Ohio Valley Restoration Church

Ohio Valley Restoration Church Church is still undergoing renovations. We are not open for services at this time.

08/17/2026

From Now On
Gary Wilkerson
August 17, 2026
“And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus’” (Luke 1:30–31, ESV).

God’s favor literally caused a circumstantial change in Mary’s life; a 180-degree turn. According to the Bible, she conceived. When God’s favor is on your life, he does not just say, “Things are going to work out; just try to think happy thoughts.” No, God changes your world; he turns things upside down.

Mary conceived! When you receive God’s favor, he will cause a conception, a birthing of something new in your life. There are needs in your life; there is a cry in your soul. And as you come to God and receive his favor, blessings will be poured out upon you, and your life will be changed.

Mary understood this, and she began to sing:

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed …” (Luke 1:46–48).

I love this phrase, “For behold, from now on …”. From now on, something will be different. Today, hold on to that and own that truth in your soul, spirit, and mind.

From now on, a transition is taking place in you. You are going from living for your own wants and desires to a life that is absolutely surrendered to him, realizing that you cannot do anything in your own pride. Determine that you will trust in Jesus and Jesus alone.

08/11/2026

The Lord Our Shepherd
David Wilkerson (1931-2011)
August 11, 2026
Our great shepherd loves every sheep who has gone astray because of testing, trials, hurts, and wounds. We never dare to accuse him of abandoning us because he still walks beside us and watches over us at all times.

Right now, you may be waging a losing war against a temptation or trial. Whatever your struggle, perhaps you have determined not to run away from the Lord. You refuse to give yourself over to sin’s grasp and, instead, you have taken God’s Word to heart. Yet, like David, you have grown weary and come to a point where you feel absolutely helpless. The enemy is flooding you with despair, fear, and lies.

Your testing may become even more mystifying and unexplainable, but no matter what you are going through, the Holy Spirit wants to reveal to you Jehovah Rohi, the Lord your shepherd. You have a shepherd who wants to imprint his love upon your heart.

Jesus assures us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5, NKJV). And our heavenly Father, Jehovah Rohi, “the Lord our shepherd,” has revealed himself to us in Psalm 23. He tells us, “I know you by name, and I know what you are going through. Come, lie down in my grace and love. Don’t try to figure everything out; just accept my love for you and rest in my loving arms. Yes, I am the Lord of hosts and the majestic and holy God. I want you to know all of these things about me. But the single revelation I want you to have right now is that of Jehovah Rohi. I want you to know me as your loving, caring shepherd. And I want you to rest assured that I will bring you through all your trials, in my tenderness and love.”

“I am the good shepherd; and I know my sheep, and am known by my own. As the Father knows me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14-15).

08/06/2026

The Prodigal’s Welcome
David Wilkerson (1931-2011)
August 6, 2026
The Bible says, “[The prodigal] arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him…But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry” (Luke 15:20-23, NKJV).

I believe the Prodigal Son came home because of his history with his father. This young man knew his father’s character, and apparently, he had received great love from him. He must have known that if he returned, he would not be rebuked or condemned for his sins.

Notice how the Prodigal’s father received him in spite of his pitiful condition. The young man was intent on offering a heartfelt confession to his dad. Yet, when he faced his father, he didn’t get a chance to fully confess because his father interrupted him by running up to him and embracing him.

The young man was able to blurt out only the beginning of his speech, saying, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:21). But his father didn’t wait for him to finish. To him, the young man’s sin had already been settled. The father’s only response was to issue an order to his servants: “Put a robe on my son and rings on his fingers. Prepare a feast, because we’re going to celebrate. Let everyone rejoice, for my son is home!” The father knew his son’s heart, and he knew he had fully repented.

Sin was not the issue for this father. The only issue in his mind was love. He wanted his son to know he was accepted even before he could utter a confession. And that is the point God wants to make to us all. His love is greater than all our sins. For the Bible tells us that the goodness of God leads to repentance (see Romans 2:4).

08/05/2026

See It Through!
David Wilkerson (1931-2011)
August 5, 2026
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?” (Luke 14:28-30, NKJV).

Christ knew many of his followers would not have what it took to see them through. He knew they would turn back and not finish the race. I believe this is the most tragic condition possible for a believer: to have started out fully intending to lay hold of Christ, to grow into a mature disciple and become more like Jesus, and then to drift away. Such a person is the one who laid a foundation but could not finish because he did not first count the cost.

Yet what a joy it is to meet those who are finishing the race! These believers are growing in the wisdom and knowledge of Christ. They are changing daily, from moment to moment. Paul says to them encouragingly, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18). It is not heaven these believers seek, but Christ in his glory!

I know that some who read this are in the process of pausing or taking a step backward. It may seem like a small step, but it will cause a swift descent away from his love. If this is true of you, realize that the Holy Spirit is calling you all the way back to repentance and surrender.

Beloved, at this very moment, time is a big factor. If you ever intend to lay hold of Christ, do it now—see it through!

07/23/2026

Ezra’s Example
July 23, 2026

by David Wilkerson

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When I read about the exploits of godly men in the Old Testament, my heart burned. These servants were so burdened for the cause of God that the powerful works they performed are baffling to Christians today. These men possessed something in their hearts and character that caused God to choose them to accomplish his purposes. Their examples reveal a pattern for us to follow, and Christ urges us to seek that same character quality.

Ezra was a man of God who awakened his entire nation, a man who had God’s hand upon him, according to Scripture. Ezra testified, “I was encouraged, as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me” (Ezra 7:28, NKJV). In other words, God stretched out his hand, enveloped Ezra, and turned him into a different man.

Why would God do this? There were hundreds of scribes in Israel at the time, and they all had the same calling to study and explain God’s Word to the people. What set Ezra apart from the others? What caused the Lord to put his hand on this one man and give him charge over fifty thousand people to rebuild the fallen city of Jerusalem?

Scripture gives us the answer: “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it” (Ezra 7:10). Simply put, Ezra made a conscious decision. He determined above all else to seek God’s Word and obey it, and he did not swerve from that decision. He told himself, “I’m going to be a student of the Word, and I’m going to act on everything I read.”

Long before God laid his hand on Ezra, this man was diligent in searching the Scriptures. He allowed himself to be examined by it and cleansed of all filth of body and spirit. Ezra hungered for God’s Word and rejoiced in it; he allowed the Scriptures to prepare his heart for any work God chose for him. In return, the Lord laid his hand on Ezra and anointed him for his purpose.

07/22/2026

The First Upper Room
Gary Wilkerson
July 20, 2026
Whenever Christians speak of the Upper Room, they usually refer to Pentecost. But the Bible mentions an upper room incident that occurred several weeks earlier, in which the disciples had a different kind of experience. This upper room was the setting for the Last Supper on the night before Christ’s death on the cross. On that evening, Jesus talked about the suffering he would endure, his approaching death, and the fact that he was leaving his closest friends, the disciples.

My father used to call this first upper room experience “being taken to the woodshed.” It’s about addressing things in our lives that aren’t honoring to God. It’s in these times, he tells us, “You’re drifting from me. You’ve placed your affections on earthly things and lost your first love for me. I cannot allow you to go any further without addressing this.”

In the first upper room, Jesus wanted to deal with the mixture in his disciples’ hearts. The clearest example is Peter, who told Jesus he would follow him to the death. The Lord challenged him on that: “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times” (Matthew 26:34, ESV).

Are you experiencing the first upper room right now? Are there things in your life you know aren’t pleasing to God? He wants to deal with them, and he will not pull any punches. His response to Peter was harsh, but we know from the outcome that it was an act of love. Jesus was saying, in essence, “I know you love me, Peter, but there’s an agenda in your heart that isn’t God’s. I’m confronting it now because I don’t want it to become palatable to you. I have greater things in mind for you.”

Friend, when God brings us into the first upper room, it is not to condemn us but to lovingly confront what hinders our walk with him. He wants to prepare our hearts for a deeper intimacy with him and a greater purpose.

07/09/2026

Christ in the Storm
David Wilkerson (1931-2011)
July 9, 2026
The greatest danger we all face is not being able to see Jesus in our troubles; instead, we see ghosts. In that peak moment of fear when the night is the blackest and the storm is the angriest, Jesus always draws near to us, to reveal himself as the Lord of the flood, the Savior in the storm. “The Lord sat enthroned at the flood, and the Lord sits as King forever” (Psalm 29:10, NKJV).

In Matthew 14, Jesus ordered his disciples into a boat that was headed for a storm. The Bible says he constrained them to get into a boat. In other words, he insisted that they get into the boat even though it was headed for troubled waters. It would be tossed about like a bobbing cork. And where was Jesus? He was up in the mountains overlooking the sea, praying for them not to fail the test that he knew was coming their way.

Later, he came to them, walking on the water (see Matthew 14:25). But not one disciple recognized him! They did not expect to see Jesus out on the water in the middle of a storm. Never, ever did they expect him to be with them or even near them in a tempest.

At least one disciple should have recognized what was happening and said, “Look, friends, Jesus said he would never leave us or forsake us. He sent us on this mission; we are in the center of his will. He said the steps of a righteous man are ordered by him. Look again. That’s our Lord! He's right here! We’ve never once been out of his sight!”

Yet there was only one lesson to be learned. It was a simple lesson, not some deep, mystical, earth-shattering one. Jesus wanted to be trusted as their Lord in every storm of life. He simply wanted them to maintain their cheer and confidence, even in the blackest hours of trial. It was just one simple but very important lesson.

Beloved, it’s the same lesson for us today in our storm. He is saying, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

07/02/2026

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Righteous Through Faith
David Wilkerson (1931-2011)
July 2, 2026
God doesn’t want your home, savings, or your possessions; all he wants is your faith and belief in his Word. This may be the one thing that people who appear spiritual lack. You may look at another person as more spiritual than you, but that person may actually be struggling to maintain an appearance of righteousness. Yet, as God looks at you, he declares, “There is a righteous man or woman.” Why? Because you acknowledged your inability to become righteous on your own and trusted the Lord to grant you his righteousness.

Paul tells us we are counted as righteous in God’s eyes for the same reason Abraham was.

“Therefore, it was accounted to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead” (Romans 4:22-24, NKJV).

You may claim, “I believe this! I have faith in the God who resurrected Jesus.” Yet, here are some questions for you: Do you believe the Lord can resurrect your troubled marriage? Do you believe he can bring to life a spiritually dead relative? Do you believe he can raise you up out of the pit of a debilitating habit? Do you believe he can erase your cursed past and restore to you all the years that have been wasted?

When everything seems hopeless and when you are in an impossible situation with no resources and no hope before you, do you believe God will be your Jehovah Jireh, seeing to your need? Do you believe he is committed to keeping his promises to you and that if even one of his words should fail, the heavens would melt and the universe collapse?

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).

Beloved, trust fully in his Word and his promises, for he will prove himself faithful in all things.

06/26/2026

To Love as Jesus Loves
Gary Wilkerson
June 26, 2026
“These things I command you, so that you will love one another” (John 15:17, ESV).

In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul shows what happens when we don’t live out this kind of love that Jesus describes.

Paul lays out two types of sin. He identifies gross sins, the kind we associate with outward behavior. He also lays out relational sins and shows how they are just as deadly and destructive. Relational sin affects our souls in ways we could never imagine. It not only affects our witness to the world but also the deepest parts of our being, spreading to those around us.

Paul brings this to light in the Corinthian church by pointing out a glaring problem: divisions among them. “I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder” (2 Corinthians 12:20). Note the final word in this list: disorder. This indicates that relational sin is at work.

Each of the things Paul lists here concerns failing to love as Christ loved. In these terms, it’s easy to see how love can’t be just a sentimental gesture. It is a battle to be fought, and the weapons we bring are forgiveness, grace, mercy, and justice.

One of the Corinthians’ conflicts involved the teaching they would accept. Some said they would follow only Paul’s direction, while others followed Peter. Paul had to tell them, “I can’t address you as mature people while you’re in this condition. You’re reasoning through your flesh.”

The Greek word Paul uses for “flesh” indicates the skin or fatty tissue of the body. But, of course, Paul is describing the condition of their soul. He’s telling the Corinthians they’re caught up in an earthbound way of living rather than walking out the Spirit-filled life.

But as Jesus and Paul both point out, refusing to love at even the most mundane level can have huge consequences, leading to grief, alienation, and regret. Strife in a relationship usually affects a larger circle of friends or family. In turn, that can extend to an entire community, as Paul showed what was happening among the Corinthians.

Friend, to love as Jesus loves, even in what seems like a small matter, isn’t a choice; it’s a spiritual discipline.

Address

35535 Main Street
Barnesville, OH
43713

Opening Hours

Wednesday 7pm - 8:30pm
Sunday 10am - 11:30am

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+17405370770

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