I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons  from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;  (Isaiah 43:6)

Is there something special about the year 2012 now upon us? There is something unique about the number twelve when considering its significance in God’s word.

In the O.T. we read of the twelve tribes of Israel, the times God’s armies involved 12,000 men, the twelve yoke of oxen that Elisha departed to embark on his ministry with the prophet Elijah, and the number twelve appearing in construction of the tabernacle.

In the N.T. we know that Jesus was twelve years old when we first read of his supernatural wisdom and understanding (Luke 2:42-47), the twelve baskets of bread and fish fragments after feeding the multitudes, twelve gates, twelve angels, twelve foundations, and twelve manner of fruits in new Jerusalem (Rev. Ch.’s 21 and 22). And of course, Jesus’ twelve disciples.

If the number twelve (as some suggest) signifies “governmental perfection” in the Bible, could it be that the Lord is telling the church (His spiritual governmental body on earth) that this is the year of perfection or restoration? A year when God’s children who have lost their way find their way back home? A year when new or struggling ministries catch fire? A year when seasoned ministries are re-ignited?

The U.S. military coin their special operations with memorable names. Previous combat missions against the war on terror include;  Operation Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, Desert Scorpion, Neptune Spear, and many others.

The true church of the Lord Jesus Christ should be no less mission-minded when it comes to the battle with which it is engaged; the battle for the human soul. Is it not for this reason that Jesus came into the world?

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the
Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.  (I John 3:8)

We can quote Acts 2:38 to perfection. How about we add this ‘3’ and ‘8’ to the memory bank as well.

This scripture is powerful. This is the summation of Jesus’ mission on planet earth; the saving of the human soul and to destroy the only thing that God (up to this point in time) had not exercised total dominion over – the power of sin and its ultimate conclusion, death.

The true apostolic church would have to expand their places of worship five-fold, seven-fold and more if all the prodigals were restored.

Let’s make 2012 the year of restoration, the year when the church gets a burden for the prodigal and see the lost make their way into the arms of a merciful and compassionate savior.

We serve a God who can turn a wasteland into an oasis, a valley of death and lifeless skeletons into a vibrant and triumphant army, and transform a hopeless situation into a masterpiece.

This Jesus we serve is the master craftsman when it comes to fixing people. Why? Because He knows the secrets of the human  DNA for He was the ‘sole’ architect on the original ‘soul’ genome project. Jesus Christ can and is the only one that can truly fix and restore the broken human condition.

Do you believe our God can do it? If so, why don’t we pray for God to heal the land and restore His church in 2012 .

And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.  (Isaiah 58:12)