Paul's Prayer for the Church

Prayer for the church
Eph 1:15-23
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your 6understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality 7and 8power and 9might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Paul had a passion for the church. He wanted the church to become everything that it was supposed to be. When he wrote the church in Ephesus we read of his passion for them and the prayers that he prayed for them. Paul had been blessed with great revelation of Christ and the church. He had so much wisdom and insight from the revelations given to him that God had to give him a thorn in the flesh in order to keep him from getting to puffed up with knowledge. Paul was an academic type person, he had studied to be a rabbi which was no small task. It required years of hard work, memorizing and analyzing the scriptures. Yet Paul saw the limitations of human knowledge when the Holy Spirit revealed the truth to him. Truth from God comes by revelation from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been sent to each believer to be the one who leads us into the knowledge of the truth. Unless God by the Holy Spirit sheds his light we will continue to walk in darkness. This is the condition of the people in the world today. They are walking in great darkness. The minds have been darkened and they do not have knowledge of the truth. Once we come to faith in Christ through the working of the Holy Spirit we enter into a new realm of relationship with God in which he imparts his wisdom and revelation and insight to us through the Holy Spirit. We get insider information, information give to us directly from God through the Holy Spirit. God desires to communicate his plans and thoughts to us. Paul prayed that this would become a reality in the church, the daily download so to speak of God’s wisdom and revelation to us who believe. This is something available to all believers. You do not have to pass and IQ test to qualify for this revelation to be given to you by God. It is something God does by his Holy Spirit who works in every believer. The simple minded as well a genius can both receive revelation, wisdom and understanding from God. We need to pray for one another that God give us the knowledge, wisdom, enlightenment and revelation so we can do what he needs us to do.
Paul prayed that the church would know the hope of God’s calling. What is God’s calling for the church and for the individual members of his body of believers? The hope is that one day we will be like Christ, that we will be as he is and that we will join him in reigning over the universe. God has a great future for us and this time on earth is simply a foretaste of what God has planned for us for eternity. We are destined for greatness and will be given positions of rule in the future reign of Christ. The battles we face on earth, the progress we make on overcoming the enemy and establishing the rule of Christ are things that are serving to prepare us for the future calling that God has for us. We get to be the bride of Christ. We will be forever married to Jesus, nothing will ever separate us from the intimate relationship that he will have with us. When a couple is engaged to be married they look forward to their wedding day when their lives will be joined together as one. God designed it that way and there is great joy and love that will come from this united relationship. We are able to experience this joy and love on earth but it is nothing compared to what we have to look forward to when we are united with Christ at our wedding with him. I know Katie is doing the countdown to her wedding day. She is looking forward to all the plans coming together for her wedding but more than that the joining of her life with Abner. We should have this same joy and expectation in our lives when we think about being married to Christ for all eternity.
Paul got excited about the inheritance that was waiting for him to enjoy but I think that we can also note that God is excited about you and I being his inheritance. God is a family man. He wants a big family. He told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. He wants children and a lot of them. I remember a pastor who served at a church I attended who every Sunday almost mentioned to his son and daughter-in-law who were also on the staff of the church that he was really looking forward to having grandchildren. It is natural for parents to want children and children are a blessing from the Lord and they are his inheritance. We are God’s special people who are of incalculable value to him. We are his treasure. Jesus told the story of the man who found the pearl in a field and sold all he had to buy the field so he could have the pearl. In the eyes of God we are that pearl of great price and value. We are worth everything that God had to do and the price he paid to purchase us and claim us as his own. We are the ones he sacrificed his Son for so we could be in right relationship with him and become part of his family. God is excited about sharing the future with each one of us. He is looking forward to your arrival in heaven and has an inheritance for each one of us. No one will be left out, no one will be slighted and receive less than they deserve. I read a story this week from a book written by Steve Harrison called, “Consuming Love.” Steve was given a revelation of heaven and I want to read what he wrote as an encouragement to all of us. (Page 66-68) One day each of us will be in the presence of Jesus and we will enjoy his friendship and rule together with him.
Paul was also in awe of God’s power and this was part of his prayer for the church as well. He wanted the church to understand the exceeding greatness of God’s power to us who believe. The greatest demonstration of God’ power was the resurrection of Christ from the dead. This feat took more power that the creation of the world or any other miracle God did. When God raised Christ from the dead he was making a declaration to all the powers and rulers in the heavens that his power was much greater than any power they may have. This was his moment over every force that tried to hinder his plan of salvation. The demonic powers know that their days are numbered and that their power will soon be completely destroyed. Jesus has been exalted to the position of power at the right hand of God and all things are subject to him. We are living in the period of time where this has not come to completion but we know that it will because every power and principality will bow to his rule and acknowledge that he is Lord. This power of the resurrection of Christ is the power that is available to you and I because we are part of Christ’s body. The church is now working with Christ to destroy all the works of the enemy. God is releasing his supernatural power through the church. He is displaying his wisdom to the world through the church. Paul understood the purpose of the church and the power available to it because Christ is the head of the church. As its head he directs it and he releases his power through the church to accomplish his purposes. We are entering into what I believe are going to be some of the most exciting times for the church. God is doing awesome things in the earth today through his church as he manifests his power. As the work of the enemy gets stronger on the earth I believe God is going to demonstrate his power in greater measure. I want to see the resurrection power of God demonstrated in my life. I want to experience his power completely destroying the work of the enemy and all the destruction and havoc he has caused in the earth. God has given us weapons to use today to destroy the enemy and we need to use them and realize the power that they have. Let me briefly remind us of some of the weapons that are at our disposal.
1. Prayer of Agreement
2. The Name of Jesus
3. Binding a Loosing the enemy.
4. Fasting
5. Living Holy Lives
6. Preaching the gospel
7. Spiritual gifts
8. Serving the physical needs of people
9. Giving
God’s power is released when we engage in these activities and the works of the enemy are destroyed. As his church we need to be committed to unity and community. The church is God’s solution to defeating the enemy and you and I are an integral part of his plan. Let’s remember why we are here but also be encouraged by what we have waiting for us.

It is all about Jesus

It all about Jesus!
The question that every person will have to answer regarding their life on earth is what did you do with the knowledge of Jesus? Jesus asked his disciples this very important question.
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
“Who do men say that I am?”Every person who has heard the gospel message will have to give an account for their decision whether they have accepted Christ as their Savior or rejected Him and his message. Every false religion and cult has a distorted image of Jesus.
The Muslims see Jesus as a prophet, a messenger who was sent by God but they deny his deity. They deny that he was the Son of God who died on the cross for our sins. They deny that Jesus was the final, conclusive revelation of God.
The Jehovah Witnesses believe that Jesus is a created being and that he is actually Michael the archangel. Jesus was just a man while he was on earth. He did not rise from the dead in bodily form but was a spirit. He also invisibly returned to the earth in 1914.
The Mormons believe that Jesus was our elder brother who pointed the way to salvation but is not The Way. They teach that Jesus suffered for our sins in Gethsemane providing personal salvation conditional upon our obedience to the laws and ordinances of the LDS gospel.
The Unification Church founded by Sun Myung Moon often called the Moonies believe that Jesus came to earth to marry the perfect wife so they could sexually procreate the Kingdom of God on earth and create the perfect family. But somewhere along the line Jesus got sidetracked from his original goal and got himself crucified. He failed in his mission and new Messiah was needed and Sun Myung Moon is that man.
When you examine Jesus question “Who do men say that I am?” you will find a variety of answers that do not line up with the teaching of God’s Word. The Jewish nation was one of the first nations to reject Christ as the Messiah. Saul who became Paul was a persecutor of the early church because he rejected Christ as the Messiah. He was bent on destroying the church because of his zeal for God and what he thought to be the truth. It took divine intervention on the Damascus road to change Paul’s viewpoint on Jesus. Act 9:3-6 recounts the life changing experience Saul had with Jesus.
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” 6So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”

Jesus made it clear to Saul that he was persecuting Him, not just a group of errant believers. Jesus was dwelling in the believers, they represented him and when Saul persecuted them, he was also persecuting Jesus. It is the same today, when the Bride of Christ, His church is being persecuted, Jesus is also feeling our pain and he knows what we are going through because he is going through it with us. Jesus made the comment that it was hard for Saul to kick against the goads. This expression needs some explanation in order for us to understand what Jesus was saying to Saul. The Believer’s Study Bible gives this explanation, “Saul is pictured as an unwilling animal, such as an ox or donkey. The beast kicks vigorously at the driving goad, which may have been an extremely sharp piece of metal in the end of a staff. The picture suggests that this hard-crusted and zealous young man had been struggling for some time with his conscience. In the deepest recesses of his heart, he perhaps remembered the voice of the first martyr, Stephen, as he died: “Lord, do not charge them with this sin” (7:60).” I believe God had been trying to get Saul’s attention earlier but because of his rebellious and stubborn heart he rejected Christ. But in this encounter with Jesus everything changed for Saul. He realized that the one he was persecuting was truly the Messiah he was waiting for. From this point on, Saul’s life was going to be focused on fulfilling the mission God would give him. Paul began to discover who Jesus was and what he had done for him. As he read the Old Testament scriptures he read it with new eyes and new understanding. The Holy Spirit began to teach him and reveal to him all that Christ had done for him and for the entire world. This message was too important to keep to himself. Paul was compelled to share the message with his fellow Jews as well as the Gentiles. When Paul writes about Jesus I can just imagine that his heart was overflowing with love and gratitude for everything Christ was to him and had done for him and was presently doing in him. We need to be constantly reminded of the same message of what Christ has done, is presently doing and will do in the future. We have to have this understanding and assurance before us each day to remind us and compel us to live the life of Christ and proclaim his message of salvation in every opportunity that is given to us. Persecution often accompanies belief in Christ in many nations of the world.
I listened to a story of a Muslim convert named Akmed who grew up in the Middle East. He grew up in an Islamic community, all he knew was Islam, and he had the Koran memorized from front to back. As he grew up he realized there was no freedom in Islam and he felt trapped. He began to listen to a short wave radio program that spoke about Jesus. He became interested in knowing more about Jesus so he sent in his personal information so that someone could contact him. A missionary in his city contacted him. This missionary sat with him on 4 different occasions and explained the scriptures and who Jesus was according to the Bible and the freedom he could experience in Jesus. As Akmed heard and understood the gospel, he decided he wanted to receive forgiveness for his sins and he gave his life to Christ. As he began to experience the freedom in Christ, he started to share the gospel message with his family and coworkers. The more he shared the more upset the people around him became. In his culture it was illegal for a Muslim to become a Christian and this was punishable by death. One day he went to work and he was turned in to the political police by his boss and he went to jail. During his first week in jail he was questioned about what materials he had. The tortured him, the electrocuted him and they beat him. When they were not getting the answers they wanted they forced him into a 2ft. by 2 ft. cell. They made him put his knees to his chest and wrap his arms around his knees, and then they blind folded him and wrapped a rope around him. When the guard left the room and locked the door, Akmed would feel a presence leaning up against him. The presence would take off his blindfold, loosen the rope and for 13 hours he would be free. Akmed knew that the presence in the room was Jesus. When the guard came in after the 13 hours he was amazed that the rope was undone and the blindfold was removed and he asked how he did this. Akmed would reply that it was his God was with him that did this. This happened every day for 5 months. He would feel this presence of Jesus, who would take off the blindfold and loosen the rope. After 5 months he was freed and now he is a more passionate witness for Christ. Akmed experience the same freedom that Paul experienced. Though he was persecuted like Paul he became more passionate for Jesus. He understood what Jesus had done for him and nothing could stop him from believing in him and sharing his faith with others. We can never lose sight of what Christ has done for us; it will keep our love of Christ fresh and will strengthen us in times of adversity.
When Paul was in prison when he wrote the letter to the Ephesians. He immediately focused his attention on Jesus and recounted what Jesus had done for him. Let’s look at what Paul stated that he had received from Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

He stated we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. What are the spiritual blessings we have received? Many people want to focus on the material blessings and let that be a sign of God’s approval on your life. Many preachers paint a picture of how God wants to bless them financially, give them a promotion, make a new job opportunity available to them etc. but this are all temporary things and are different than the spiritual blessings we have in Christ. The spiritual blessings are timeless and will be with us throughout eternity. We need to focus on these things and give praise to God for what he has done for us in Christ. Without Christ none of the spiritual blessings Paul lists would be ours. It is all about Jesus.
In verse 4 we have the blessing of being chosen by God before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before Him. God’s plan for our lives has been well thought out, preplanned. He did not make it up as he went along; he designed it before we came into existence. I did not just happen. My life is part of God’s eternal plan; he has no plans to dispose of me when my earthly life is over. He has set us apart, sees us as blameless. God could only choose us if Christ was in us. Without Christ we would be abandoned to our sin, separated from God. But the Father, God has chosen us to be a part of his family because of what Jesus did for us to make it possible.
We have been predestined to adoption as sons as noted in verse 5. Graham Cooke in his booklet called, “Towards a Powerful Inner Life” explains more clearly the idea of adoption from God’s perspective.
“He longs to adopt us, but not in the way we use the word in modern, western world. It is not about taking someone who is not your child and bringing them in to your family; we are all born again of the spirit and are already children of the Father. God doesn’t want legally-bought children; He wants love-bought children. Adoption, in ancient Hebrew times, was a ceremony that marked a rite of passage for a son, where his male parent went from being “Daddy” to a more mature “Father.” Adoption is about moving from childlike immaturity to a more compelling, fuller relationship with God as the Lord of our life... He wants to make us into His huios. The adoption ceremony always involved the community. A son would grow up in his daddy’s house, taking on more responsibility as he got older, learning to be trustworthy and faithful. Daddy would correct him here and there, and eventually the child would come to a place where he could be trusted. At that moment, the father would call for a ceremony of adoption in the village square and put a big feast. In the midst of the party, dad would stand up and call his son forward. In front of the whole community, he would say, “This is my son, in whom I am well pleased.” At that moment, the son became like father. If he wrote a check, the dad would honour it. If the boy gave his word, it was as if the father had himself. A son’s promise committed the father. The boy could act and speak for the father. He was the father’s fully-mature son, his huios. The community’s demeanor toward the child shifted after the feast. They would treat the son the same as they treated the father from that moment on.
God wants a relationship like a father to us and he has adopted us into his family, his Beloved according to the good pleasure of his will. God takes delight in us as his sons and daughters. We bring him pleasure through our relationship with him made possible by Christ. We are now acceptable to God because of what Christ has done for us. We who once were the object of God’s wrath have now become the object of his love and we bring great joy to him. All of this is possible only because of the grace, God’s unmerited favor that he has showered upon us through Christ.
Paul continues his praise to the Lord Jesus as he remembers that the blood of Jesus paid the price for our redemption. Jesus met the righteous demand of the Father to pay for our penalty and take the guilt for our sin. His blood was sufficient and it is the only thing that would satisfy God. We are now bought by God. I remember growing up and my mom would collect Gold Medal stamps. She would paste them into a book and when she had collected as many as she needed she would go to the redemption center to present the stamps and purchase whatever things that were given the value of the stamps. The price for our forgiveness was paid for by the blood of Jesus. When his blood was shed for us God forgave us our sins. Without his blood there could be no forgiveness of our sin, redemption would not be possible without his blood.
The next thing Paul gave praise for was the special understanding or enlightenment he received regarding the mystery of will of God. The mystery was solved when Jesus came to earth, died and rose again and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. Through Jesus heaven and earth have been brought together. The will of God in heaven has been brought to earth in Jesus, the Kingdom of God has come to the earth and we are part of it! The Kingdom will be fully realized when Jesus comes to reign for 1000 years and we will get to be a part of it.
On top of that Paul understood that because of Christ, we now had an inheritance waiting for us and we have been given the Holy Spirit of promise as our guarantee until we are forever united with Christ. The Holy Spirit dwells in us and produces his fruit in our lives, making us more like Jesus. He gives us gifts to use to carry out the work of God to bring glory and honor to Him. Paul experienced the might power of the Holy Spirit in his life. He lived a supernatural life through the power of the Holy Spirit yet this was only a foretaste of what is yet to come for the believer. For the sinner life on earth is as good as it will ever get but for the believer we have not seen anything yet!
Though Paul penned these words from a prison his heart was set free to praise God as he remembered everything he had been given in Christ. I am sure the devil thought he had gotten Paul into a situation that would break him and cause him to lose faith but it worked just the opposite. Paul rejoiced even more as he thought about everything Christ had done for him and what he had yet to experience.
God is working out his plan in our lives to bring him the maximum glory. We may not understand completely what he is doing but we can look at what he has done for us in Christ and be assured that he is doing everything according to the counsel of his will and for his pleasure. God knows exactly what he is doing in our lives, he has a purpose for everything that is happening and if we can keep an attitude of praise and thanksgiving we like Paul will be able to not just endure things but find enjoyment knowing that God is at work in us. It is truly all about Jesus and he deserves our highest praise. When you are feeling down or forgotten or overlooked, discouraged or defeated, remember what Christ has done for you and what he is doing in you and what he will do in the future and take courage and give him praise!

Living in Reality

Living in Reality
Reality TV has been very popular in American culture. People seem to enjoy watching how other people live and face problems in life and interact with other people they may be forced to live with at least for the time of the program. Reality depends on your point of view toward life. There is a great difference between the reality of a Christian and that of a non Christian. Tonight I want to look at Paul’s introductory remarks to the church in Ephesus and talk about the reality of life from a Christian perspective.
Ephesians 1: 1, 2: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

#1 The Reality of Identity, Purpose and Mission
Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God
Paul was called by God to a position in his body. An Apostle was one who was sent out on a mission. Paul identified himself with Christ, he was possessed by Christ. Paul was one of the original “Jesus Freaks”. His life was consumed by Christ, everything he did in life was for him, his life was no longer his own. He was completely devoted to Christ. Our true identity is found in Christ alone.
Paul was gifted to be an Apostle. Each person is valuable to God, each person has special gifting and abilities given by God to serve his purposes, and complete his will. Life on earth is all about fulfilling God’s will, knowing what mission he has given you and what he wants you to do.
What is your calling and your mission? What has God placed within you to serve his purposes?
George Muller spent the early years of his life reveling in sin. He was a very intelligent man but completely lost in regards to salvation. His life changed radically when he attending a home meeting of Christians in which they read the Bible, sang some hymns, prayed and then read a printed sermon. When they prayed George’s heart was moved as he listened to a man who was much less educated than he was pray on his knees in such a profound way. Muller said this about his life, “At a time when I was as careless about Him as ever, He sent His Spirit into my heart. I had no Bible and had not read one for years. I went to church but seldom; but, from custom, I took the Lord’s Supper twice a year. I had never heard the gospel preached. I had never met with a person who told me that he meant, by the help of God, to live according to the Holy Scriptures. In short, I had not the least idea that there were any persons really different from myself.”
It was at this home study that George met believers who were real in their pursuit of God, who worshipped him and prayed earnestly to him and demonstrated what it meant to be a Christian. It was at this meeting that God met George Muller and filled his life with peace and joy. Muller was never the same man after this meeting.
While pursing studies in divinity his passion for prayer and study of the Word grew stronger. He lived in an Orphan House built by A.H. Franke for a couple of months and it was here that he learned about the great work Franke had done to reach out to orphans and depend upon God to supply for all his needs. God used the life story of A.H.Franke to plant a seed in the heart of George Muller which later became his mission in life and that was to minister to orphans. He discovered his mission according to the will of God and pursued it his whole life and left a legacy of miracles of God’s provision and faithfulness that is an inspiration to believers today.
God has something for each one of us to do to fulfill his purposes. It may take some time for you to discover exactly what that is but know for sure that God has a plan and a purpose for your life. Paul could clearly state, “Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.” There was no doubting or uncertainty of what God had called him to be and do. He was not wishy washy in trying to describe what God had given him to do. This should be the norm for all us a certainty of our calling and a knowing of what God’s will is for us so we will not waste time, waver, shrink back or give up when we face challenging times and situations.
#2 The Reality of a Spiritual world
Paul’s letter was addressed to the saints in Ephesus. These were people who were dear to Paul. He spent a good amount of time ministering to these believers during his missionary journeys. He saw them as God saw them, “saints”. A saint is one who is set apart for service to God. God views us as saints, holy ones, set apart ones who serve Him. This is how we also need to view each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all set apart from this world and its pursuit of sin. We are called to a life of holiness, separation unto the Lord in service to his will. It does not mean we are perfect, sinless people but it does mean that we are endeavoring with the help of God to be different, to not be conformed to the world but transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit to be like Christ. The believers in Ephesus lived in a culture that worshipped the goddess Diana. A huge temple, one of the 7 wonders of the world was built to honor her and the economy was driven by the manufacture of many idols of her. Ephesus was a city dominated by the worship of Diana. Every aspect of life was influenced by the worship of Diana. Paul ministered in this city for 3 years, confronting the darkness of the spiritual world with the power of the gospel demonstrated through signs and unusual miracles. The Ephesian believers were well aware of the 2 different spiritual worlds. They saw the power of God defeating the power of the demonic forces. When Paul addressed them as saints he was referring to how they were set apart to God and not to the demonic forces that were worshipped in Ephesus. We too are set apart from the forces of darkness and we are called to do battle against them. We live in a spiritual world and as Paul would later state in the letter to the Ephesian church, “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities…” This is the real battle ground for the believer. It is not personalities but principalities that are our true enemy. As saints we are called into the battle to destroy all the works of the enemy. Our ability to do this is based in our relationship with Christ. If we are not living lives separated from the world we are powerless over the enemy. The seven sons of Sceva are great examples of people who thought they could use the name of Jesus without surrendering their lives to him and the devil sent them running. Paul was known in hell because he lived a life separated unto the Lord. He ministered in the power of the Lord. While I was in India a few months ago I saw the reality of the spiritual world more clearly than I ever have in my life. I saw demon possessed people who were controlled by the demons who inhabited their bodies. I heard voices that were not the voices of the people speaking through them. Many people were frightened by the manifestations of the demons. The Name of Jesus was more powerful than the demons and these people were set free. We may not see the same manifestations here but the reality is that the devil is in control of many peoples’ lives through a variety of means. Sunday afternoon I witness the tourist police wrestling with a young man. A large crowd had gathered to watch what was happening. I really did not pay much attention but walked by and began talking to a couple that I know. As we were talking the police had the young man handcuffed and they were walking toward us. I recognized the young man and he called out my name and said something about what had happened but I could not understand. What I did understand it that here is a young man who has been offered help by many people but has refused and gone the way of the world selling and doing drugs. He is under the power of the devil’s devices and vices and until he surrenders his life to Christ he will always be in bondage to a power that is greater than him. He is one among many people who live under the power of the evil one and most of them do not realize what is happening. As saints of God we must live lives separated unto the Lord and engage in the battles that are going on daily in the spiritual realm. How conscious are you of what is happening in the spiritual realm? Are you fighting against the principalities or struggling with your own flesh and taking yourself out of the battle?
#3 The Reality of Satisfaction found in God
I like how Paul describes the church, “Faithful in Christ Jesus”. The church was marked by faithfulness or loyalty to Christ and lives that are hidden in Christ. Faithfulness is a description of the servant Jesus told about who received his reward from his master. “Well done good and faithful servant.” The Ephesians were known for their loyalty to Christ. We live in a day when unfaithfulness seems to be the norm for many people. We see children abandoned by parents who are unfaithful to care for them but spend their money and time pursuing things that destroy the family. Last week when I took Ana to the doctor in Guatemala we passed by a man who was laying drunk on the sidewalk in front of a cantina. Manuel remarked that this man is there every day passed out. Later when I returned from the doctor, the man was still laying there. When I dropped them off at their home there were 2 precious little girls at their humble home and I was told that the man laying drunk was their father. The girls said their dad has not been home for 2 months, has not worked in 2 months and sleeps on the sidewalk at night. There are 6 other children in the family plus their mom who are suffering because of the unfaithfulness of a husband and father to take care of his family. As believers in Christ we will be challenged in the area of faithfulness to the Lord. We too can be drawn away by many vices and turn away from following Christ. We all have areas of weakness and temptation that tests our loyalty to the Lord. One night I met a believer in the park who had been drinking and was not in very good condition. My heart went out to him as I know he has struggled in this area and fallen away from the Lord. When he came up to me his first words were, “I am not doing very good.” He said his weakness was women, they drove him to drink! The truth was that he was unable to control his lust and chose to drink to try to help him overcome. Not a good solution at all. I told him he needed to go home, go to bed, seek the Lord’s forgiveness and start over the next day by seeking the Lord and finding his true satisfaction in Christ. Dr. Larry Crabb has a course called, “Soul Care.” He believes that when we are dealing with people who are struggling with problems we have to give them a compelling vision of what they could be or become.
“Effective SoulCare arouses an appetite for God, such that in the middle of life's struggles the person actually is aware of their longing to know God, to glorify God, to please God, to enjoy God—an appetite that is already there because of the Gospel. And an appetite that, at least potentially, is stronger than all other appetites. That is the first goal of SoulCare—to arouse an appetite for God—one that is already there because of the Gospel in a Christian, an appetite that literally is stronger than all other appetites.
The second goal of Effective Soul care is: “to provoke a consuming experience of God that reduces all other appetites from demands to desires, to second things not to first things.”
When our appetite for God is greater than our appetite for other things then we will find our satisfaction in God and faithfulness and loyalty to him will follow. If you are struggling with faithfulness and loyalty with God you need to have a vision of what your life could be like if you had a greater appetite for God than for the things that draw you away. You were created to enjoy God, to be completely satisfied in a relationship with him and it is possible for that to happen in each one of our lives. You can experience God is a much more profound and intimate way, one that will truly bring joy and satisfaction. All the elements of being a Christian such as: worship, witnessing, giving, devotional time, fellowship, prayer etc will not be viewed as a burden or heavy requirement but will be seen as a delight to you and you will desire to do them because of the joy it brings to you.
#4 The Reality of God’s Intervention of Grace and Peace
Paul ends his introduction or salutation by pronouncing “grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. Two of the greatest things we have as believers are grace and peace. Grace is gift of God’s favor upon us. Grace is getting something from God that we do not deserve; he just gives it to us because he loves us. John Newton was a wicked man, a slave trader who one day recognized his need for God and for his forgiveness. He wrote “Amazing Grace” out of a heart of gratitude for what God had done for him that he did not deserve. The reality is we all are in need of God’s grace. None of us deserve anything but God’s judgment and justice. God would be just in sending each one of us to hell. This is hard for people to accept because we live among many people who think they are not that bad, that they have not done anything to deserve death or worse being banished to hell. They do not understand the holiness of God nor his justice. I do not want to serve a God who is unjust, who allows one sin to go unpunished. Often we want the sin of someone who has harmed us to be punished while we do not want our own sins to be punished; we want mercy not justice for ourselves. God is righteous and just in all his ways. He always acts in justice, he always does what is right and we can be thankful that he does not change and that he is no respecter of persons. The issue we all must face is that we think we deserve grace and mercy. Grace and mercy are gifts from God, if we deserved them they would no longer be gifts. R.C. Sproul in his book entitled, The Holiness of God, stated the following: “We often blame God for the injustices done to us and harbor in our souls the bitter feeling that God has not been fair toward us. Even if we recognize that He is gracious we think He has not been gracious enough. We deserve more grace…It is impossible for anyone, anywhere, anytime to deserve grace…Grace by definition is underserved…God never “owes” grace.” God’s grace is amazing. His grace has provided for my salvation. I could never do anything to take away my sin and punishment. God’s justice demands punishment but by his grace he has provided Christ as the one who took my punishment so that his justice could be met. His grace, his undeserved favor, has been given to me through Christ. The reality for the believer is that God has intervened to provide our salvation through His grace extended to us in Christ. We did not deserve it, yet because of his love for us he has made a way for us to be eternally saved from the punishment of our sin. God’s grace is always at work in our lives. His favor lasts for a lifetime. He is always giving us things we do not deserve. God has given us grace for salvation but he also gives us grace to face every difficulty and trial in our life. Grace is God’s ability working in us. His grace is always enough for every situation we face. We need it and he freely gives it to us.
The final thing Paul pronounces is peace from God. Peace is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Peace is the tranquility that we have in our inner being. For the believer we can live in a reality of God’s peace dwelling in us. We can have peace because we know he is in control, we can cast all our cares upon him and rest in him, confident that he will work all things together for his good. In the midst of the storms of life we can have inner peace. Anxiety, fretting, unrest, worry are not meant to be a part of our lives. God’s peace can rule in our hearts and we can live with calmness in our spirits that God has all things under his control. Corrie Ten Boom who was imprisoned for being a Jew during WWII and experience many trying times made this statement, “Don’t wrestle, just nestle.” When we draw near to God and nestle in Him, his peace invades our hearts. Her advice is still good for today as we face trying times. We need God’s peace to rule in our hearts.
Are you living in the reality of the Christian life? Is your life truly one that others could examine and say that you are truly living in the reality of what it means to be a Christian?

Please Pray for Ana!

Last Wednesday I met with Manuel, Ana's husband and Pastor Antonio of La Iglesia del Camino to talk about getting Ana the help she needed. All the money has been raised to purchase the surgical pieces to connect the bones and I thought everything would now fall in place for her. Manuel went to visit the specialist the next day and was told by the doctor that had been referred to by Ana's previous doctor, that he would not do the surgery as he feared that Ana would die during the operation. Manuel called me on Saturday when I was visiting a refugee camp in Panabaj to let me know what had happened. He has reached the end of the rope and to be honest we do not know where to turn for help. I have contacted a couple of organization that do medical work to ask for any references they may have to obtain a qualified surgeon who will help Ana. Manuel and his family need your prayers at this time. They need a break through, a miracle of healing and provision for them.

Update on Ana

All the money for Ana's surgery has been raised and I am hopeful that she will be operated on this week! Thanks for your prayers and gifts of support that have made this possible. Through the combined efforts of people who support me and Iglesia del Camino,all the money for the initial surgery is on hand. There will be a period of recuperation for Ana and it will still be some time before she can return to her nomal activities. Please pray that the surgery will go well and that there will be no infection to delay the healing. The doctors fear that she may have gangrene in her hip which would set back the surgery for a time. Pray that God will give the surgeons wisdom and the skill to make the right decisions and that her bones will fuse and heal properly.

The Road Less Traveled...August 2009

Ana's Story
Six years ago I was with a group of students participating in our summer outreach to Guatemala. Our group did a series of dramas, testimonies, songs in the Central Park in Antigua and at the end of the program a man, Manuel, approached me and asked if I would go to his house and pray for his wife. His wife, Ana, had been diagnosed with cancer of the cervix and was receiving treatment. I told him we would come the next day and pray for her. The next day Manuel escorted us to his humble home and the students and I gathered around her and prayed for her healing. We did not know the results of our prayers until I returned to Guatemala in the fall of 2005. Manuel was standing outside of Higher Grounds Coffee House and when I came outside he confronted me and asked if I remembered him. I said I did and he recounted the story of the group coming to his house to pray for his wife. He then told me that God completely healed his wife of cancer as a result of our prayers!
Recently Manuel and his family returned to Antigua after living for some time in another city. He came to the coffee house looking for me but I was gone on an outreach at the time. When I returned I met with him and he shared Ana's tragic story. Six months ago while they were living in another city, she was hit by a Tuk-Tuk, a 3 wheeled taxi. She was knocked unconscious from the collision and the driver fled the scene. She was taken to the local hospital to be treated for a fractured hip. She had three areas where her hip was broken. The doctors operated and put some metal rods to stabilize the hip and make possible the fusion of her broken bones. Her bones never healed and they were out of alignment yet the doctors did nothing to help her. When I met Manuel a couple of months ago he was seeking help from doctors in Guatemala City and they told him she needed another operation to reconnect her fractured bones with some other material. The rods that were inserted were finally remove as they were causing infection and were not helping connect her bones.
In order to have the operation he has to buy the materials they will use to connect the bones, each of the 3 pieces she needs cost $1000. Manuel does not have the resources to buy these. He works at night but the money he receives is hardly
Ana's Storyenough to feed his family. Ana spends her day in bed as she cannot get up because of the pain she constantly experiences. The home that they live in was made available to rent for a low cost but it is only a metal shack with one room and a dirt floor. I went to visit and pray with Ana today and take some pictures to share with you. It was at least 100 degrees inside the home as the heat pours through the metal roof. Manuel had a small fan hooked up so she could have a little relief from the heat. Manuel has been seeking help for her almost everyday but up to this point only a few people have done anything for Ana. She needs to have this operation as soon as possible. So I present this story to you and ask that you will pray for her and if you would like to help with the medical expenses I know it will be a huge blessing to this family. I have attached pictures of Ana, her family, their home and a picture of the x-ray that she had taken last week. I do not mean to gross you out but it is very clear in the picture where the fractures are located. Ana needs a miracle again but this time it looks like it will come through prayer and medical attention. If you are able to give please send it to the YWAM Chico address below and attach a note to designate that it is for Ana's operation. The hospitals do not extend credit so Manuel has to have the money in advance before anything will be done. I have been helping him with some of his expenses and will continue to help this family until she gets the treatment that she has been waiting for these past 6 months. Thank you for responding to this need.

DTS: We are excited for the students who will be coming in September for the 5 month DTS. We have students from the USA, Guatemala and England at this time and another from Ghana who wants to come as well but it is quite complicated for someone from Ghana to get a student visa. It will take a miracle to get him here and I ask for your prayers on his behalf that God will have his way. There are a couple more students who are in the process of making a decision about attending our DTS. I know that God has something special for them and we are blessed to be a small part of their journey of faith.

ArtReach Group: We have one more group coming to Antigua in August, a group of college graduates who are artists. The have a project called ArtReach and they will be distributing art supplies to orphanages in Belize and Guatemala. They plan to stay with us for about a week. We also have a young lady from England volunteering with us for a month and another young lady coming in August to volunteer at the coffee house for a couple of months. We are grateful to the Lord for sending the help we need. Several of our staff are on vacation this summer and the volunteers have been a huge blessing to our work.

Students we sponsor: The students we are sponsoring in school are all doing well and truly enjoying the opportunity to attend. A good education is one of the keys for a successful future and with a solid Christian foundation these young people will be able to make a difference in their culture.

Thank you for your partnership in the ministry in Guatemala. The needs are always great and at times I do not know who and how many people I can help at one time. Your gifts of support have blessed many people in need and I thank you for being so generous and thoughtful. I pray God will multiply the seeds you have sown and give you even more seed to sow into many ministries that you support.

For Him,
Bruce


Correspondence address:
Bruce Ahlberg
3ra Avenida 1-30; Zona 6
Ciudad Vieja, Guatemala


Contribution address:
YWAM Chico
15850 Richardson Springs Road
Chico, CA 95973
(Please attach a note indicating your designation)

The God of Restoration

The God of Restoration
As you read through the Old Testament, especially the books that deal with the history of Judah and Israel you can clearly see the heart of God for his people. Many people think that the God of the Old Testament is different than the God of the New Testament. They see him in the OT as a vindictive God who kills and destroys lives while they see the God of the NT as one of grace and peace. God has not changed; he is the same yesterday, today and forever. His character and nature have not morphed into a big teddy bear god who loves and forgives everyone whether they repent or not. He is still of God of holiness and justice and he holds each one of us accountable for our actions. The image of God has been distorted by people who want to create God in their image and likeness so they can feel good about the lifestyle they have chosen to adopt or a specific sin that they do not want to give up. We need to be conformed to God’s image and likeness and not vice versa. We need a clear picture of God so we can worship and honor Him in spirit and in truth. Tonight I want to look at one aspect of God that is revealed throughout the OT and NT and that is He is a God of restoration.
One of the clearest examples of His desire to bring restoration is seen in the life of Manasseh. Manasseh was the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah. He was conceived during the 15 year extension of life the Lord gave Hezekiah after he cried out to the Lord that his life be spared from the sickness that was going to kill him. God had mercy on Hezekiah and gave him more time to live and also gave him the joy of having another child during these final years of his life. I do not know what kind of father Hezekiah was but he was a man who sought after God and brought reforms to the people. He cleansed the land of idols and reestablished the priesthood with the sacrifices in the temple along with worship (2 Chron. 31). 2 Chron. 31:20-21 recaps his life with these words, “Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.” Hezekiah was not a perfect father because there came a time when his heart was filled with pride because of the greatness of the blessings God had given him, but he did humble himself and God delayed punishment.
His son Manasseh was a different story. He was not like his father but was one of the most wicked kings of Judah. 1 Kings 21:1-10 describes his wickedness.
New king of Judah: Manasseh
His age at the beginning of his reign: 12 years old
Length of reign: 55 years, in Jerusalem
Mother’s name: Hephzibah
Character of his reign: evil; he did the same things the nations had done that were thrown out of the land to make room for the people of Israel
3-5He rebuilt the hilltop shrines that his father Hezekiah had destroyed. He built altars for Baal and made a shameful Asherah idol, just as Ahab the king of Israel had done. Heathen altars to the sun god, moon god, and the gods of the stars were placed even in the Temple of the Lord—in the very city and building that the Lord had selected to honor his own name. 6And he sacrificed one of his sons as a burnt offering on a heathen altar. He practiced black magic and used fortune-telling, and patronized mediums and wizards. So the Lord was very angry, for Manasseh was an evil man, in God’s sight. 7Manasseh even set up a shameful Asherah idol in the Temple—the very place that the Lord had spoken to David and Solomon about when he said, “I will place my name forever in this Temple, and in Jerusalem—the city I have chosen from among all the cities of the tribes of Israel. 8If the people of Israel will only follow the instructions I gave them through Moses, I will never again expel them from this land of their fathers.”
9But the people did not listen to the Lord, and Manasseh enticed them to do even more evil than the surrounding nations had done, even though Jehovah had destroyed those nations for their evil ways when the people of Israel entered the land.

Hezekiah was dead when Manasseh was appointed king when he was12 years old. The godly influence of his father was not there to help direct his life. Perhaps he had a lot of evil people influencing his decisions but nonetheless he became a very evil and wicked king and God had to bring judgment upon him. God’s judgment upon Manasseh and Judah was just. Whenever God brings judgment it is not without warning or opportunity to repent. He sent prophets to warn Manasseh but he did not listen. Finally judgment fell and he was carried off to Babylon with hooks through his nose and fetters on his feet. How humiliating that must have been for him. During this time of captivity among the Assyrians Manasseh realized what he had done and he greatly humbled himself and repented. God heard his supplications and restored him to Jerusalem as king. Manasseh made an about face and destroyed the idols, the foreign gods, the altars of sacrifice to the gods and restored the altars of sacrifice in the temple. It was a dramatic change in his life and a dramatic demonstration of God’s desire to restore us when we humble ourselves and repent of our evil ways. God could have left Manasseh in Babylon, he certainly did enough damage and evil that God would have been justified in leaving him there. Yet God is a God of restoration. He is longing for people to humble themselves and repent so he can restore them into the relationship he desires to have with them. He is a God of wrath but He is also a God of restoration when are hearts are right before him. God wants to bless his people. He is a loving Father who always wants to give what is best for us but we hinder and block the reception by living lives outside of his will in disobedience to his word. We may not immediately receive the full brunt of his wrath because of his mercy and long suffering that causes him to delay it with the hope that we will repent and return to him so he can restore us. This is the image of God that the world needs to see, a God who desires to bless us and restore us to the relationship that he longs for and waits for as we humble ourselves. Pride is one of the seven deadly sins mentioned in Proverbs. Pride is what caused Hezekiah to fall and pride is what caused Manasseh to fall. He would not humble himself and turn from his wicked ways in spite of the warning he received. We all have the same tendency in our lives to ignore what the Scriptures clearly tell us not to do. In our pride we think we are different and we think we can handle it or that we will not be affected by our disobedience. You cannot play with fire and not get burned. You cannot bypass a road block and not suffer the consequences. Our pride causes us to think we know better and that the rule does not apply to us. We set ourselves up for a fall and if we do not repent we will suffer. God patiently waits for us to come to our senses so he can restore us to himself and bless our lives.
I was talking to a Pastor recently who was trying to resolve a serious problem between two members of his church. One of the young ladies who was going through premarriage counseling revealed to him that one of the leaders of the children in the church had violated her when she was 8 years old and he was 16. He did not do this one time but numerous times. She never revealed this to anyone but it all came to light in the counseling session. When the now married man with a child was confronted about the issue he immediately denied ever having done it. I sat in on the confrontation meeting with him and my immediate sense in my spirit was that he was filled with pride and was unwilling to admit any wrong doing because he had too much to lose. He offered to submit himself to disciplinary procedures by the church leadership but was not willing to admit he did anything wrong. He was willing to be disciplined for something he would not admit that he did which to me is pretty strange. Why would you want to be punished for something you did not do? It was obvious to me that he did not want to humble himself and make things right with this girl, who had forgiven him and had no reason to falsely accuse him, and get his heart right with God. What he did was shameful but what he is now doing is worse because he will not seek forgiveness from his heart for the wrongs he has committed and he is hindering his life from being blessed by the Lord. His pride will not allow him to admit he is wrong probably because he does not want to suffer the consequence of his admission. The sad part is that he is already suffering for his unwillingness to ask for forgiveness and he cannot be placed in a leadership role in the church with this hanging over his head. I think of the humiliation that Manasseh went through being led off to a foreign country like an animal and I wonder what it will take to bring this young man to the point of repentance so he can be restored. God eagerly awaits for him to humble himself so he can be restored. It does not matter what you have done, how evil it was, whatever we do probably is not anything compared to what Manasseh did in his life but the message God wants to communicate is that he will restore us, he wants to restore us and he waits for us to humble ourselves before him.
Someone once said the three greatest words you can say to keep your marriage relationship in tact are, “I AM SORRY.” These are not flippant words but are words that express humility and willingness to admit you were wrong and that you wronged someone else by your attitude and actions. It does not apply when our attitude is one that says, “I am sorry I got caught.” Or “I am sorry because I am paying a price for my actions.” But is it the true expression of someone who is sorry because they have been convicted of their sin and they admit it and take responsibility for what they have done. These words spoken in humility open the door for restoration to begin in the relationship.
One of the reasons we do not say these three words is that we have a self-righteous attitude. We truly think we are right in our actions or responses to someone. We are right and they are wrong and we are not going to humble ourselves and admit our part in the problem. We hold on to our pride and self-righteousness and hinder any kind of restoration from taking place. We practice avoidance of these people, we shut them out of our life and we feel very justified in what we are doing. Meanwhile the separation gets wider and the hurt or resentment grows deeper and it becomes even more difficult to bring restoration to the relationship. Sadly some people live their entire lives with these unresolved issues and seem to be content with acceptance of the unchangeable status of the relationship.
I am glad that God is not like that. He wants restoration, he is not content to keep things between us but has made provision for us to be able to come to him and receive forgiveness for our offenses against him. He does not reject us when we approach him but welcomes us because he values the relationship. He is a God of restoration and he has gone to great lengths to enable restoration to take place in our relationship to him. The story of the Prodigal Son clearly demonstrates the heart of a father for a lost and wayward son who made horrible choices and decisions yet when he returned home with a repentant heart he was robed, ringed and restored to sonship. David wrote in Psalms 51:17; “A humble and contrite heart you will not reject.” This is what God is willing to do for us. Are we willing to do the same for people who have wronged us or whom we have wronged? In order for reconciliation to take place someone needs to take the first step.
In the story, “Peace child” two tribes in Papua, New Guinea were warring against each other for wrongs that both had suffered at the hands of each other. Don Richardson and his wife lived among one of the warring tribes and witnessed the tremendous suffering that the people experienced not only in the physical injuries that happened in the battles but also the tremendous fear they live it as they constantly had to be prepared for the attack of the enemy. There was no peace in their minds. The warring went on for an extended time and finally the Richardson’s told the tribe that they would have to leave unless something was done to restore peace between the tribes. The leader of the tribe realized they were serious and he also realized how much they needed the Richardsons in their community as they had done many things to make their lives better and healthier. The only solution to bring peace between the tribes was through the offering of the peace child to the other tribe. This meant that the leader of one tribe had to give up his baby to the other tribe and allow them to raise the child. As long as they had this child there could be no war between the tribes. It was a tremendous price to pay but the leader was willing to do it. Relationships were restored as a result and peace ruled between the tribes.
We have to be willing to be peacemakers, people who want restoration of relationships more than being right. Often times misunderstandings cause the breaking of relationships or they keep people from even considering restoration. Our approach to people who have been at odds with us can often be met with greater acceptance if we come to them to ask forgiveness for the actions and words we have spoken against them even though they may have been guilty of doing many things against us. We have to be willing to take the first step toward reconciliation and restoration. We have to be the ones to go and begin the process by humbling ourselves, not approaching others with accusations but with a desire to restore a broken relationship. The story of David and Absalom is an example of what happens when a relationship that went wrong is not made right. Absalom was guilty of killing his step brother for violating his sister Tamar. He fled from Jerusalem as was not permitted to see his father David. This separation went on for three years until Absalom made the first step toward restoration of his relationship with his father. David did not seem very interested in bringing Absalom back and surely he had justification. But one day Joab, David’s military commander sent a woman to make an appeal to David by speaking a made up story that was a reflection of the relationship between David and Absalom (2 Sam. 14:1-24). The woman claimed to be a widow. Her sons got into a fight and one killed the other. The people in the community wanted to put her only son to death and she was appealing to the king that this not happen because it would leave her without descendants and the name of her husband would be snuffed out. David responded favorably to her appeal and said he would issue an order on her behalf to prevent her son from being killed and she would also be protected along with the rest of her family. The woman was not done talking to David. She was now going to address the problem that existed between David and Absalom.
13 So the woman said: “Why then have you schemed such a thing against the people of God? For the king speaks this thing as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring his banished one home again. 14 For we will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises means, so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him.

This statement truly reflects the heart of God who he seeks to restore those who have been driven away from him by their sin. God does not delight in seeing people banished from his presence he desires restoration of all broken relationships.

David allowed Absalom to come back but he did not see his face. He alienated himself from Absalom and the relationship never mended. Absalom eventually tried to overthrow his father and led a coup that resulted in his death. David mourned greatly the loss of his alienated son and I wonder how often he thought about what he perhaps could have or should have done to try to mend the relationship.
Paul in his letter to the Galatians church encouraged the church to restore the one who had fallen into sin.
“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” Gal. 6:1-2
If we truly are spiritual people we will have a heart that desires to restore one who has fallen. We will not be content to see them alienated from others. The word “restore” in its original meaning was used to describe setting of a bone that has been broken. It has to be done gently so that there is no more damage done. I have had only one broken bone, my collar bone, and in order to set it correctly so it would heal properly I had to have surgery. I was asleep during the operation that inserted a 6 inch screw into my shoulder and connected the two parts of the bone that were out of alignment. I can’t imagine what the operation would have been like if I had been awake but I am certain that the doctor would have been very gentle trying to move the bones in place. So it is when we are restoring another person, putting things in right order in their lives so they can heal properly. It must be done gently and also be done with the right attitude lest one be tempted to think more highly of oneself because you did not fall into the same temptation. We are all guilty of passing judgment on people who have done things they should not have done and often we make statements such as: “What was he thinking?” What an idiot, what a moron, what a complete idiot.” “Helloooooo!” Paul recognized how weak we can be and when we allow pride to enter we invite failure, because pride goes before a fall.
When we restore people who have been caught doing wrong it has to be done in the right spirit and the right way. The goal must always be to restore to full health, complete restoration of the relationship with the Lord and anyone else that has been affected by the actions of the person.
Not all relationships will be restored; this is the reality of the world we live in. Many will go to their grave with unresolved issues that possibly could have been restored if there had been true humility, willingness to admit fault and a true desire to have the relationship restored.
I want to close with a story I read authored by Bart Campolo in Sojourners Magazine. It is one of the greatest examples of restoration that I have ever read.
“I often tell people not to ask me for statistics because in this work all the statistics are bad. Ask me for stories instead, I say, because even in the worst of times I always have a good story. Whether it is one of my own or comes from someone else doesn’t really matter to me anymore. What matters is that it rings true. Like this one I picked up on a visit to Philadelphia last week, which was first told to psychologist Jack Kornfield by the director of a nearby rehabilitation program for violent juvenile offenders:
One 14-year-old boy in the program had shot and killed an innocent teenager to prove himself to his gang. At the trial, the victim’s mother sat impassively silent until the end, when the youth was convicted of the killing. After the verdict was announced, she stood up slowly and stared directly at him and stated, “I’m going to kill you.” Then the youth was taken away to serve several years in the juvenile facility.
After the first half-year the mother of the slain child went to visit his killer. He had been living on the streets before the killing, and she was the only visitor (in jail) he’d had. For a time they talked, and when she left she gave him some money for cigarettes. Then she started step-by-step to visit him more regularly, bringing food and small gifts.
Near the end of his three-year sentence, she asked him what he would be doing when he got out. He was confused and very uncertain, so she offered to help set him up with a job at a friend’s company. Then she inquired about where he would live, and since he had no family to return to, she offered him temporary use of the spare room in her home. For eight months he lived there, ate her food, and worked at the job.
Then one evening she called him into the living room to talk. She sat down opposite him and waited. Then she started, “Do you remember in the courtroom when I said I was going to kill you?” “I sure do,” he replied. “I’ll never forget that moment.” “Well, I did it,” she went on. “I did not want the boy who could kill my son for no reason to remain alive on this earth. I wanted him to die. That’s why I started to visit you and bring you things. That’s why I got you the job and let you live here in my house. That’s how I set about changing you. And that old boy, he’s gone. So now I want to ask you, since my son is gone, and that killer is gone, if you’ll stay here. I’ve got room and I’d like to adopt you if you let me.” And she became the mother he never had.”
Tonight we all need to ask ourselves if all is well with our soul. Is there anyone that you need to seek to be restored to, any relationship that has been broken through sin or misunderstandings? If you find yourself in this situation you need to be the one who acts like God who devises ways for the banished to be restored. You need to be the one who is willing to take the first step to bring restoration. Perhaps you need to be the one who admits wrong even though you have been wronged even more than the other person. This is not an easy thing to do but it is worth the effort because a restored relationship brings peace and joy which have no market value we can place a dollar figure on. You must make the attempt, be the initiator and leave the results up to the Lord. The other person may not be receptive, you have no control over that, but they will live with the memory that you made the attempt to restore the relationship and the door will always be open for the process to begin when they are ready.