Preparation for Heavenly Living Correspondence School

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PFHL Course 630-- Restoration Principles and Techniques

(by Bill Stevenson)

Directions: Write the answers to questions (preceded by numbers) amidst the information
stated in this collection. This assignment is worth 3 units, so write at least 4
quality pages (single spaced lines and no redundancies).
On Saturday, July 10, 1999, I watched a 3ABN televised camp meeting sermon about the
below event. It was based on the following Bible story:
Matthew 14:24-33 “But the ship [that main disciples of Jesus Christ were in] was now in the
midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the
fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And
when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled,
saying, ‘It is a spirit’; and they cried out for fear.
But straightway Jesus spoke unto them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer; it is I;
be not afraid.’
And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it be You, bid me come unto
Thee on the water.’
And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he
walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous,
he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, ‘Lord, save me.’
And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said
unto him, ‘O you of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’
And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that
were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying, ‘Of a truth You art the
Son Of God.’”
Main thought questions by the preacher--
1. How did Jesus restore Peter?
2. Did he make fun of him?
3. What did He really do for Peter and what did He really say to him?
Interesting questions that came to my mind during and after the sermon--
4. What happened after the divine restoration of the Matthew 14:24-33 event was completed?
5. How and to what was Peter restored after he denied knowing Jesus Christ 3 times?
What more does the Bible say?
Psalm 23:3 “He [God] restores my [David’s] soul: He leads me in the paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.”
6. God restores what and leads the restored to what?
7. What does that mean to you personally?

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 Psalm 51:10-13 “Create in me [David, after his confession about his worst sin] a clean heart,
O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your
presence; and take not Your holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of
Your salvation; and uphold me with Your free spirit. Then will I teach
transgressors Your ways; and sinners shall be converted unto You.”
8. What does divine restoration apparently include, what can it apparently do, and what is a
good reaction to it by the restored?
9. How would you translate or explain the last two sentences of the above Psalm 51 passage?
Matthew 12:8 “For the Son Of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day. And when He was
departed thence, He went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man
which had his hand withered. And they asked Him, saying, ‘Is it lawful to heal
on the Sabbath days? that they might accuse Him. And He said unto them,
‘What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall
into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How
much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on
the Sabbath days.’ Then says He to the man, ‘Stretch forth your hand.’ And he
stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.” [Also in Mark
2:28-3:5 and Luke 6:5-10]
10. This story is one of the small number of events in Jesus’ human form life that are in at least 3
of the Gospel books. How complete is divine restoration?
11. How complete should human done (Christian parent or ministry leader done) restoration be
for those in need? Give specific examples of both complete and incomplete restoration.
Mark 8:22-25 “And He [Jesus] cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto Him,
and besought Him to touch Him. And He took the blind man by the hand, and
led him out of the town; and when He had spit on his eyes, and put His hands
upon him, He asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see
men as trees, walking. After that He put His hands again upon his eyes, and
made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.”
12. Does divine restoration always happen immediately?
13. How quick should the restoration process by a Christian parent or ministry leader take? Give
specific examples: one almost immediate after …, one over a few weeks, on over a good
period of months.
Luke 19:2-10 “And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among
the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and
could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and
climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And
when Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and saw him, and said unto him,
‘Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.’
And he made haste, and came down, and received Him joyfully. And when
they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That He was gone to be guest with a
man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; ‘Behold,
Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing
from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.’ And Jesus said unto
him, ‘This day is salvation come to this house, for so much as he also is a son
of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was
lost.’”
14. What did Zacchaeus do in order to get spiritual salvation from Jesus Christ?
15. What does this passage indicate that a present day individual should do?
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16. How is Christian Salvation a form of restoration? [Read 2 Corinthians 5-6]
Acts 1:6-11 “When they [Jesus’ disciples] therefore were come together, they asked of Him,
saying, ‘Lord, will Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And
He said unto them, ‘It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the
Father hath put in His own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the
Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the
Earth. And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken
up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked
steadfastly toward Heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in
white apparel; who also said, ‘Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into
Heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so
come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven.’”
17. What do you think the restoration again of “the kingdom to Israel” mean? How does it relate
to the Second Coming of Christ Jesus?
Galatians 5:22-6:10 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections
and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us
not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one
another. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are
spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering
thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and
so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something,
when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let every man prove his
own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in
another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Let him that is
taught in the word communicate unto him that teaches in all good
things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man
sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the
flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit
reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due
season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity,
let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the
household of faith.”
18. How does the fruit of the Spirit related to true Christians responsibility to restore others?
19. What ways of human restoration does this passage indicate should be done by true
Christians?

Note: The following is from the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary with thought-provoking questions by
Bill Stevenson.
RESTORA'TION, n. [LATIN restauro.]
1. The act of replacing in a former state. So we speak of the restoration of a man to his
office, or to a good standing in society.
20. Give some good how-to examples of this that can be done with other Christians who have
been victims of religious prejudice or wrong judgments by past employers or friends or
spouses.
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 2. Renewal; revival; re-establishment; as the restoration of friendship between enemies; the
restoration of peace after war; the restoration of a declining commerce.
21. What Bible examples of this do you remember?
3. Recovery; renewal of health and soundness; as restoration from sickness or from
insanity.
22. What examples of this have you heard about or/and witnessed? What Bible examples of this
do you remember?
4. Recovery from a lapse or any bad state; as the restoration of man from apostasy.
23. What Bible examples of this do you remember?
5. In theology, universal restoration, the final recovery of all men from sin and alienation
from God, to a state of happiness; universal salvation.
24. How does 2 Corinthians 5-6 speak to this?
RESTO'RATIVE, a. That has power to renew strength and vigor.
25. What and who has such power?
RESTO'RATIVE, n. A medicine efficacious in restoring strength and vigor, or in recruiting the
vital powers.
26. What are examples of such medicine?
RESTO'RE, v.t. [LATIN restauro. This is a compound of re and the root of store, story, history.
The primary sense is to set, to lay or to throw, as in Greek, solid.]
27. How can you explain these indicated original language meanings?
1. To return to a person, as a specific thing which he has lost, or which has been taken from
him and unjustly detained. We restore lost or stolen goods to the owner. Now therefore
restore to the man his wife. Genesis 20.
28. Give some examples from your life.
2. To replace; to return; as a person or thing to a former place.
29. What examples of this have you heard about or/and witnessed? What Bible examples of this
do you remember?
3. To bring back. The father’s banished virtue shall be restored.
30. What does this mean to you?
4. To bring back or recover from lapse, degeneracy, declension or ruin to its former state.
Loss of Eden, till one greater man restore it, and regain the blissful seat. Our fortune
restored after the severest afflictions.
31. What does this mean to you? What examples of this have you heard about or/and
witnessed? What Bible examples of this do you remember?
5. To heal; to cure; to recover from disease.
32. What examples of this have you heard about or/and witnessed? What Bible examples of this
do you remember?
6. To make restitution or satisfaction for a thing taken, by returning something else, or
something of different value. He shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a
sheep. Exodus 22.
33. What examples of this have you heard about or/and witnessed?
7. To give for satisfaction for pretended wrongs something not taken. Psalm 69.
34. What examples of this have you heard about or/and witnessed?
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 8. To repair; to rebuild; as, to restore and to build Jerusalem. Daniel 9.
35. What examples of this have you heard about or/and witnessed?
9. To revive; to resuscitate; to bring back to life. Whose son he had restored to life. 2 Kings
8.
36. What New Testament examples of this do you remember?
10. To return or bring back after absence.
37. What New Testament examples of this do you remember?
11. To bring to a sense of sin and amendment of life.
38. What does Galatians 6 mean to you? What other Bible verses and examples are appropriate
to this definition of restore?
12. To renew or re-establish after interruption; as, peace is restored. Friendship between the
parties is restored.
39. What examples of this have you heard about or/and witnessed? What Bible examples of this
do you remember?
13. To recover or renew, as passages of an author obscured or corrupted; as, to restore the
true reading.
40. What examples of this have you heard about or/and witnessed?
RE'STORE, v.t. [re and store.] To store again. The goods taken out were restored.
RESTO'RED, pp. Returned; brought back; retrieved; recovered; cured; renewed; re-established.
41. What examples of this have you heard about or/and witnessed?
RESTO'REMENT, n. The act of restoring; restoration.
42. What examples of this have happened in your life?
RESTO'RER, n. One that restores; one that returns what is lost or unjustly detained; one who
repairs or re-establishes.
43. How have you been such?
RESTO'RING, ppr. Returning what is lost or taken; bringing back; recovering; curing;
renewing; repairing; re-establishing.
44. How have you been such?

45. Respond to the following anagram is if you are teaching it to adults:

R-- respect for one another and receiving of each other
E-- emotions and exhorting
S-- Scripture: what does the Bible say about the situation needing restoration?
T-- teaching from a Holy Spirit-led pastor, Biblical counselor, or an appropriate Scripture filled book
O-- obedience to God's Word and the Holy Spirit
R-- repentance: proper changes of thinking and behavior habits
A-- appreciation and adoration (not flattery)
T-- trusting again
I-- intertwine souls
O-- outreach: sharing good news and lessons with others
N-- notify relatives about the new ways of thinking and behavior

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46. Write the following two Bible passages in your own words:
STRENGTH PERFECTED
1. God Gives Strength to.......
Isaiah 40:29-3l says,
“God gives power to the faint;
and to them that have no might, He increases strength....
Then young men shall utterly fall;
but they that wait on the LORD shall
renew their strength and
soar ahead and
not be weary or faint.”
2 His Strength Made Perfect In .......
In 2 Corinthians l2:9-lla, God told Paul in relation to his “thorn in the flesh”:
“My grace is sufficient for thee:
for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
Paul replied:
“Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities,
in persecutions, in distresses
for Christ's Sake....
I become a fool in glorying;
You have compelled me.”
***We each must confess our wrongs, then God can do the above. (l John l:9)
***What do the above Scriptures mean personally to you?

47. Personally relate to the following diagram as if you are teaching a quick lesson about
recovering from a divorce:
REBUILDING
Freedom to get involved again!
Understanding marriage goodness
H
Understanding responsibility
Enjoying singleness
Unselfish love for others
Casual friendships
O
Able to trust again
Self Esteem
Learning from the past
Letting Go
P
Anger
Grief
Guilt/Rejection
E
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 Loneliness
Denial
F A I T H
Note: The above idea came from a Menlo Park Presbyterian Church (in California) ministry

46. Personally relate the following list to an individual in your past:

TO "LET GO" TAKES LOVE
To "let go" does not mean to stop caring,
it means that I can't do it for someone else.
To "let go" is not to cut myself off,
it is the realization that I can't control another.
To "let go" is not to enable,
but to allow learning from natural consequences.
To "let go" is to admit powerlessness,
which means the outcome is not in my hands.
To "let go" is not to try to change or blame another,
it is to make the most of myself.
To "let go" is not to care for, but to care about.
To "let go" is not to fix, but to be supportive.
To "let go" is not to judge,
but to allow another to be a human being.
To "let go" is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes,
but to allow others to effect their own destinies.
To "let go" is not to be protective.
it is to permit another to face reality.
To "let go" is not to deny, but to accept.
To "let go" is not to nag, scold, or argue, but instead,
to search out my own shortcomings and to correct them.
To "let go" is not td adjust everything to my desires, but to
take each day as it comes, and to cherish myself in it.
To "let go" is not to criticize and regulate anybody,
but to try to become what I dream I can be.
To "let go" is not to regret the past,
but to grow and to live for the future.
To "let go" is to fear less and to love more
Adapted from: Can Christians Love Too Much? by: Dr. Margaret J. Rinck

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 Note: This is a course idea that came to me Sunday night, July 23, 1994. I have not wrote it yet,
but hope to soon:
47. State what might be covered in each of the ten chapters.
RESTORATION FOR REVIVAL IN CHRISTIANITY
(Based on Ephesians 4)

1. Restoration of Righteousness
2. Restoration of Christian Marriages and Families
3. Restoration of “the Golden Rule” and Decency in Respect for Others
4. Restoration of Proper Bible Teaching and Counseling
5. Restoration of True Christian Education
6. Restoration of Committed Christians
7. Restoration of Intercessory Prayer
8. Restoration of First-Christian-Church-like Outreach
9. Restoration of Holy Spirit Led Praise and Worship
10. Restoration of Peace and Joy and Unselfish Love

48. What do you think about the below “steps”?

49. What do you think are the seven best Bible verses in the ones indicated which are favorites
of yours? Explain why?

Release and Recover

The 12 Steps of Wholeness

Note: First any bad habit can be stopped if one wants to, but it must replaced with a better
habit. Bad addictions have to be dealt with further and this tool has been very
successful. History: Following a tradition of the early church and the Wesley revival, the
Oxford Group systematized a series of “steps” as a process of cleansing one’s inner life.
These “steps” were later adapted by AA with much of the Christian basis ignored. They
are here re-adapted emphasizing the great Christian base so integral to the wholeness
sought. The center of wholeness is recognized as Jesus Christ. The “steps” have also
been changed to conform to other principles of discipleship and Christian growth. If a
Christian will vigorously apply these principles daily, and make these decisions, that
person will move toward “teleios” or wholeness in Christ.

1.) I now see that I, of myself, am powerless, unable to control (manage) my life by myself.
Romans 7 & 8, Romans 3:9-10 & 23, Psalm 32:3-7.
2.) I now realize that my Creator, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, can restore me to
wholeness in Christ. Psalm 27:4-5, Romans 8:9, Mark 10:26-27, Ezekiel 36:27,
Philippians 2:13.
3.) I now make a conscious decision to turn my entire will and life over to the care and
directions of Jesus Christ as Teacher, Healer, Savior, and Lord. Joshua 1:8-9, John 14:6,
Jeremiah 29:11-14, John 10:30, Matthew 28:18, 20, Jeremiah 32:27, Mark 10:27.
4.) Having made this decision, I now obey God's call in Scripture to make a fearless, ethical,
moral, and Scriptural inventory of my entire life in order to uncover all sins, mistakes, and
character defects, and to make a written list of ever item uncovered. Psalm 139:23-24,
Lamentations 3:40, Romans 8:26-27, Jeremiah 23:24.
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 5.) After completing this inventory, I now will to “walk in the light as He is in the light” by
admitting to myself, to God, and to at least one other person in Christ the exact nature of
these wrongs. 1 John 1:7 & James 5:16.
6.) Having agreed with God about my sinful behavior, I now ask His forgiveness through
Christ and openly acknowledge that I am forgiven according to the Scriptures. 1 John 1:8-
9, Psalm 27:13-14, James 4:10, Psalm 118:17-18, 1 John 1:1-2.
7.) I now repent (turn away) from all these behaviors in thought, word, and deed, and ask God
to remove each besetting sin through Jesus Christ. John 5:14, Ezekiel 18:30-32, 1 John
2:3-6, John 8:10-11, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Job 11:13-19, Romans 12:1-2, Colossians :3:17.
8.) I now make a list of all persons I have harmed in thought, word, and deed, and a list of all
persons I believe have harmed me, and will to make amends to all of them. Ephesians
4:29-32, Luke 6:31, Leviticus 19:17-18, Hosea 11:1-4, Matthew 5:43-44, Mark 12:31,
Ephesians 5:1-2, Matthew 18:15 & 5:9.
9.) I now go directly to these persons to forgive and to seek forgiveness, reconciliation,
restitution, or release wherever and with whomever possible, unless to do so would cause
further harm. Matthew 5:23-24 & Isaiah 1:18-20.
10.) I now consciously and prayerfully continue to “walk in the light” by unceasingly taking
personal inventory of all my temptations and sins, and by keeping a constantly open
relationship with God, myself, and other persons. Matthew 26:41, Colossians 3:13, Psalm
4:3-5, James 1:13-15, Proverbs 30:8-9, Psalm 55:22, Ephesians 4:22-28, Matthew 6:11-13,
Ephesians 5:15-18, 1 Peter 5:6-7.
11.) I now continue in regular Scripture, study, and prayer, worship, and fellowship to increase
God’s will in my life. Acts 2:42, Psalm 89:15, Mark 12:28-33, Joshua 1:8, Colossians
3:12-1, Matthew 6:33, 1 Kings 8:56-61.
12.) Recognizing the impact of God in my life, I now intentionally share these principles and
their effect with others as God’s Holy Spirit leads, and will to practice these principles in
all areas of my life. Micah 6:8, Galatians 5:1, Ephesians 5:8 & 6:10-18, Revelation 12:11,
Psalms 40:8-10, 2 Corinthians 3:17.