(Part I appeared in our May bulletin)
 
Restoring Burnt Stones - Part II by Dr. John Tetsola

Five Principles of Restoration

Let's look at the five principles of restoration.

But as one was felling a beam, the ax head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.  2 Kings 6:5

1. The first principle of restoration is to admit you have a problem. If you are ever going to be restored from wounds, pain or disappointment, you have to be willing to acknowledge that you have a problem. Deception is a very powerful tool of the enemy to keep us from getting well and progressing. It is not that we cannot be well. There is no one that God cannot make well physically, spiritually or emotionally. The truth is, many people in churches will not acknowledge that they have a problem. Everybody in the world may know that they have a problem, but them. 
People fail in direct proportion to their willingness to accept excuses for their failures. The easiest thing to do is to blame somebody else. This is a chronic problem in churches- lack of taking responsibility. If you are head of your home and it falls apart, it does not matter what your wife or her family did to create it, it is your problem. You cannot enjoy the benefit of headship or leadership without bearing the burden of responsibility. Benjamin Franklin said, "He that is good at making excuses is seldom good at anything else." George Washington Carver is quoted as saying, "Ninety-nine percent of failure comes from people who have the habit of making excuses within their lives.“

And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.  2 Kings 6:6

2. The second principle is be willing to go back to the place where the problem started. In verse six above, the man of God asked the young

prophet where the axe head fell. The young man was not reluctant to show the prophet the place or the spot. He was not prideful, ashamed or embarrassed to show him the place. The Scripture says that the young prophet showed the senior prophet the place that the failure started. Wherever you drop your axe head is always the beginning place of the wound, pain, disappointment or failure, and it is also the beginning spot of your healing.
The young prophet took the senior prophet back to the place where the problem began. If you are ever going to experience some form of restoration from being a burnt stone, you must be willing to turn your heart around, so that you can go back to the place where the problem began, not to live there, but to dig out the seed of the ongoing life span of the problem. Who hurt you? Who abused you? Who wounded you? It hurts sometimes to go back and investigate a past experience, but despite the pain you can go back mentally to some experiences, and spot the seeds of the ongoing life of that problem.

And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.  2 Kings 6:6

3. The third principle in the restoration process is to learn to apply the cross of Christ to the place of the wound, pain, hurt and disappointment. When you acknowledge that you have a problem and then go back to the place where the problem started, then apply the cross of Christ to the place of the wound, disappointment, hurt, offense and failure. 
Now look at what the Scripture says in verse 6. It says he cut off a stick and cast it in the place. WHERE? The place where the axe head fell. The place where the problem began. The place where he lost it. This only happened two times in the Old Testament where wood was put in water. It is symbolic of something. In Exodus 15:25, Moses was told by God to throw a tree into the pool of Marah (meaning "bitter"). The tree is
symbolic of the cross and when Moses threw the tree in the bitter water, it became sweet.

Wood was applied to the spot of the problem by the young prophets and a miracle took place. The wood is a symbol of the cross of Christ. Let that cross be applied in your greatest failure, your greatest humiliation, in your pain, hurt, disappointment, and in your wound. God can make the bitterness, pain, hurt and offense sweet, and there can be healing, strength, victory and peace. He will turn that situation around. Otherwise, it will become a sore that will fester for the rest of your life.

Two Advantages of the Blood of Jesus

There are two things that the blood of Jesus does for our situations when you bring the cross of Jesus into it. The first thing is forgiveness. When you come to Christ, the blood of Jesus is applied to your life, and your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. You are given a new identity and a new nature. God blots out your iniquities.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

The second advantage is that the blood of Jesus continues to activate that relationship with Him. This is written here to Christians.

Then the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And when he showed him the place, he cut off a stick, and threw it in there, and made the iron float.  2 Kings 6:6 (NASB)
For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off. Proverbs 23:18

4. The fourth principle of the restoration process is to expect a miracle from God. Expect to be healed. Expect to be delivered and set free. A miracle is simply a supernatural intervention and demonstration of God's power on a thing. Expectancy is the breeding ground for miracles and healing.  As you put the wood to the place of the pain, hurt, disappointment, tragedy and  wound, expect God to do something in your life in that situation.

In verse 6, the Bible says "and he made the iron to float." What is it you are experiencing or going through right now, that like iron refuses to float? It may be so heavy that it is destroying and hurting you right now, you must expect a miracle from God. I have never seen iron float in a river or in water, but that does not mean it cannot float when the force of God is applied. As you put that wood (cross of Christ) in that setback, He works out a miracle.

And he said, "Take it up for yourself." So he put out his hand and took it.  2 Kings 6:7 (NASB)

Finally, we must reach out, pick up the axe head, and then use it for God's work. This time, when that restoration takes place in that area of your life, remember what it was meant to be used for. Begin to do something fresh and new with what God has done for you. You must not live or dwell in the past. You must no longer allow the past to haunt you, hurt and destroy you. Walk afresh in the deliverance that you have received.

 This is a special word received from the Lord during Friday intercession on 26 June & 3 July 2009.

 Print Friendly