The God of Restoration

Joel 2: 12 - 14, "Now, therefore," says the LORD, "Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him -- A grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God? NKJV

From time to time, the Holy Spirit will give me a Word that is prophetic for the body of Christ. Prophetic simply means that He gives us insight into His plans so that we might know that we are not alone or abandoned in this world. Doesn't the Bible tell us that His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path? So it's no strange thing that He should occasionally give us prophetic utterances to lead our steps.

Does it seem that you're in a hard season in your life? Does it seem as though God has hidden Himself from you? Do you find it hard to hear from the Lord concerning your decisions and situations? If your answer is yes to one or more of the questions, then I can tell you, you're not alone. The natural question to ask at this point is, "Why"?

Hebrews 11 tells us that God rewards those who diligently seek Him. We are definitely living in a season where many people in the church have turned a deaf ear to the Lord. As a result, it has impacted the entire body of Christ in a negative way. Lest you think that what other Christians do doesn't impact the rest of the body, let's look at some scriptures. Paul was correcting the church of Corinth, because they allowed a man who was committing fornication with his father's wife (step-mother) to go unchallenged. He warned them that sin which is tolerated is called leaven, and leaven will spread through the entire loaf of bread. Leaven is a metaphor for spiritual pride in the church.

Another example of the entire body being affected by a man's sin is the account of Achan. Joshua sent a small delegation of Israel's army to fight in Ai. They had just defeated the fortified city of Jericho and all of its mighty men of valor, so the adrenaline of the men was running high. Achan had taken a portion of the spoils from Jericho (the accursed thing) and had hidden it in his tent. This went against the commandment of God. As a result of Achan's sin, the men of Israel were defeated by the men of Ai. This greatly discouraged Joshua and the men in Israel's army. One man's sin that remained covered, just as the man in the church at Corinth sin, caused the army of God to lose a battle.

 Now that we have scripture to confirm this word, what do we do as obedient Christians about the sin (in the camp)? Please read today's passages again. We must turn to the Lord and seek Him as never before. Why does the Lord require us, who are obedient and living sacrificially, to offer more prayer and time for the sake of others who are in sin? Do you remember Lot, Abraham's nephew? He was in Sodom and Gomorrah at the same time that God was about to destroy them. Abraham asked God if He would destroy the righteous with the wicked. God told Abraham that He wouldn't destroy them for the sake of ten righteous people (if there were ten righteous, then He wouldn't destroy it). What was Abraham doing? He was interceding for Sodom and Gomorrah. Because he prayed, God showed Abraham what would be required to preserve the lives in those plains.

Let me challenge you today on the authority of God's Word to begin praying and seeking the Lord on behalf of the body of Christ around the world. Who knows, but perhaps God will relent from the things that have been set in motion and reveal to us a new plan of restoration. After all, He is the God of restoration. We are the ministers of reconciliation and restoration. We sure do have a lot of work ahead of us, but won't it be wonderful when God gets His way in the earth through His obedient church?

Praying for the Lost,
Pastor Asa