“You have been approved,” is a very exciting phrase. Hearing that phrase boosts one’s self esteem. It is wonderful to weighed  in the balance and found acceptable, trustworthy, and capable.

Throughout the course of a  life time, we have been approved for college loans, mortgages, car loans and college admissions. These approvals, however,  fall infinitely short in comparison to being  approved by God.

What has God approved us to do? According to 1 Thessalonians 2, we have been approved to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. Since we have been life of faith, we have a responsibility to be ready in season and out of season to give a reason for the great hope we have. It is an honor and a privilege to be entrusted by the God of the universe with the Gospel.

We (me and YOU) have been approved by God. To do part 7 of A Life of Faith, please click on the link below.

A Life of Faith Part 7, Approved By God

Day 5:Restoration

“Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope, even today I declare, that I will restore double to you.” Zechariah 9: 12

Restoration: [res-tuh–rey-shuh n] noun

1. a putting back into a former position, dignity, etc.
2. something that is restored, as by renovating.
3. the act of restoring; renewal, revival, or reestablishment. the replacement or giving back of something lost, stolen, etc.

The Garden of Eden. A place of joy,  fellowship, righteousness and purity. Man gave away the blessing of Eden by believing a lie of Satan. God waits to restore His blessing to man when he believes the truth of the Gospel. The Enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy. double. The Hebrew  word for restoration is shuwb, which means to return, to go back, to turn away from sin, to turn back to God. Restoration only comes through God and the power of His Word. According to the definition, our responsibility is to turn from sin, and turn to God. Speak His Word into your broken places, and let the restoration begin.

Pray For Restoration

Restoration for Relationships: Dearest Father, because of our sin, we have many broken, damaged relationships. First and foremost is our relationship with You. Thank You that by accepting Jesus’ death on the cross, our relationship with You is restored. We pray for Your healing in strained relationships with our spouses,  parents, friends, coworkers, in-laws and siblings. Your specialty, Lord, is bringing dead things to life. Please restore our relationships. We give thanks for Your goodness and healing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Restoration for Hearts: Father, we give thanks that You provide restoration for broken hearts. Our hearts have been shattered because of our choices, the choices of others, sickness, death, and job loss. Your Word promises that You use ALL things for our good. Please restore our hearts to health so they will beat only for You. We thank You, Father. Amen.

Restoration for Minds: Heavenly Father, we thank You for healing of our minds. Help us to think correctly so we may act correctly. Our minds have been influenced and damaged by lies we have been exposed to by the Enemy and by our own choices. Please restore our minds so we will love You with all our hearts, souls and minds. Thank You that You have given us  sound minds. May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our minds be pleasing in Your sight, oh God, our Rock and our Redeemer.

More Restoration

Prayer of Restoration a specific prayer by Mary Kane

Scriptures for a Sound Mind an article by Joyce Meyer

Comment

Please leave a comment below in the Speak Your Mind section on what God teaches you today about restoration.

restoration. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/light (accessed: November 18, 2014).

Hebrew definition taken form:

“Hebrew Lexicon :: H7725 (NKJV).” Blue Letter Bible. Sowing Circle. Web. 19 Nov, 2014. <http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H7725&t=NKJV>.

1 Thessalonians: A Life of Faith is an interactive Bible study series devoted to deepening your walk with God. Through repeated readings, in-depth analysis of key words and personal study questions you will draw closer to God and be transformed by the truth of His Word. Watch your life of faith will grow as you immerse your heart and mind in scripture. Start your journey today by clicking on 1 Thessalonians: A Life of Faith, Part 1 link below.

1 Thessalonians, A Life of Faith: Grace and Peace, Part 1

1 Thessalonians, A Life of Faith: Faith, Hope and Love, Part 2

1 Thessalonians, A Life of Faith: The Gospel, Part 3

1 Thessalonians, A Life of Faith: The Name, Part 4

1 Thessalonians, A Life of Faith: Sound Forth, Part 5

1 Thessalonians, A Life of Faith: The Blessing of Suffering, Part 6

1 Thessalonians, A Life of Faith: Approved by God, Part 7

1 Thessalonians, A Life of Faith: From Cherish to Charge, Part 8

1 Thessalonians, A Life of Faith: Walk Worthy, Part 9

1 Thessalonians, A Life of Faith: The Word, Part 10

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1 Thessalonians, A Life of Faith: God’s Co-Worker, Part 11

1 Thessalonians, A Life of Faith: Stand Firm, Part 12

1 Thessalonians, A life of Faith: Pray and Perfect, Part 13

1 Thessalonians, A life of Faith: More and More, Part 14

1 Thessalonians, A Life of Faith: Operation Sanctification, Part 15

1 Thessalonians,  Life of Faith: The Quiet Life, Part 16

1 Thessalonians, A Life of Faith: Always with the Lord, Part 17

1 Thessalonians, A Life of Faith: Times and Seasons, Part 18

Have you ever wondered if God would use a person like you to help spread His Gospel? The answer is yes! To do the Take 5! Bible study, I Am Because He Is! please click on the link.

“Image courtesy of photostock/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Imagine doing your Bible study with your small group without ever having to leave the comfort of  your home, dorm room — or back deck (if you live in a warm clime!). If this sounds like your kind of study, we would love for you to join our eight-week online Bible study, Wounded Lives. Healed Hearts  by Sue Edwards, which begins February 19th.

This Bible study will:

• help you realize your incredible value and worth in Christ;
• challenge you to seek and receive the healing Jesus longs to give you for your wounded life and injured heart;
• empower you to spend face-to-face time with Jesus;
• inspire you to do the work  that God wants to accomplish through everyday people like you and me.

Order Your Materials and Register

In order to participate in the study you must 1) order the book at CBD or Amazon, or purchase it at the Grace Church counter at Mary’s church and 2) sign up through the registration link below (registration is only $5).

Once you have signed up, you will receive an email link to confirm your registration. You must click on the link to be enrolled in the Bible study. Each week, for the duration of the study,  you will receive an email that contains the weekly Bible study page password and Community Call information. Look for your email every Tuesday night.

Thanks so much for your participation. Feel free to invite your friends! Please click on the link below to register and pay. You will be given the option to pay either with Pay Pal or with your credit card. If you don’t have a PayPal account, simply click the option that says “Check Out.” Clicking on that will then open another screen and one of your options will say: “Don’t have a PayPal account?” Click on this option, which will bring up a screen that will let you either pay with a regular credit card or open a PayPal account.Questions or problems with registration? Click on this contact button to email Jane. God bless you and thank you!

Register for the Bible Study on this Buy Now link:

We’ve included a link below to the CBD online bookstore if your prefer to purchase your materials this way.

Luke: Discover Together Bible Study By Sue Edwards / Kregel PublicationsHave you ever felt undervalued, unappreciated, or just “little”? We all have. The Gospel of Luke was written especially for us to show that God does his great work through people like us. Join Sue Edwards on this inductive study of Luke. As she focuses on particular encounters Jesus had with first-century women, you will have your own encounter with Jesus and learn how truly valuable you are to him. The video lessons are on YouTube and can be accessed through the website www.discovertogetherseries.com or by using the QR codes found in the study guide. Free leader’s guide also available on website, www.discovertogetherseries.com.

Simple Truth

Sometimes you read something that just makes you stop and ponder. This happened to me last night. It’s such a simple truth, yet it’s so profound as to be life changing. I should already know this, be able to deduce it for myself, yet I’ve never thought of it in this way.

What is it?

I’m reading the book The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith. Chapter Three is entitled “God Is Trustworthy,” and as you might imagine, it’s all about why God is trustworthy. James makes the point that many people don’t trust God. Unfortunately, there’s nothing unusual about that. I know many people who don’t know and trust God, and I’m sure you do too.

What he said next really got my attention.

He said that many people can’t relate to God as Father because they had either mean, abusive fathers or absent fathers. Because of that they have a twisted version of the truth in their heads, and they want nothing to do with God. Many hate the idea of a father.

James said that this thinking pattern is entirely backwards.

Jesus Defines What Father Means

We should not be using the template of earthly fathers as the way to view our heavenly father. No; rather just the opposite should be true. “God’s fatherhood must define what human fatherhood ought to look like, and not the reverse,” he says. “The better solution is to encourage [us] to let Jesus define what Father means and thereby come to know the God Jesus knows. In so doing, [we] might find healing.”

The hope for healing for those who have experienced abusive parents lies in not letting those parents define God, but in letting Jesus define God. Jesus said in John 10:30 that “I and the Father are one.” In John 14:7 Jesus talks about how if we know Him, then we know and have seen the Father.

Recently, I was praying with a person who has suffered for years from the effects of an abusive parent. This person was ready to let go of her idea of God as someone to be afraid of and to see God as He really is. She was desperate to let go of her skewed idea of God and step onto the path of healing and truth.

Grasping the Truth

How do you see God? If you had cold or abusive parents, you don’t have to live in fear of a mean, distant God. Read the stories about Jesus in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and you’ll have a clear picture of the true nature of God. He’s waiting for you to allow Him to love you as He wants to.

The question is, will you let Him?

Pray on!

The Good and Beautiful God: Falling in Love with the God Jesus KnowsBy James Bryan Smith / IVP BooksWhat does being Christlike really mean? Smith believes we need a pattern for transformation. He encourages us to re-examine what we think about God (our narratives), how we practice (the spiritual disciplines), and whom we interact with (our social context) to discover the life Jesus lived and grow in the knowledge of a good God. 232 pages, hardcover from InterVarsity.