By David Mohan

Celebration of restoration comes when we repent. Celebration of restoration comes when we fast and pray. Celebration of restoration comes when we rebuild the temple of God.

Today the Holy Spirit speaks to the Church: You must repent. The Spirit of God spoke to all the churches in Revelation 2:4,5: "You have forsaken your first love. … Repent and do the things you did at first" (NIV).

When you have lost your devotion to Jesus Christ, you lose the salt and the light in your life. When you lose the salt and the light, you cannot transform your community.

Revelation 3:1 says, "I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God." Church, we must do the deeds that are complete in the sight of God; therefore, repent in order to have restoration.

The celebration of restoration comes to the Church when we fast and pray. Joel 2:25 says, "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten." The first-century Church was full of fruit. But the locusts have come and eaten the fruit. Churches have lost the passion for perishing souls.

Fasting and prayer work wonders. Only consecrated people can pray to do the will of God. If you are not consecrated, you will never pray. Prayer is a struggle. There is an enemy against prayer. Today the Holy Spirit is speaking to you to fast and pray. Then the restoration of celebration will come to your church. And you will have the former rain and the latter rain together, and you will reap a harvest.

Celebration of restoration comes when we rebuild the temple of God. We are not called to just build a congregation or a building; we are called to build the body of Christ.

In the first century, people were added to the Church every day. There was unity; there was the resurrected power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Churches multiplied. In this century God will do mighty things. We will celebrate the victory when we rebuild the temple of God.

God spoke to me: "You are in a comfortable zone now. Enlarge your faith."

I asked the Lord, "How can I enlarge my faith?"

God said: "Enlarge your building."

I said, "Lord, I cannot do it because all our people are very poor."

The first building was built by American money. I said, "Lord, now they’re not going to give me any money."

But God spoke to me, "Don’t look to the West; look to Me."

God supplied our need.

Church, if you have lost your first love, the Holy Spirit is giving you your first love back. If you have lost the art of fasting and praying, the Holy Spirit is asking you to pray. God wants to restore the gifts of the Holy Spirit; He is asking you to build His church.

---

David Mohan is pastor of New Life Assembly of God in Madras, India, with an attendance of 17,000. On his staff are 60 pastors and more than 4,000 leaders.