Restoring the Kingdom

27 September 2014 by Donna Uning CM –

 

Pastors Colin and Helen Mitchell from Kehilat Hacarmel were here recently to share about Israel and God’s message with the church in Kuching.

Speaking at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Pastor Helen began explaining about the current situations in Isifiya and Israel. She talked about Kehilat Hacarmel, a place where people from different ethnic nationalities live, pray and worship.

 

 

“When we pray, we’re actually an army,” she said adding, “It is our weapon.” A place for preaching and pastoring, Kehilat Hacarmel is a shelter within the congregation.

“We are winning the battle on our knees,” she continued.

 

Ephesians 2:4,

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy.”

 

Ps Colin continued with the message about restoration.  Jesus’ disciples were asking about the coming restoration of the Kingdom.

 

Acts 1:6-8,  

“Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

 

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The Jewish apostles took the gospel and started preaching the gospel all over. “I don’t think they totally understood what was going to happen,” he said. They knew that the Lord had said the one verse that all Christians know of by heart.

 

John 3:16,

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

 

In His message, whosever was not just for the Jewish; it incorporated everybody. The Jewish apostles told of the gospel and pretty soon something amazing happened. Gentiles started to get saved and they didn’t quite know what to do about it.

Jerusalem was the focal point and it is going to be a focal point again. Paul said in Galatians;

 

Galatians 3:28,

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

 

“I have news for you. You don’t have to be Jewish,” said Ps Colin, who is a Jew. The church had misinterpreted what Paul was saying, telling God was finish with the Jews. 

“There are no second class citizens in the Kingdom of God; God is no respecter of persons,” he said. There are advantages of being a Jew, but also serious disadvantages, he added. He told how he was saved in a Pentecostal church in the East Side of London. The only two Jews in his church then were him and Jesus. While this Jew was being saved in East London, God was saving Jews all over the world.

“While the Gentile church has been running away from its Jewish and Hebrew roots in the last 2000 years, the synagogue has been running away from the Messiah. It’s a miracle any Jews got saved at all,” he said. But there are a few being saved through the ages. C.S. Lewis’ wife was a Messianic Jew.

 

 

“But God is a God of restoration; He wants to restore everyone and everything,” he continued. “Indeed some of you may need the joy of your salvation,” he said telling, “Some of you may need restored faith.” With everything that has been happening all around, you need to make sense of what is happening.

“Base your opinion on the Word of God and not the media,” he said. He also stressed about being politically correct and Biblically correct.

“There is no excuse if you are better equipped than the other parts of your nation,” he said. “Take a stand now!” he called.

 

Acts 3:19-21,

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.”

 

“We need more than just worship,” he said. Jesus is not returning until the time of restoration of all things spoken by the prophets. He’s coming back not to New York, London, Berlin, KL or Kuching. He is coming back the same way He ascended from the Mount of Olives.

“There were 50 Jewish Christians in 1957; and 20 000 today are worshipping Jesus in Jerusalem,” he told.

 

Acts 3:1-2,  

“One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer — at three in the afternoon.  Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.”

 

Romans 2:9,

“There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

 

“It’s time to make a spiritual impact across Malaysia,” he said. “Let the whole of Borneo know!” he called telling us not to just carry the lost to the gate and never carry them in. “The gospel is the only power on earth which can transform our enemies,” he said.

“We cannot sit on the fence anymore, it’s uncomfortable,” he said.

 

Acts 3: 6-8,

“Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.”

 

They are saying, ‘get up and be a part of us. The people who saw him probably saw their percentages or offering lost. They thought he was not good enough to go in and left him outside; it was like leaving someone at the gate and calling that gate ‘Beautiful’.

“Nobody needs to be left outside!” he called. If you can’t share the gospel, pray for them, “The reason we don’t pray biblical prayers is because we don’t read the Bible,” he said. “We don’t know it.”

 

Joel 2:28,

“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.”

 

“The world is getting darker, the church needs to be stronger,” he said.

 

Ephesians 6:10,

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”

 

“How can you take the Word of God when you don’t know it?” he asked. Proclaim, declare and pray the Word of God.

 

Psalm 46: 1-2,

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear.”

 

There are too many fearful Christians; but His perfect love cast out fears. “What are you afraid of? He doesn’t want us to be afraid,” he said. “He wants us to take a stand and walk in victory,” he said. The pastor continued by confirming our authority in Jesus and being the covenant people.

 

 

“If you want Jesus to come back, pray for the salvation of the Jews,” he ended asking us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Pastors Colin and Helen Mitchell are from the United Kingdom. The couple had been to Penang and Kuala Lumpur earlier.  They currently serve at Kehilat HaCarmel, Israel. The talk was organized by Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship.

 

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