Restoration

"Elijah must first come and restore all things. The prophetic requirement of the last days is tied up essentially with the restoration of that which was lost, the ancient and the original, the pristine and the first thing. We are not talking about the restoration of the ministry offices as if that is the thing in itself. It is a means to a larger and other end, namely, the "restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time" (Acts 3: 21b). That is to say, both the restoration of Israel after her yet future calamity, known as 'the time of Jacob's trouble', and the restoration of a church to its pristine and original apostolic glory and power. Truth itself needs to be restored that has been lying in the streets. Language itself has suffered terrible abuse and defamation. There is restoration work at every hand, and it is an enormously exhausting work. It would be easier to start from scratch than to have to first undo, pluck up, root out and destroy what men have celebrated and want to see continue and to be preserved, that is something other than that which was given at the first. One can only build and plant after one has rooted up, plucked out and destroyed. How many of us have the stamina to bear the cries and the shrieks of people who do not want to see things rooted up? There must first come this 'Elijah company' before the Lord Himself returns. John the Baptist was equated with Elijah of whom the Lord described as the greatest of all the prophets, and in doing so, was celebrating the intrinsic 'Elijah' content of what John was. There is a spirit of Elijah, a quintessential, prophetic character that John exhibited that was of spirit and of kind with Elijah and will again picture what is yet future, namely, an 'Elijah company' upon the earth in that same separation, the same audacity and that same confident knowledge of God. They will have the same authority to perform the last day's works of God and to confront a church and a world that have become apostate and challenge them by challenging its prophets and bringing down the demonstration of God and the revelation of God in fire. If Elijah, who is a prophet of an ultimate end-time wilderness kind, must first come, then what are the constituent elements or the defining characteristics of the Elijah prophet? What kind of prophet must we expect and that God is waiting for, all the more if it is to be corporate? He is not a writing prophet like Isaiah or Jeremiah, but rather he is the prophet of action and confrontation. What are we seeing from this prophet in action that is quintessentially the definition of prophet? There are going to be many false prophets. What is Elijah showing in his obedience to be the one fool? What does it show that inheres in the word prophet? Was Elijah drafted or was he a voluntary conscript? He was chosen but that does not mean that he had no choice in the matter and that he could not have refused it... Elijah is not gathering up stones that just happen to be around. He is rebuilding an altar that once was and did have twelve stones. He is the prophet of restoration. He is bringing back something that once was, but has now come to the place, not only of decline or disuse, but that it had been violently rejected and thrown down. He rebuilds and restores that very thing. It is easier to find some loose stones and put them together for a first time than to take what once was and has now been totally rejected. The work of restoration is greater than the work of inauguration. It is easier to start from scratch than to go back and deal with the things that once were. It is a monumental, backbreaking work. Elijah must first come and restore all things, and unless this word 'restore' is in our spirits, then we are not prophetic candidates. We can know to some degree whether we have a prophetic calling by the disposition we have to restore the ancient ways and paths, the things that have fallen down or been knocked down and cast aside. What is God intending that was at the first?" ~Art Katz

I want to make a comment here to those who have been on Art's site or read/heard him. I went on his site to read 'The Prophetic Calling" - the abridged version, I believe. I wept as I read it and I have only gotten through a few pages. He said something about how the prophet says to the Lord "I am a child, I cannot speak!" We have no words for what we feel in our hearts. It was exhilerating and bittersweet to see this in writing. How often I feel "unlearned" and have not the proper words to say what needs to be said- and if I speak before it's time, all that comes out sounds child-like.I have stayed away from the "prophetic" for awhile now due to the fact that there is so much "falseness" out there. I didn't want anything to do with it. As I read Art's writings about the Prophetic calling, I felt "at home"- like I finally fit somewhere (even though it is still hard because many people don't recognize women as real prophets.)The timing of all of this seems very funny to me.In Him, Chanin

Praise God Chanin.I have stayed away from the "prophetic" for awhile now due to the fact that there is so much "falseness" out there. I didn't want anything to do with it. As I read Art's writings about the Prophetic calling, I felt "at home"- like I finally fit somewhere (even though it is still hard because many people don't recognize women as real prophets.)I could not agree more.There are a few words that have had their intended meaning so wretched from their context by some that they have caused an almost auto reflex of cringing to hear. "Annointing", "Prophetic" I will admit that at the first I was a bit leary as well. But this is a man who understands and defends the meaning of prophecy as well as apostolic. I am still in the process of grasping it all.Let's see, there was Miriam (Aaron's sister), Deborah, Huldah the prophetess, prophetess Noadiah, Anna...Seem to recall someone bringing up the whole issue of restoration recently...hmmmmAnother good booklet/article on the site is "Apostolic Conversion" it's the equivalent of about 28 pages (lost mine :-( ) it took me about a week to read it, had to keep stopping to dwell on it. Definitely a different breed of man, this man.

"There are two great words that the church needs to guard with a fierce jealousy, namely, prophetic, and apostolic. If those two words are cheapened or made to stand for something that God did not intend, then we have lost our foundation. If our apostles and prophets are dubious, what then will the superstructure be if it is based on that foundation? The superstructure cannot exceed the foundation, and therefore the foundation deserves the most exceeding attention. This has been our long- standing passion and jealousy, and we have been watchful over the use of these words lest they should be used indiscriminately or lightly, which is unfortunately what is happening today."The Spirit of ProphecyArthur Katz

I cannot believe that I haven't pursued this subject before now. I've just let it sit. When I first got this message about restoration, I thought it was for the church I was going to at the time. They thought I was nuts. "Have you been praying for restoration here", I asked. "What exactly do you mean by that?!", the pastor said. It was like I had insulted his church.I even had the guts to go to another church that looked like the church in my dream. Of course they thought I was nuts too.After that, I figured out that it was the Lord's "church" as a whole. I was so innocent and naive about all of this back then- I'm really not that much "wiser" now.It is a mystery as to why the Lord would choose to tell these things to people like ME.All i know now is that in my spirit I know whether something "agrees" with what He is doing, or if it goes against what He is doing or is meaningless to what He is doing.You start to see things from "kingdom" perspective - His eye view and what matters to Him and the work He is doing.If anybody else has any more info or input, I would love to hear it.In Him, Chanin

You are just killing me!And I mean that in the nicest possible way!I was just responding to the 'PJ' post and they are interlinked, I will move my thoughts here and link back to the other.PJ and the FireThere is a thread running through a lot of posts in the forum. I woke up this morning pondering on it, especially after Chanin's comments on 'restoration'.Personally, it defy's definiton, expression. It's this elusive 'something. I still hesitate to call it anything, end up just fumbling for words.But others have touched on it and given 'idenity' to it.Restoration.Revival.For me it all just 'resonates'Like this for instance;He said something about how the prophet says to the Lord "I am a child, I cannot speak!" We have no words for what we feel in our hearts. It was exhilerating and bittersweet to see this in writing. How often I feel "unlearned" and have not the proper words to say what needs to be said- and if I speak before it's time, all that comes out sounds child-like.Exactely!For quite awhile now I seem to have this inate ability to have no idea what is going on, and yet I do think I know what it is not.It is what originally my spirit reacted to upon the moment I first clicked on this site."Eureka!" "Hallelujah!" "Yes!"It is Tozer and Ravenhill and Chambers and Murray and Bounds and....KatzI'll go out on a limb...it is spiritual communication.It is a deep longing for the Lord, a dissatisfication for the way things are.It is not...Oh , I think we have touched on that enough in this forum. A usual reaction is "Nope, that's not it"Since I am already boasting in my foolishness, why stop now? When I had the pleasure to go hear Art Katz, besides the fact that he is a humble, fearless, 'becoming less and less popular',(in his words) and gentle man. A number of things struck me. Here he is in small churches, a little 'conference' room in an unimpressive hotel, with audencies of 25-35 people, speaking Truth. While we have auditoriums filled with Christians listening to False Prophets!. How much of what he said that I may have retained in my head is really inconsequential to what was imparted to my spirit. There was that resonating 'Yes!'Something that stuck with me was how he did discuss this...well, what we are now discussing!Recall him saying that we may need 'new words' to give expression, he made this jesture of balling up his hands and circeling them,(kind of like a boxer) churning from his gut to give illustration to what he wanted to express, this something other, something being birthed.Well, I am out of failed expressions.Something is going on.Chanin, if we are nut's, then I can't think of a better asylum to be in. We have become fools for Christ sake!Prise God!

Hi Mike,I remembered, from another lifetime ago when you said:"It is what originally my spirit reacted to upon the moment I first clicked on this site."Eureka!""Eureka" the best I can remember was a small town near "Yreka", "Grass Valley", in the "Marysville/Yuba City (Linda, Olivehurst)" Ca. area.It was also the exclamation a gold prospector used when he came to town with what he'd found. Normally prior to saying those immoratl words: " There's Gold in them thar hills!" :-D Keep digging Bro.Clutch ;-)

If I may, I'd like to share this with you. Back in March 2002 is when the Lord first started to share these things about restoration and about the Church. He kept giving me a message for the church, but again, i thought it was for the one I was at.I wrote all of this down, every night when He would wake me. He kept saying that the church was at the "crossroads", then He kept saying "apostacy"- something to that affect and that apostles testify the word of the Lord. he also mentioned that many would find their answer in this 'church'. In the first few messages, He is directly speaking to "His own"- His chosen ones, the ones who have praying for this and waiting. So it is important to remember that this message for "His own" will be a bit different from what I received for just a church people in general. He talks about not only us helpingto bring about restoration but to prepare for his coming- and also to bring love and light to the world.I have to be honest though, because in part, He talks about doing away with our old ways and injustices. I'm not exactly sure all that He is refering to here.At one point, one night, He woke me up with "Ignite the Church on fire!" saying "Oh, my beloved Church, your hour is here. ignite the fires of heaven!, I am coming with a vengence. Do not deny My entrance."...I realized later that the "fire" was supposed to be like a "purging' fire and that it would burn away all that was not of Him. That is one thing I know we are to be doing.Just giving you some examples here- since I have too many things to write.I hope this might give you/us some hope and zeal that the Lord IS moving on our behalf and is planning on using us in a mighty way. :-) In His love, Chanin

Does someone have the website address for Art Katz's readings and books? I would be greatly appreciative. :-D

Here is the Web Site for Art Katz.http://www.benisrael.org/

Hey Clutch!Yes, your memory serves you well, guess they had a bad spell checking program back then :-) Funny, if I remember correctly, my very first post here was 'Goldmine!'Yreka!

“The first evidence of a false prophet is somebody who likely wants to be a prophet! It has nothing to do with what you want to be; it has to do with the God who calls. It is nevertheless remarkable how many people are attracted to becoming a prophet because their definition and view of prophet is other than what we are describing. Their view is of something much more exciting, romantic and self-glorifying.” (Excerpt from the section, “Prophetic Formation and Integrity” in Mr. Katz’ online book, The Spirit of Prophesy) http://benisrael.org/OnlineBooks/spirit_of_proph/SOP_form_integ.htm

‘Can a man hide himself in hiding places, so I do not see him?’ declares the LORD. ‘Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?’ declares the Lord. I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy falsely in My name, saying, ‘I had a dream, I had a dream!’ (Jeremiah 23:24-25). The heart of the offense in being false before God is that all of this takes place as if He is not seeing and does not understand and is not aware of what is being done. It is an enormous presumption, one that God notes. It is, in effect, a complete absence of the fear of God or the reverence for God as God. Those that do so really believe they are hearing from God and that what they are communicating is the council of God! They have reached such a place of deceit, that they have persuaded themselves of it, and that when they say, "Thus says the Lord," it is in fact the Lord saying. We can come to that condition by a gradual erosion, a little day-by-day, slight kind of a thing, that when the process is finished, one is not only false, but one thinks that one is still true. Thus there is a daily vigilance required over the issues of the heart in order that deception does not have its ultimate work, where the man deceived thinks that he is in the right while leading many to their doom. That is why God urges us to exhort one another daily while it is yet today, because tomorrow is already too late. ...who intend to make My people forget My name by their dreams which they relate to one another...(Jeremiah 23:27a).That is to say, to communicate a sense of God that is not God and allow those listening to think that it is God because they have attached the name of Jesus to it. False prophetic things and things that are deceitful will affect how people perceive and understand God, especially if it affirms them in their shallowness or a certain lightness and frivolity is communicated. God cannot help but suffer loss. They are prophesying "in the name of the Lord," but because it is false, the effect of it is to get people to "forget His name," which is to say, to lose the sense of God as God, of what He is fearfully and majestically in Himself. The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord (Jeremiah 23:28).We can know that it is God’s word because it is likely to be the word that is expressed in verse 29:‘Is not My word like fire?’ declares the LORD; ‘and like a hammer which shatters a rock?’In other words, "My word breaks up the deeps; it demolishes and it burns." If you want to distinguish between a prophetic word that is God’s word and a prophetic word that is assumed by man, conjured out of his own mind and imagination and that is false, then here is the distinction: God’s word is like a fire. His word burns and is like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces. It is devastating and brings an effect and contains a power that breaks in or burns through. It will never be some innocuous, syrupy thing that confirms us in what we already are, especially when our lives are slovenly and slack. His word should burn in our heart and reveal its true condition and not as we presumptuously thought it to be.Every true word requires, and if we do not respond, then it means that we have not really heard. "Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts (Heb. 4:7b)." If we have heard, then it should evoke a response in us. Not to respond is to harden. There is no such thing as neutrality. The word of God when it is the word of God has to have consequence for ill or good. We can never ignore it or allow it to pass and nod our heads by saying, "Yes, that was a good and interesting word. I enjoyed that." It requires or we harden, and that is why we find so many people in a hardened condition, and then God’s last appeals would be a prophetic cry, but it has got to be like a hammer upon a rock that breaks through until the necessary repentance and release."Therefore behold, I am against the prophets," declares the LORD, "who steal My words from each other. Behold, I am against the prophets," declares the LORD, "who use their tongues and declare, ‘The LORD declares.’ Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams," declares the LORD, "and related them, and led My people astray by their falsehoods and their reckless boasting (‘and by their lightness’- King James Version); yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit," declares the LORD (vs. 30-32).There is a certain levity, a certain kind of air of casualness that seems to prevail in conferences and sessions where men who have not been sent of God have had opportunity to speak as if they had been sent of God. The unhappy thing is that great numbers of Christians in the world have never heard a true prophetic word spoken in the authority of God, and all they hear they assume to be normative. They have no basis for comparison. But to hear such a true word once is to be ruined forever for anything less. There is, therefore, a great cry and need for that word and that authority to come into the earth, that the church might be rightly ‘ruined’ and made candidates for the truth. It is the word that has become ‘event.’(excerpt from the section, “The Anatomy of False Prophets” in Mr. Katz’ online book, The Spirit of Prophesy) http://benisrael.org/OnlineBooks/spirit_of_proph/SOP_anat_false.htm

"Are you willing to lose your place in this world?" "Choose whom you will serve, the arm of flesh or Me, the Almighty God".

They Looked for a City Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. Galatians 4:26Many say, "The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these (Jer. 7:4)!" Others say it is only spiritually discerned! Where importance is placed by the individual, will it depend on what temple, or city, or "church", the individual will see as paramount. One will be scriptural, based on the word of God. The other institutional, based on the traditions of man. And guess what? ... the Lord will not accommadate both! The essence of the Protestant Reformation was an earnest call from the layman in the street for God's word to become public property for the common people. No longer was it to be private property of a select few, after centuries of repression and persecution from the Church of Rome. This emergence for change, as a backlash from the Dark Ages, became the new trend as the rollercoaster reform swept across Europe, and eventually to other parts of the world via the new colonies, as people tasted a fresh wave of tolerance and freedom. However, 'amendment', 'improvemen't, and 'correcting' a worldly system (even a "christianized" version) was not in God's agenda. He was calling His people to a better country, beyond reform, and the policies and dogmas of man. To a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Who knew by scripture they had not been called to building any earthly institution, nor were they refashioning one, but were being led to a new inheritance, where Christ Himself would build His church, which not even the gates of hell would prevail against. As the Reformation had fallen short in God's plan (as it was only prepared to return to God's word in part, or in gesture), today, is there a cry for a New Reformation from many circles within Christendom. This, no doubt, is the trumpet call of the false watchman, who would see multitudes captivated into this pseudo movement. Redefinable and adaptable to suit the times; where "signs", "wonders", "prophecie and visions", would count above God's word, and a "relevant" gospel would replace the biblical one, as man went about building his own utopia, welcoming in a replacement "Christ", as the Second Advent. This present New Wave is the final rejection of the Bible of the Reformation, where Christendom is bound by the comfort zones of the present religious status quo, and where Western "Christians" are more concerned about the preservation of their country and the conditions they have enjoyed for so many years, than the kingdom to come. Unable to discern the times are they preoccupied with coexistencing with this world that is hostile to "their" God, than preaching a kingdom that cometh not with observation, but is found within the faithful remnant. As always, for God's people, it is not a matter of "improvement", but getting back to the unchanging scriptures and the cross the scriptures testify to ... save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Leaving behind familiarity, the fulness of bread, and the abundance of idleness; and pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Being assured by Hebrews 11:40 ... that God has "provided some better thing for us". Tom Lamb - Authorhttp://www15.brinkster.com/beyondpro/acity.htm

Here is an Excellent booklet/testimony from Dan Hubbell of "Church Restoration". IN SEARCH OF A NEW WINE SKINA TESTIMONIAL BY DAN HUBBELL http://churchrestoration.org/teach/prior/IN%20SEARCH%20OF%20A%20NEW%20WINE%20SKIN.htmChurch Restoration

Oh my...Just finished reading this.No comment.Just read it.

Hi Goldminer Mike,You said:"Just finished reading this.No comment.Just read it."I say:"Ditto" ;-) Clutch

Dan Hubbell had some powerful things to say in that testimony, and it's sad that I couldn't see the church he described as any different than so many churches around my locale, and so many Christians...