Each year in October or November, I try to spend the better part of a week with the Lord, away from the church, away from family, away from everybody, and generally in that time frame I am seeking God about the coming year. In early November 2014, God spoke to me that He would send five powerful restorations in 2015: a restoration of personal relationship, a restoration of the Word of God, a restoration of prodigals, a restoration of family, and a restoration of Apostolic power and authority.
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
Personal restoration is vital to us as Apostolics because it precedes every great advancement in the Kingdom of God that takes place in our lives. Restoration of personal relationship precedes times of refreshing, greater anointing, advancement, revelation, spiritual authority, and favor and blessing. That’s why personal restoration is so vital among us.
Pastors and ministers tend to be among the busiest people on the face of the earth. However, hear me, performing tasks, setting and reaching goals, ministry success, singing, soul winning, preaching, teaching and position will never take the place of your personal relationship with God. The minister’s relationship with God is more important to God than any position, any responsibility or any function of ministry. Not only is relationship more important to God than anything else that you do, relationship with God needs to be more important to YOU and ME than position, responsibility or any function of ministry that we have in the kingdom.
FAITH IN THE WORD OF GOD
The second restoration is faith in the Word of God. We know that today the Word of God has many enemies and is being challenged on every hand. The Apostle Paul wrote, Let God be true, but every man a liar, and Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.” The Word of God is the final authority in your life. You can trust and believe in the Word of God.
- Todd Nichols, preaching to our Virginia district youth, said this, “If you are going to survive what is coming next in this world, you better get it settled as to what you believe.” What a true statement for all believers. The very faith of the faithful is under attack. Just recently a very popular CNN commentator said, “Both the constitution and the Bible needs to be amended.” The Apostolic church needs a restoration of faith in the Word of God. God’s Word is true — everything and everyone who challenges the Word of God is wrong. Period. The Word of God never changes; what was true in the Word a thousand years ago is true today. Period.
PRODIGALS
The third restoration is that of prodigals. God promised me that in 2015, prodigals are going to come back home. We had great church where I pastor in 2014, and we grew to 714 active members. We had 588 first-time guests, 214 were added to our roll, 141 were baptized in Jesus name, and 394 people received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. During 49 out of 52 Sundays we had someone get baptized and receive the Holy Ghost; however, the statistic that I am happier about is that in 2014, 31 prodigals came home. I’m thankful for all the good numbers our church posted in 2014, but I am especially thankful to God for the prodigals who made their way back.
Almost every family has at least one prodigal in their family. We all have friends who have fallen away. Many have children who are not living for God, but I’m telling you under the anointing of the Holy Ghost, in the name of Jesus, your prodigal is coming home in 2015.
God promised, “I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west, say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Keep not back, bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth.”
FAMILY
The fourth restoration is family. If you don’t understand how much family means to God, you haven’t read your Bible! Most of the Old Testament is written to and about families. You think the church, as an institution, is more important to God than family? Think about this: God dealt exclusively with and through families for 4,000 years before He established a local church!
I am concerned when we look at the scripture and we don’t understand the importance of saving our own families. In the Old Testament, 37 times it says the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and every time it mentions these names, it is saying the God of granddad, son, and grandson. Every time the Bible talks about the 12 tribes of Israel, it’s talking about 12 brothers who led 12 families. All the “begats” in the scripture that we sometimes want to skip over are referencing the family, and that’s God letting you and I know how important it is that what we have is passed down to our children.
Christians are facing unprecedented spiritual battles. God, truth, righteousness, and the very Word of God are ferociously challenged in the arenas of education, government, courts and family. Though every battlefront is significant, the battle for the family is the one we MUST WIN.
RESTORATION OF APOSTOLIC POWER AND AUTHORITY
The fifth and final restoration is the restoration of Apostolic power and authority. This is where we’re all trying to get to. God told me that the fifth restoration will follow the first four restorations; the first four have to take place before the fifth one can take place. God cannot give us Apostolic power and authority until our relationship with Him is right. God will not give us Apostolic power and authority if we’ve allowed our faith in the Word of God to be weakened.
I’ve said this in every meeting I’ve preached in the last six months: “It is impossible to have Apostolic power and authority without Apostolic doctrine! It is impossible to build an Apostolic church without Apostolic doctrine! It is impossible for you or I to have an Apostolic ministry without Apostolic doctrine!”
A genuine Apostolic church believes in Apostolic doctrine and Apostolic demonstration. A church that has Apostolic doctrine but not Apostolic demonstration is not a genuine Apostolic church. On the other hand, a church that has Apostolic demonstration but not Apostolic doctrine is also not a genuine Apostolic church. The end time Apostolic church MUST make an equal commitment to Apostolic doctrine and Apostolic demonstration!
The foundational stone of Apostolic doctrine is ONE GOD; “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.” Apostolic doctrine is, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Apostolic doctrine is, “Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”
Holiness and separation are just as much a part of Apostolic doctrine as one God and Acts 2:38! We Apostolics believe Jesus is coming soon. We believe in end time Apostolic revival. We believe the glory of the latter house shall be greater than the glory of the former house. We believe in the evening time there shall be light.
We believe in the last days saith God, “I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh.” We believe He is sending the former rain and the latter rain.
We’re seeing the beginning of end time outpouring now. Global Missions reported 123,860 received the Holy Ghost in 2014. In North America, according to Superintendent David Bernard, there were an estimated 60,000 filled with the Holy Ghost. That is about 183,860 people filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost in 2014. That is an average of 501 per day. That is a day of Pentecost revival every six days.
The end time Apostolic church will be God’s greatest and most powerful church. It is TIME for every Apostolic to prepare and qualify your life for service. It’s time to recommit to God, His Word, and righteousness. Stand and be counted. Find and fill your place in the kingdom.
Embrace your Apostolic destiny!
John wrote, “I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.” God has opened the door and NO MAN or no devil can shut it. There’s not a devil in hell that can stop the revival God has in store for your ministry and your church. I’m prophesying to you that revival is coming to your ministry, your church, and your city!
Bro. Orozco in Los Angeles, Calif. has 25 daughter churches and when they come together on Sundays, they have to rent a 5,000-seat city auditorium. I’m watching God bring in entire denominations to the Apostles’ doctrine. I’ve had the privilege of baptizing three denominational pastors in Jesus name. I was asked to speak at a United Methodist Church and as a result, 66 were filled with Holy Ghost.
Luke 10 is a powerful chapter. Jesus appointed and sent 70 out 2 by 2. He sent them into every city and place whither He himself would come, and He said, “Into whatsoever city ye enter, heal the sick that are therein, and if they ask how or why, say to them, the Kingdom of God is come unto you!” The 70 returned again with joy, saying, “Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.” God is sending you to a city where He himself is going to show up. He’s sending you with power to heal; He’s sending you out with power over every devil you encounter.
“Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Remember, the devil fights the hardest where he fears the most. Some of you have been to Hell and back … some are still there. What you are going through is due to the devil’s FEAR of you. Satan senses what God is going to do for you and through you … so he throws everything he has at you. YOU have power over the devil! Why don’t you use what you have?
The Bible says, ‘Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” You can and will take authority over every demon spirit that has come against your church, your ministry, and your family. There’s not a devil in Hell that is a match for a man or woman with Apostolic power and authority!