(“Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be Saved”)
PSALM 80:19
This watchword is the summary of the scripture, which stand as our spiritual guideline for the whole year 2018. This is to understand God’s revelation about the present and the future.
“Enforce,” it’s a slogan for any Assembly that is sincerely belong to the Christ Apostolic Church worldwide. They are subjected to say this prayer in their assembly, anywhere they gathered to worship and in their various houses. It is also useful for the Christian all over the world.
According to the dictionary “Restore” means to reestablish something to its original condition. Therefore, something that is restored in the Scripture always grows multiples or improves, so that its final condition is superior to its original state. Joel 2:21-26.
For example, when God restored Job after the terrible situation which the devil subjected him to, God redoubled all things which he had lost and blessed him more abundantly in his latter days than that of the beginning of his life. (Job 42:10-12).
We remember what happened to Naaman, after he was healed from his leprosy, his body became like new born baby. “So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” (2King5:14)
Again, let us talk about the spiritual restoration that our Lord Jesus Christ made to the Samaritan Woman at a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, beside Jacob’s well. The woman who had being living a sinful life for long time. When she meets the Messiah, Jesus Christ, her life was spiritually restored. When her life was restored spiritually, her life has value in the society and she was respected. She became the instrument of Evangelism. Her new life brought good news to the people of the day and they turned to the Lord, because God’s face was shined on her and she became part of God's kingdom, that is, she was saved. “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” (Luke 4:39)
We are really interested in this Psalm (the word of God) and its spiritual desire, that is; “Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be Saved” (see verse 3, verse, 7 and 14,)! Repetition of the verse, make this year WATCHWORLD spiritual valuable to His Church, (the believers of Jesus Christ). The Church of God needs to be restored to Him.
Another important thing to notice about “Restore us,” is that it shows the awareness of the present position of the people. “For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.” (Psalm51:3)! His desire is to turn to God, the creator of universe and calls Him for the final restoration.
Are we not witnesses or aware what is going on today? The Church which Jesus Christ shed His blood on the cross to redeem, now become a place of tribalism, selfishness, nepotism, hatred, murderer, self-center and so on are ruling. These bring hardship, sadness, and also remove the joy of salvation from Church. Who is the Church? Are we not the Church? Yes we are. The Bible says so (1 Corinthians 6:19 and Ephesians 1:22-23).
Furthermore, the repetition of the prayer shows the eagerness of the people, and their conviction that their only hope in their troubles was that God would intercede and bring them back again to Him. We also need to return to our Lord Jesus Christ for our restoration.
Conclusively, the aim and objective of this WATCHWORD, is to make every Christian be sincere when they are reading it, then do self examination, turn to God and plead to our Lord Jesus Christ for restoration. In 2018 if we (the Church) keep the vow which is our WATCHWORD for the year, the world will be comparatively a pure and happy world; even the church itself will indeed arise and shine. Love will return then there will be joy, peace and an overflowing life.
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
hello sir/ma, please i need watchword from 1997 to 2018 list pls
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