Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Great Article By David Ravenhill

November 30, 2010 by Niels Prip

HELPING TO SHAPE A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE

DAVID RAVENHILL

RESTORATION OR CONVERSION?

I recently watched a uTube video of a young man being ‘restored’ to ministry after having fallen morally. The young man, along with his new ‘wife’ were surrounded by a dozen or so friends and leaders who were all there to release him back into ministry. Several prophetic words were spoken over them to the effect that they were going to be an example of integrity to the Body of Christ around the world. etc.

This young man had told his first wife that God had told him he was to marry her. Now after a couple or more children he had left her and fallen for one of his younger team members. Within weeks of his divorce he was remarried and was shortly thereafter released to minister again.

Let me state emphatically that I am not against restoration. The prodigal returned home to be given the Father’s kiss of welcome, the first robe, the ring of authority and the sandals for his feet. Heaven erupted into joy at his return and celebrated the day with music, dancing and feasting.

While in Europe recently I was pondering over some of these ‘quick’ restorations. I found myself comparing two similar and yet very different words, restoration and conversion. Are we as the body of Christ truly restoring our fallen or are we simply converting them?

Suppose I fall in love with an old car and decide to restore it. Let’s say it’s a 1948 Chevy. After numerous months of work I finally complete the project. Everywhere I take the car people immediately recognize it because it has been restored to its original condition. Now let’s say I lower the car several inches and replace the rear wheels with tires 12 inches wide. I then remove the entire roof and shorten the overall length making what was once a four door into a two door. Finally I remove the hood and install an oversized engine. Nobody in their right mind would say I had restored the car but they would all agree that it was converted from its original design into what would now be considered a hotrod.

To restore means to bring something back to its original condition to convert means to change something into something entirely different. Thank God for the miracle of conversion whereby we are changed and transformed by the grace of God into God’s new creation.

Are these cases of restoration really what God had in mind when we were told “You that are spiritual restore such a one?” William Barclay is considered by many to be one of the finest expositors when it comes to the etymology of Greek and Hebrew words. Here is what he writes concerning katarizein the Greek word Paul used for restore in Gal. 6:1

In classical Greek it has a wide variety of meanings, all of which can be gathered together under one or other of two heads. (i) It means ‘to adjust, to put in order, to restore’. Hence it is used to pacify a city which is torn by faction; of setting a limb that has been dislocated; of developing certain parts of the body by exercise; of restoring a person to his rightful mind; of reconciling friends who have become estrange. (ii) It is used of equipping or fully furnishing someone or something for some given purpose. Now when we take this and apply it to Christian discipline certain most significant things emerge. (i) It is clear that Christian discipline is never meant to be merely retributory punishment; it is not simply vengeance on the evil-doer. (ii)Discipline is meant to ‘mend’ a man and to ‘repair’ him. It regards him more as something which has been damaged or injured than it does a deliberate sinner.(iii)Discipline is meant to ‘equip’ him better to meet his temptations and to meet the battle and the demands of life. It regards him as a man ill and inadequately equipped and it regards the duty of the Christian society as being that of sending him out better able to deal with the things which defeated him.

In the case of the young man there is little question as to whether his marriage was restored – it wasn’t. As to whether his home was restored –just ask his children. It seems the only thing that was restored was his ‘ministry’. But that begs the question, is he now Biblically qualified to teach and preach? According to God’s word an Elder must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children in subjection, etc. Paul also declares that if a man doesn’t provide for his own he is worse than an infidel. This was clearly not the case here or in most cases for that matter. When we carelessly sidestep these requirements we send a clear message to the world that we value results more than integrity and calling more than character.

Isn’t it time we started restoring those who have fallen rather than converting them?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a Comment »

How Shall We Pray?

March 8, 2010 by Niels Prip

How Shall We Pray?

I have been hearing a certain teaching on prayer for many years now, and recently, I heard it again. It basically goes like this, a preacher or teacher will make a point of telling you that he prays in tongues for several hours a day. He will then tell you that this is what we all need to do, and that it is a more powerful and better way to pray. Also he will tell us how great it is because then the devil doesn’t know what we are praying, like there is some advantage to that.

Where does this teaching come from? Well, I am sure that it comes from their experience and the charismatic doctrine that they have embraced and have been taught.
If you are in a charismatic church, you will tend to believe this teaching as well. You will have been taught that everyone should pray in tongues, with no exception, and that it is better.

But what do the scriptures say about prayer? Well, in James 5:16 it says this, “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”. Interesting to note that there is no mention of “tongues”. If I were to paraphrase in it my own words, I would say that if a man is righteous, and he prays fervently, he has power with God. It really doesn’t matter if he prays in a tongue or whether the devils know what he is praying or not. I can find no where in scripture to refute that fact. Why do we want to add some new formula? God makes it clear in the scriptures as to what is important, being righteous and praying fervently.

Historically, there have been many men of God who have done mighty things and not embraced charismatic teachings. People used to say this about A. W. Tozer, “…just think of how great his works would be if he was filled with the Spirit”. I have heard with my own ears that comment made about Billy Graham. What nonsense! This teaching gives us the sense that we are better than these men. Clearly that is an error we can not afford.

We are to embrace sound teaching, supported by the scriptures. We are to be Bereans, as in Acts 17:11 “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true”. We are to examine the scriptures to see if the things we are being taught is true. This is the call to the men of the church. The Bereans even examined the things they were being told by Paul, should we be less diligent?

The truth is this “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”, in any language. Scripture supports this, and this alone.

Also see-

Proverbs 8:17

Hebrews 11:6

Posted in 1 | 1 Comment »

His Presence

September 29, 2009 by Niels Prip

   It is possible to be in a service and join in the praise and celebration, but not truly be a worshipper of God. It is not possible to be a worshipper of God and not praise Him.

    When we say worship, it is usually interpreted it to mean that part of the service where we have the worship team playing and we join in and sing. That in reality is probably better described as praise and celebration. And it is wonderful that during those times,  we sometimes do experience the presence of the Lord. Some songs are really suited to quiet our souls before Him and to help us turn our eyes toward Him. Then He fulfills His promise to us, “Whenever two or more of you are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of you”. His presence in our meeting is based on His promise. Music is a great tool to help us turn our hearts heavenward, and too express worship.

     The unsaved can come into that meeting and sense His presence as well. Just like in Corinthians, when we are told by Paul, “But if we all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all”. It is a wonderful thing to have His presence in our midst, and the unsaved are not excluded from sensing Him when we are moving by His Spirit.

   That one that is unsaved can join in and sing, yet he is not yet a true worshipper of God. He can be in a meeting where the Spirit is moving, and be convinced by it. Convinced that Jesus is real, convinced that he is a sinner and convinced that he needs Him.

Posted in 1 | Leave a Comment »

Job, The Righteous Father.

August 13, 2009 by Niels Prip

   There is a very short description in Job 1, revealing Job’s position as a father and as a covering for his household.

Job 1:4His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

   Interestingly, even as my own children have become adults, the burden still rests on me to some degree, to guard over them, as with Job, ” just in case they have sinned against the Lord”. I confess that at times, I have thought that once they were grown up, they would be on their own, that I did not have to worry about them anymore. Then I was reminded of how, long ago, the Lord had shown me this verse, and that this was once my prayer for them.

  Those of you who may stumble across this humble post, take on the prayer of Job for your family and children. When they are young, we are ever striving to raise them up in the ways of the Lord. When they leave the nest, continue to pray like Job.

np

Posted in 1 | 1 Comment »

« Newer Posts