ministries, Gifts and Power of the Holy Spirit.

3. He had the practice of Baptism by immersion removed from the Church at the Council of Nicea.

4. Repentance of sin unto salvation was lost to the Church.

5. Christians lost their Faith trusting the arm of the flesh.

6. The Bible was lost to the Christians and only made available to the Priests to read.

During this time there was gross spiritual darkness all over the world.

It seemed that the Church was doomed for total destruction.

Fortunately Jesus had given the Church a promise of restoration.

Matthew 16:18

"And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

All the counsels, strategies and attacks of hell against the Church would inevitably fail.

God launched the restoration program of the Church:

1. He raised up John Wycliffe and others to translate and print the Bible into the language of the people.

2. He then called Martin Luther to proclaim the message of Faith. He preached that the just shall live by faith and men and woman began to have faith in God.

3. God then raised up John Wesley to preach Repentance of sin unto salvation.

4. God opened the eyes of Christians to understand and experience Water Baptism.

5. At the beginning of the nineteenth century God poured out the Holy Spirit upon the Church and they experienced the mighty Gifts and Ministries of the Holy Spirit.

6. Soon the end-time restoration of the Church will begin with a new and special manifestation of the Glory of God.

Isaiah 4:5

"And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence."

Mount Zion is the end-time Church,

Heb 12:22-23

"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven."

The end-time Church will experience much more of the glory of God than the Book of Acts Church did.

Haggai 2:9

"The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts:"

God will complete the restoration of the Church and present her as a glorious Bride to Jesus Christ, the Heavenly Bridegroom.

Ephesians 5:27

"That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

4.  The restoration of the family.

The family was Gods idea. He created Adam and Eve and commanded them to have children. They were Gods masterpiece. He wanted a man and woman to love each other and have a happy marriage relationship. Out of this loving relationship beautiful children would be born. Within the context of the family many kinds of wonderful relationships would form.

Relationships of:

Parents,

Children,

Brothers and Sisters,

Grandparents,

Uncles, Aunts, Cousins and Family.

Throughout the years these have proved to be family relationships of great blessing.

There are four things satan does to destroy relationships:

1. He viciously attacks families.

He causes marriage separations and divorce.

He causes child abuse.

He causes children to rebel against their parents.

He causes disunity, anger and violence between family members.

To achieve his goal he uses everything at his disposal including printed, audio and visual material.

2. He promotes alternative lifestyles such as:

- Couples living together outside of marriage.

- Same sex marriages.

3. He attacks Parenthood.

Parents are under satanic attack and because of this neglect their parental responsibilities. Many fail to lead by example or provide discipline. Society and the Government are assuming these tasks.

One parent or same sex parent situations create unusual family circumstances. The concept of the global village is substituting for the role of parents. Their responsibilities are passed to other people in the community.

4. He affects discipline within the family.

The Biblical approach to discipline has been criticized as old fashioned and ineffective.

A more modern approach is to totally eliminate the Biblical principles of discipline and punishment. The Bible warns against this.

Proverbs 13:24

"He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes."

Proverbs 19:18

"Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying."

Proverbs 23:13

"Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die."

Because parents today do not set the right example for their children to follow, we have undisciplined and rebellious children within our Society.

God has provided a restoration program for the family.

God promises that those who follow Biblical principles will be blessed:

1. These Married Couples experience a successful marriage.

Ephesians 5:24-25

"Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it:"

2. These Parents enjoy successful Parenting.

- Because they assume the responsibility of teaching and training their children in the right way.

Deuteronomy 6:7

"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."

Proverbs 22:6

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

- Because they identify the needs of their children, nurture and provide for them.

2 Corinthians 12:14

"For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children."

Ephesians 6:4

"And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

- Because they prayerfully, carefully and lovingly discipline their children.

1 Timothy3:4

"One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;"

Titus 2:4

"That they may teach the young women to love their children."

3. Children will be restored to their parents.

These are children who are turned towards God and serve Him.

Ecclesiastes 12:1

"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth."

Malachi 4:6

"And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers."

Ephesians 6:1

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right."

5.  The restoration of Christians.

God wants His children to be restored and enjoy total prosperity.

3 John 2

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

A Christian may experience restoration in:

1. Body.

2. Soul.

3. Spirit.

1. Restoration of the Body.

Our body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost and needs to be in perfect health.

1 Corinthians 6:19

"What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"

If there is a sickness in our body, God wants us to be healed and restored.

Psalm 103:2-3

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, who healeth all thy diseases;"

God has provided a way for our bodies to be healed and restored.

James 5:14-15

"Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up:"

2. Restoration of the Soul.

Psalm 23:3

"He restoreth my soul:"

The Soul of man is made up of:

The Mind.

The Emotions.

The Will.

From the moment a person is born into this world, satan attacks these three parts.

He tries to destroy mans mind by:

- Contaminating it with evil and filthy thoughts.

- Undermining it with confusing and foolish thoughts.

- Limiting it with negative and unproductive thoughts.

God restores the mind.

It is renewed and experiences three things:

1. It sees and perceives things clearly.

2. It reasons and understands things wisely.

3. It thinks pure and creative thoughts.

Philippians 4:8

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

God renews and gives us a sound mind.

Romans 12:2

"But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Ephesians 4:23

"And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

God restores the emotions.

The emotions of man need restoring because of the experiences of:

1. Fear.

2. Hurt.

3. Disappointment.

4. Grief and Sorrow.

5. Inferiority.

God does four things to restore the emotions:

1. God fills us with His love and casts out all fear.

2. He heals our hurts, grief and dries away our tears.

3. He fills us with joy and happiness.

4. He gives us a secure place and a destiny in His Kingdom.

Psalm 103:2-5

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's."

God restores the Will.

Under satanic attack a will becomes passive and weak.

God restores us by giving our will a spirit of Power.

2 Timothy 1:7

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power."

His enables us to say yes to things that are right and to " say no" to things that are wrong.

3. Restoration of the Spirit.

In this process, God takes away our old spirit and gives us a New Spirit.

Ezekiel 36:26

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you:"

As Christians, our spirit is born again.

John 3:5

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

The ultimate goal of a successful Christian is to be totally sanctified and restored in Spirit, Soul and Body.

It is the hope of becoming Gods perfect man.

I Thessalonians 5:23

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Ephesians 4:13

"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:"

Let us therefore fully understand and enjoy Gods restoration.