Tuesday, June 27, 2006

"It's a Revolution Baby!"

Hi everyone,

I recently read a book by George Barna entitles ‘Revolution’. What an amazing book considering Barna’s history – from statistician writing books about church growth, to statistician writing a book about a movement that his statistics have missed – a book about a trend of Christians who have abandoned the church to seek a true spiritual walk – he calls this the revolution – a word that he himself sees as being overused and watered down over the last few years. Anyway the book is an interesting read although quite short and probably overpriced… anyway at the end of the book he writes “The Affirmation of a Revolutionary” which I found quite inspiring, so here it is:

I am a Revolutionary in the service of God Almighty. My life is not my own; I exist as a free person but have voluntarily become a slave to God. My role on earth is to live as a Revolutionary, committed to love, holiness, and advancing God’s Kingdom. My life is not about me and my natural desires; it is all about knowing, loving, and serving God with all my heart, mind, strength, and soul. Therefore, I acknowledge the following:

  • I am a sinner, broken by my disobedience but restored by Jesus Christ in order to participate in good works that please God. I am not perfect; but Jesus Christ makes me righteous in God’s eyes, and the Holy Spirit leads me toward greater holiness.
    God created me for His purpose. My desire as a Revolutionary is to fulfill those ends, and those ends alone. When I get out of bed each day, I do so for one purpose: to love, obey, and serve God and His people.
  • Every breath I take is a declaration of war against Satan and a commitment to opposing him.
  • God does not need me to fight, but He invites me to allow Him to fight through me. It is my privilege to serve Him in that manner. I anticipate and will gladly endure various hardships as I serve God; for this is the price of participation in winning the spiritual war.
  • I do not need to save the world; Jesus Christ has already done that. I cannot transform the world, but I can allow God to use me to transform some part of it.
  • My commitment to the Revolution of faith is sealed by my complete surrender to God’s ways and His will. I will gratefully do what He asks of me simply because He loves me enough to ask. I gain my security, success, and significance through my surrender to Him.
  • I am not called to attend or join a church, I am called to be the Church.
  • Worship is not an event I attend or process I observe; it is the lifestyle I lead.
  • I do not give away 10 percent of my resources. I surrender 100 percent.
  • God has given me natural abilities and supernatural abilities, all intended to advance His Kingdom. I will deploy those abilities for that purpose.
  • The proof of my status as a Revolutionary is the love I show to God and people.
  • There is strength in relationships; I am bound at a heart and soul level to other Revolutionaries, and I will bless believers whenever I have the chance.
  • To achieve victory in the spiritual war in which we are immersed, there is nothing I must accomplish; I must simply follow Christ with everything I have.
  • There is no greater calling than to know and serve God.
  • The world is desperately seeking meaning and purpose. I will respond to that need with the Good News and meaningful service.
  • Absolute moral and spiritual truth exists, is knowable, and is intended for my life; it is accessible through the Bible.
  • I want nothing more than to hear God say to me, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.”

Thank You, Lord God, for loving me, for saving me, for refining me, for blessing me, and for including me in the work of Your Kingdom. My life is Yours to use as You please. I Love you.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just read the affirmation and indeed the principles represented in just a few words are very powerful. It represents a person totally sold out to God and certainly is a challenge to me and no doubt to all who know Him as the beginning, present and future of all that is real and valuable. A small army of people who have made the affirmation own would be a very powerful force in our society.

Anonymous said...

I just read this Revolutionary statement and it has profoundly impacted me. Thanks for posting it, and for being a living example of it - everyday. I'll be praying for you and your family. Mardi