Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam
This is what I posted previously:
According to the dictionary, to "restore" means to bring back to a former or original condition. When something is restored in the Scriptures, however, it is always increased, multiplied, or improved so that its latter state is significantly better than its original estate.
That is from page 149 (or maybe page 199 because my 4's and 9's look alike) of Son Of A Preacher Man by Jay Bakker (son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker)
King David committed adultery and murder and was restored. He was not allowed to build the temple because he was a bloody man but he did continue to write psalms and prophesy in the Holy Ghost.
Peter denied the Lord openly but was used as the spokesman a couple of months later at Pentecost in Acts chapter 2.
The disciples abandoned Jesus and fled but He told them to go back to Jerusalem and proclaim His Word. It would have been easier for them to go someplace else where their failures were not so well known.
John Mark left the ministry team of the Apostles Paul and Barnabas in the summer of AD 47. When they decided to go back out together Barnabas wanted to take John Mark along with them but Paul did not. They had such a heated contention over it that they split up and went separate ways (spring AD 50). Years later (AD 68) the Apostle Paul requested for Mark to come to him and said that "he is profitable to me for the ministry).
God is a God of
the second chance,
the third chance,
the fourth chance,
etc.
If He expects us mortals to forgive 70 X 7, how often does He forgive?
God's grace is amazing and is not understood by many, especially those who are outside the church. Those of us inside the church don't do too well understanding it either. Grace is not fair.
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Thanks Sam!! That is amazing.....as is grace! I just cannot accept that "fallen" ministers cannot be put back to where they were in a short amount of time. That's what happened to Peter when he sat by a fire and used vulgarities to deny the dying Christ.