And he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you. Whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. Acts 3: 20 - 21

 The history of the Church is the story of a process of change. Peter preaching prophetically spoke of a time yet future when Jesus would return to the earth:

This was soon after Jesus had ascended into heaven and the Holy Ghost had arrived on the Day of Pentecost filling the waiting disciples Jesus would be received, held, retained or accepted with gladness into heaven until the times/seasons of restitution of all things.

 It is clear that this word promising restitution is not directed to the world but to the Church.

Restitution is promised to the Church. The Greek word translated restitution (AV) or restoration (NIV) is "apokatastasis" (apo - back, kathistemi - to set in order).

The whole history of the Church is encapsulated in Peter's short statement.

Church history is the story of the ongoing, developmental process of putting the Church back into the kind of divine order and structure that was manifested at the first in the days of the early glory of the Church in the Book of Acts.

Almost five hundred years ago God began the process of restitution which is still ongoing today in the l990's.

The Protestant Movement 1500

This move of God came into existence because a prophet of God, Martin Luther, received the mighty revelation of justification by faith - Romans 1: 16 & 17.

The Holiness/Evangelical Movement 1800

The truths restored to the Body during this movement span a 300 year period from the 17th Century to the end of the 19th Century, but the year 1800 is taken as an approximate date to indicate when the Holiness Movement was in apogee.

 The most significant man used by God in this period was John Wesley who was the most outspoken exponent of the Holiness teaching. Three main truths were restored in this movement: sanctification, baptism by immersion and divine healing.

The Pentecostal Movement 1900

Speaking in tongues had been manifested in isolated situations before the Pentecostal Movement brought powerful restoration of the truth of the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.

The Latter-Rain Movement 1948

The movement began in North Battleford, Saskatchewan in Canada in February 1948. - I Timothy 4: 14.

 In addition to the laying on of hands and prophecy, the Latter Rain Movement brought to the Church the reality and practice of lifting of the hands with extended and melodious singing of praise as opposed to the Classical Pentecostal shout of praise.

The Charismatic Movement 1960

The great Pentecostal David Du Plessis can also be regarded as a father of the movement. He records in his book how Smith Wigglesworth burst into his office on a sunny morning in 1936, backed him up against a wall, looked fiercely into his eyes and delivered a prophecy from God about a coming movement of greater proportion than the current Pentecostal Movement.

 The following is an extract of the prophecy:

"I have been sent by the Lord to tell you what He has shown to me this morning. Through the old-line denominations will come a revival that will eclipse anything we have known throughout history. No such things have happened in times past as will happen when this begins. It will eclipse the present-day, twentieth-century Pentecostal revival that already is a marvel to the world, with its strong opposition from the established church. But this same blessing will become acceptable to the churches and they will go on with this message and experience beyond what the Pentecostals have achieved. You will live to see this work grow to such dimensions that the Pentecostal Movement itself will be a light thing in comparison with what God will do through the old churches. There will be tremendous gatherings of people, unlike anything we've seen, and great leaders will change their attitude and accept not only the message but also the blessing" (Du Plessis, David, The Man Called Mr Pentecost, New Jersey: Logos International, 1977, pp. 2-3).

Wigglesworth went on to prophesy to Du Plessis that God had ordained him a mighty prominent place in such a move, and that he would be released into it after Wigglesworth's death.

David Du Plessis went on to later fulfil this prophetic word as the prophesied restorational move of God sprang up in the sixties, mushrooming into the main line Protestant churches, taking root and exploding in the Roman Catholic Church. He became a major architect of the Charismatic Movement.

You have heard; see all this. And will you not declare it? I have made you hear new things from this time, even hidden things, and you did not know them.

They are created now and not from the beginning; and before this day you have not heard them, lest you should say, 'Of course I knew them.’ Isaiah 48:6-7

There is a move of God taking place in the earth today.

God is breaking out of traditional boundaries and out of the formerly set paradigms in the global church.

He is doing something completely un-forseen, different and new.

The word ‘reformation’ (Greek: diorthosis) means to make a structural adjustment; to make straight again that which is broken, protrudes or has become misaligned or misshapen; to put back into the correct order or form 

God is redesigning in a profound and total way the outer manifestation of the Church in the earth, by means of a deep inner change in all the inner workings of the Body of Christ.

The Church of Jesus Christ is in a state of change and transformation. It is a Body that goes from state to state as God leads the Church through cycles or seasons of restoration. The Bible says that Jesus will be held in the heavens until the times of restoration (Acts 3: 21); until God goes through cycles of putting the Church back in order.

Psalm 84 describes a people in whom God takes pleasure, a people whose heart and flesh cry out for the living God and whose soul longs for the courts of the Lord. The psalmist describes the blessing of the Lord upon such a people and identifies the characteristic in them that triggers the blessing:

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

Psalm 84: 5(NIV)

There is a link between vision and government. Where there is no vision people cast off restraint and perish; to be lacking in vision is to be lacking in good government. Lack of corporate vision makes people victims of Satan. Good government and good leadership that provide clear vision are like a wall of protection against the invasion of the satanic kingdom into the household of God. Good government in the house of God is not only an organisational requirement, it is a spiritual necessity for survival.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE AGENT OF RESTORATION

". . . there was a noise and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone . . ."
Ezekiel 37: 7.

God's restorational moves in the Body is the establishing of the divine order of God in the Church.

God's divine order for the body often conflicts with organisational order and structure, or traditionally held norms.

When the wind of the Holy Spirit begins to blow sovereignly upon God's Church there is a shaking as God's re-arrangement, God's divine plan, God's eternal order for the body of Christ begins to move forcefully against structures that exist.

.The Church:

The Church is likened to the human body: (I Corinthians 12: 12, 18, 27.)

Just as the human body grows and is a dynamic interplay of supports and dependencies, so is the Church, the Body of Christ . The Church is dynamic, adjustable, flexible and full of life and growth. Jesus said "I will build my Church" - Matthew 16: 18, and that statement suggests a present continuous process of development, upgrading and increase, both in size ( quantity ) and in revealed and appropriated truth ( quality ), until the Church arrives at God's predetermined state of maturity and readiness - Ephesians 4: 13.

The Church is likened to a building: (Ephesians 2: 20-22.)

It is built upon the apostle/prophet foundation with cornerstone Jesus Christ in place to determine the shape and design of the structure. The building is perfectly and skilfully fitted together and "groweth" into a complete, holy temple in the Lord. The word "groweth" again suggests a present continuous process taking place in the Church. The Church is "builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit"(v.23). Again there is clear indication of a building, changing, ongoing process taking place in the structure that is the Church.

The saints must come to maturity.

The governmental office ministries of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher are placed in the Church by Jesus Christ Himself to effect this process of development and growth at the unit level, so that the whole body might be brought to maturity and perfection - Ephesians 4 : 13. The Word of God is clear that this "perfecting of the saints" is not achieved in Church administration or in organisation-related programmes.

The "perfecting" is designed to strengthen the saints against infancy in spiritual things, against seduction by false doctrine and deception by false ministers Ephesians 4: 14-15.

Therefore the "perfecting" is primarily spiritual in nature, doctrinal/revelational in emphasis, truth-oriented in character, to cause the saints to be spiritually strong, with the result that the whole body increases and is edified when every part of it begins to "work effectually" and perform effectively - Ephesians 4: 16.

Remembering that the Church is the body of Christ corporately made up of individually set member parts I Corinthians 12: 18-27, then it is absolutely vital to the growth, maturity and completion of the Body of Christ that each member part/saint is prepared, strengthened and released fully into functional ministry, so that the entire Body is edified and brought to the fullness of the stature of Christ

God's Search for a Man

Ezekeil 2

In the book of Ezekiel chapter two where the whole structure of that society was falling apart, when the kings were perverted, the judges were judging falsely, the prophets were prophesying lies, the priests were corrupt, the people were being led astray and God was about to send His judgement upon the whole order. He said, "I search for a man among them, that will turn away my hand and allow me to bring properness back into the structure and I have found none."

This is foundational to a proper comprehension of what leadership is. God looks for a man to point to the way birth the vision, hear the word of the Lord, but His purpose is not for a man, His purpose is of a people.

 God's desire is to move among and establish a people of the Lord. The man He calls for, the tool, the catalyst, the agent for a purpose that', greater than himself.

He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 4: 10-13

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Ephesians 4: 14-16

God's purpose for establishing governmental ministry and leadership in the Church is to bring forth a people to perfect His Body.

There's a larger aim than the man.

God will destroy men but He will never destroy the Body.

Jesus said, "I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16: 18). The most basic principle to understand is that the Body is most precious, the Church is most holy.

True potential leaders of the Church are Church men or men of the Church.

These men are not prima-donnas. They are not those who want to be noticed and those who want to be seen.

They are not independent-minded men who don't know how to walk and exist in unity, they have fellowship as a primary characteristic of their life and experience in the Lord.

 They are not the uncommitted; those who dip into the honey touching this flower and that flower (the hummingbird mentality).

They arc committed men; not rebellious in nature and not separate walkers

Church leadership does not focus on itself and lift up or exalt itself but it submerges itself to the greater aim, the greater purpose and the greater glory of Jesus Christ, which is to bring forth the prize of God - the Church, the Body of Jesus Christ.

There is a character requirement, a behaviour requirement, an under- standing requirement, a transformation that must take place if men are to be fully established to be able to walk properly under God's anointing and under God's glory.

TRUE POTENTIAL LEADER HAVE THE SCENT OF DEATH UPON THEM. Leadership is experiential death. Paul said, "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live".