Encouragement and encounters

Airstrip in the center of Serengeti National Park, Tanzania 2008

Peter in Acts spoke about the return of Jesus and the beginning of the ‘times of restoration of all things.’ Once we realized that God is committed to ‘process’ we begin to see our lives and those around us, in a new and hopeful light.

The earth will be filled with His glory- how is this going to happen? He is going to use you- us! Since the beginning, we see Jesus is committed to transforming the earth.- This is why Jesus himself said to preach the gospel to every creature.

¹⁴ For the earth will be filled

With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,

As the waters cover the sea.

-Habakkuk 2:14

Interesting, that in several places throughout Scripture, Jesus’ throne is set upon ‘a sea of glass, as clear as crystal. In fact in Exodus 24:10 it says “Under God’s feet it was paved like sapphire stone- like the heavens in clarity.” Its as if God placed the elements of heaven on the earth, to remind us of our true purpose when we lose our focus.

My friends, I take the blue sky, blues river, lakes and oceans as prophecy: the inevitable is that the knowledge of God will abundantly thrive in the earth. We are told that faith is ’substance’- the same with the knowledge of God. That substance that the Bible says paves the way before His Throne- the sapphire colored sea of glass. God planned it before hand, that the blue waters and sky would exist in this world as a prophecy to remind the earth that restoration is coming!

This cannot happen in a vacuum- did Jesus come in a vacuum, a perfect environment? Did he wave a magic wand and fix all the problems, VIOLATING HUMAN FREE WILL AND LOVE? Never, and never will He. Being a true lover, he has no desire to force people to love him, any more than you desire your wife to love you under compulsion and fear. Friend, what a powerful revelation- God chooses to share his work with us on the earth- the work of restoring peoples lives, the environment, government, the arts, education, music and all other facets of society to their God intended purpose. He is waiting to be ‘invited’ into these areas of society-thats right, God himself cannot live inside of a Sunday church service- He’s too vast and magnanimous.

¹⁴ May the Lord give you increase more and more,

You and your children.

¹⁵ May you be blessed by the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

¹⁶ The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’S;

But the earth He has given to the children of men.

-Psalm 115:16

Masai tribesman inside the Serengeti, 2008

This is why Jesus came to earth- God could have whispered one word to fix problems/sin on the earth.

Being entirely true, His new covenant doesn’t cancel the ‘old covenant’- I mean the NT is completely built on

its foundation- Jesus said this that all the Law and prophets point to ME-this is far from the mainstream

view that the OT doesnt matter, etc- God cannot lie by ‘undoing’ or hating His previous revelation.

Jesus was as much a part of the OT as the NT- Jesus said in the gospel of John, “Abraham saw my day and

was glad!”

Why not now- the earth groans- the land wants to rejoice and it can only rejoice in righteousness, generosity- the glory. People are longing to be restored into diginity, love and their place before God.

^18″For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. ¹⁹For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; ²¹because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
-Roman 8:-18

The greatest sinners become the greatest lovers- this is God’s trademark. The most depressed can become the most inspirational. The most proud can be the most humble . The most carnal can be changed into the most spiritual. That is the Bible biographies, in summary.- Moses, Paul, Abraham and David… and many more experienced restoration of their soul. Those who fall to the greatest depths can also be restored– and ascend to the greatest heights in God’s grace. Reading the Bible through God’s lens of restoration causes many things to make ’spiritual’ sense. Ectasy and joy will flood your spirit when you realize the amazing invitation to partner with God in his work of breathing life back into Creation.We can be off for 50 years but get on track in one moment- I would hate to carry some of my (current) problems with me after the grave. I am counting on grace to transform me and make me a warrior who fights to restore other people. No one is ever to far off- no one has ever gone too far away from God- we can be restored in one moment. Let us go onto give many people their dignity, purpose and fiery place with Jesus Christ. What can be more fun?

Galatians 6:1-

^“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore (restoration warriors) such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.”

Tanzanian Prairie

-all articles on this website are written and compiled by John and Sharon Senin