WHAT GOD WANTS RESTORED
By W. G. Guy
When Jesus to His disciple how to pray, by giving them a model of things to pray for, He was also identifying what God’s restored and wants us to walk in.
Matthew 6:9-13 – After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
What are things like in heaven? This is how things are to be on earth and with mankind. This requires a great restoration coming. Notice that the very first thing that Jesus listed that we should be praying for is the restoration of the Kingdom of God. This means we are to be praying for God’s dominion, what is under His domain, to be re-established on this earth. This means God’s will is for things on this planet to be as they were when God remade the earth after the chaos period when it became without form and void by the rebellion of Lucifer, now identified as Satan. Heaven on earth is what God intended.
Why this restoration process? ...because after God remade things in six days He declared that everything He did was good; even very good: before the devil, as the cliché goes, “threw a wrench into the works” by introducing sin to mankind.
Genesis 1:25b & 31 – …and God saw that it was good. 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
God’s plan for restoration includes three major issues that must be dealt with to form His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Please understand that the word “restoration” basically refers to REDEMPTION. Redemption means putting things back to their original state. Jesus came not only to restore man back into relationship with God, as originally existed between God and Adam, but to restore all things as God purposed.
The first thing that needs to be restored is the church; back to the way it was in its beginning following Pentecost. The character and nature of Christ was so evident in the early church that the believers and followers of Jesus Christ were called “Christians”, or Christ’s ones.
Acts 11:26b – ….And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
The majority of what is called church today does not represent Christ as did the early church. The character and nature of Christ, known as the Fruit of the Spirit must be fully formed in the church restoring it as it was in the beginning.
The next thing that needs to be restored is Jerusalem to its former glory because it is to be the Capital of the Kingdom of God on this earth when Jesus returns to rule and reign during the seventh millennium. This will be the Lord’s work that is in process; but this process is, and has been, viciously fought over since multiple religious factions want Jerusalem to their headquarters also. Besides, Satan is doing everything he can to oppose the kingdom of God from being established on earth.
The third thing that must be restored, or redeemed, is mankind. The kingdom of God was made for man to inherit and rule in with Christ. Thus the word of Christ on the cross centers on this purpose. Jesus came preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God; those things that are of His kingdom. An example of the kingdom of God is in Jesus’ message called the “Sermon on the Mount”. (This is revealed in Matthew chapters 5 through 7.) Jesus wants us to be conformed to what is in His kingdom, so we need to become like Him, having His character and nature which we receive as we accept Him as savior and LORD.
Matthew 25:34 – Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
The kingdom of God is only for the righteous, those who have been redeemed from sin through Jesus Christ; because Jesus is the only way to access to the Father and His kingdom. The restoration or redemption of man began on the cross where Jesus cleansing blood was shed for the remission of our sins and works of the flesh.
John 14:6 – Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Those who have not accepted God’s grace gift of His Son who came to bring redemption (restoration) do not qualify for this divine inheritance.
1 Corinthians 5:9-10 – Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
This condition of sin, the works of the flesh, is so dire that it is warned about again. Such behavior disqualifies those who do such things from access to the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21 – Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Remember that Jesus told us to pray for the Father’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Ephesians 1:7-11 – (Christ) in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Ephesians 5:5-6 – For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
The warning to the unrepentant and sinners continues right up unto the end.
Revelation 21:7-8 – He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Jesus is the Alpha and Omega; the beginning and the end. Redemption and restoration begins and ends with Him.
Revelation 1:8 – I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Revelation 22:13 – I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Redemption and restoration began with His crucifixion on the cross, and will be finished when He returns to establish His kingdom reign on earth. Jesus told us to watch for the signs of the last days that show that the redemption will be completed.
Luke 21:25-28 – And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Only in Jesus Christ with our repentance and turning from sin is our redemption and restoration of all things.
Acts 3:19-21 – Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
One of the biggest hindrances to these three areas of needed restoration is centered in the church. Most Christians are focused the rapture, the great escape they are looking forward to so they can exist from this vile world. The focus on the rapture takes away the focus on remaining here to spread the gospel of the kingdom that Jesus commanded His followers to do.
Matthew 28:19-20 – Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Remember the model of prayer that Jesus told us to use. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
