Restoration Church

Salt of the Earth -- 28 February 2021

What is a “salt of the earth” person? Well, we know from Matthew 5 it would be the kind of person who would heed the teachings of Jesus, a Christ-follower or a Christian. But, we have this cultural term too. The woke culture has threatened this and other terms - synonyms for “whiteness” like salt of the earth, patriot, conservative, Christian, etc. - this is so sad.
What defines a true “salt of the earth” person? Not race.
Humility - not impressed with themselves, not insecure, humility is honesty.
Modesty - no need to impress others, draw attention to themselves, not pretentious; I pray that you will go ahead now and embrace modesty as a lifestyle.
Sincerity​ - their yes is yes and their no is no, not fake, we’ve seen so much fakeness in our world that when we see real, we run to it, people are craving the real, authentic right now even if it’s not “great”, sincerity is endearing.
Reliability​ - you can trust their handshake, they’ll sign a contract but you don’t really have to get them to because their word is their bond, you can take it to the bank.
Simplicity​ - they don’t have to go on cruises in the Mediterranean to be content or happy, they don’t need the newest whatever to feel important, they don’t have to have the corner office, sit at the head of the table, they know who they are.
I want to start a campaign to raise up a salt of the earth church...
Real life-giving relationship with Jesus
Study the Bible
Engage with the Body of Christ

The Goodness of God, Part II -- 21 February 2021

If you abide in me and my word abides in you...If we would open to the Holy Spirit, abide in Jesus, and say “may it be unto me according to your word”, revival would come and we would experience the goodness of God like never before. This is simple, right? You don’t need a seminary degree to understand the simplicity of being filled with Holy Spirit capacity, abiding in Jesus, and letting His word abide in you.
But, why don’t more Christians experience this?
Lack of discipleship
A casual view of sin, compromise
Spiritual warfare
This is about spiritual intimacy. Abiding in Jesus, a branch connected to the Vine, the source of life. What a privilege! What a place! A good God has gone ahead of us to prepare a place for us…

The Goodness of God -- 14 February 2021

The Goodness of God - If you were convinced of God’s goodness, it would dramatically change your life. This is foundational to all theology. His goodness won’t allow anything to destroy His work of grace in a person’s life. Mike Bickle said, “All of God’s judgments are aimed at whatever interferes with love.” His goodness doesn’t avoid judgment in a sense but it is judgment against what would destroy you. So, even His judgment is an expression of His goodness.
The goodness of God is the cornerstone of all theology. It is a primary thought for us in learning what Jesus actually came to reveal. We know that He came to die on the cross, purchase our salvation, and to be resurrected in order to remove the sting of death. In doing that, He came to reveal the heart of our Heavenly Father. Jesus is perfect theology. Over and over, Jesus said that He came to reveal the FATHER. Not a taskmaster, judge, lawyer, but a Father. A “how much more” Father at that!
But, there are many times when things are turbulent that we struggle to trust the goodness of God, His heart.
If you have been walking in obedience and “stuff happens”, then rejoice because that stuff is called pruning and the Father is making you more fruitful. It may not feel like it. It might get ugly. Hang on...spring is coming!
If you have been walking in disobedience, stop, repent, and start taking steps to becoming an obedient branch. And, it is so important that you settle the fact that God is good.

Taking Up Your Cross -- 7 February 2021

Luke 9:23 Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 
God’s plan for you is beyond anything you can imagine. Satan and his cohorts will try to make you feel like you don’t deserve, he will lie to you, discourage you, distract you, accuse you, condemn you. You’re going somewhere good. He’s got you on His radar. It’s not too late and you’re not too far gone. If you have a heart to receive this morning, get ready because His goodness is running after you.
But, it starts with a cross. The whole deal. He’s asking you to simply get with His plan for your life.
Have you come to this point in your life? The big moment when your circumstances have brought you to a broken place and you, finally, said, “ok, God, I’m yours”. Jesus, who knew the plan, still asked if there was a way around it because his flesh didn’t want to go the way of the cross but he prayed, Your will be done.
The cross is about dying, surrender, and His will being done. It’s also something spectacular to behold. Listen, He has already made a spectacle out of the demonic powers that work against you. Now, He wants to make a spectacle out of you - look at that!
Forgive everyone who’s trying to ruin your life
Help others who are experiencing the same struggle
Be sure you take care of those close to you
Aim your hard questions at God, not man
Be human enough to acknowledge your need
Be assured, there is a purpose and an end to what you are suffering
Surrender your day to God, and let it go

The Cross -- 31 January 2021

Are you paying attention to what’s going on?  The need for you to be closely connected with other believers is SO great. With what our children are facing and will face in the years to come, it is imperative that they experience Christian communitas. North Atlanta is a busy, transient culture where people aren’t rooted. The need for effective, intentional parenting and focused discipleship for our children cannot be overstated.
The Cross -- how did it become the most common piece of jewelry ever? Because the One who split time in two was crucified on one. This is the central event in all of history. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame; to the old rugged cross I will ever be true, it’s shame and reproach I gladly bear.
To become a disciple, followers had to take up their cross daily and they still do. Some have eliminated the cross, leaving  a crossless Christianity (oxymoron).
The cross is a paradox. Luke 9:24: For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the great German pastor, theologian, martyr, was asked in 1943 how it was possible for the Church to sit back and let Hitler seize absolute power. His firm answer: "It was the teaching of cheap grace." 
"Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ." -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
We live in a time and culture that not only teaches cheap grace but praises it. I can’t eliminate the cross. We can’t be a biblical church without the cross. We can’t open the side door of relevancy to get people into cheap grace and call it the Christian faith.
We need to return to the gospel, the loving, life giving message of the gospel that calls us to die in order to live. We need an encounter, a liminal season like the one that is upon us, to be drawn together in communitas where we share in the fellowship of His sufferings, in order to fully understand the power of the resurrection - ASTONISHED.

Communitas -- 24 January 2021

Liminality is a place of discomfort and agitation that requires us to endure and push into what is to come.
Liminality and Communitas, two sides of the same coin.
Liminality involves adventure, risk, journey, engagement, and courage. When liminality happens, it fundamentally restructures the nature of preexisting relationships. Friendships turn into a deeper, richer connection that is hard to put into words. Communitas. Being immersed in a communitas, participants experience an almost mystical togetherness that occurs only among a group of people engaging in a task bigger than itself.
Keep in mind that there is a direct link between liminality and communitas. 
The Church that Jesus built was to experience this form of togetherness. Not just for the sake of love and fellowship but because we have a “liminal” mission that requires more than “fellowship”.
Instead of being damaging to social structures, regular experiences of communitas strengthen a society. While societies need the stability of normal life, they also need liminal experiences of communitas.
Liminal situations are vital to the Church and society.
Liminal situations force communitas.
We must focus on the mission of making disciples; most believers have no idea as to what they could accomplish if they would give into the stretch or the liminal season.
Focusing on survival and self-preservation is a sure way for us to die.

Liminality -- 17 January 2021

Crisis is no bad thing when you’re on God’s side. In fact, it is necessary for the human spirit to face a desperate crisis which requires prayers that force you to cry out to God, lean on Him with faith, and experience the resurrection power which gives real meaning and true joy to your Christian experience.
The Church should be the most alive place in culture…because of liminality, stuck between here and there, inconvenienced by a call to go somewhere we’ve never been, led by someone we can’t see except through eyes of faith.
Liminality requires courage, adventure, mission, and risk - this is genuine Biblical Christianity. 
We must rediscover Biblical Christianity at this time and I believe we will and we are. We are pilgrims, aliens passing through.

10 January 2021

The Kingdom -- 3 January 2021

The Kingdom of God is poorly understood. Kingdom understanding brings wisdom to how life works. Seeing principles in scripture can be life changing.
The understanding of the Kingdom starts in Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Here we see the Sovereign of all the universe, whose realm, reign, and regency are described at the outset.
1. His realm (or scope of rule) is transcendent: that is, not only does it include the entire physical universe, it exceeds it. He existed before all creation, He expands beyond it, and by virtue of having begotten it, He emcompasses all that it is. 2. His reign (or the power by which He rules) is exercised by His will, His word, and His works. By His own will He creatively decides and designs; by His own word HE speaks creation into being: and by His own works, His Spirit displays His unlimited power. 3. His regency (or authority to rule) is in His preexistence and holiness (or perfection).
Man’s power and authority for exercising this rule/dominion originates in God’s intent to make man in His own image and likeness.

Where God Lives -- 27 December 2020

First Things First PrincipleMatthew 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."What is the message here in Matthew 6? It’s about making life work. It’s about LIVING.Verse 19 Store up treasures in heaven...not on earth; verse 24 No one can serve two masters...you cannot love God and other things with the same love; verse 25 Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, drink, or wear. Look at the birds and the lilies of the field. Your heavenly father feeds and clothes them. You are more valuable to him than they are. Where is God in your life? What number is He? Start putting God first and watch your worry go away. God is into first things. He wants to be first. This is why devotions in the morning, first thing, is best. This is why we start the year off in prayer and fasting. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.