The proof that you are a revolutionary is not in the biblical facts you assent to or the logo over the church you attend, but in the demonstration of what you know and believe in your everyday life, practice and conversations. Your profession of faith in Christ must be supported by a life that provides irrefutable evidence of your complete devotion to God.

 

Does something get in the way of your living like Jesus? Then figure out how to eliminate that obstruction and "Choose you this day whom you will serve." Joshua 25:15 That's a revolutionary!

Does life get so complicated that it's difficult for you to juggle everything and remain Christ like? Then simplify your life as Jesus did and as He calls you to do - that's a revolutionary.

 

Is society, sports, TV, music, movies, the Internet, your social life, a lukewarm church dragging you in the opposite direction from where Jesus calls you? Then declare your stand in Jesus and get on with it. Get used to the fact that your life is lived in the context of warfare with the prevailing society and even the church. It was for Jesus and will be for revolutionaries as well.

Is your local church keeping you satisfied in a nominal faith, a stalled experience where you are the same person you were two, three or even five years ago? Research by the Barna Corporation shows that local churches have virtually no influence in our culture today. Their research shows that "The Seven Dominant Spheres of Influence" in order are; movies, music, television, books, the Internet, the Law and family. The second tier of influence is comprised of entities such as; schools, peers, newspapers, radio and business. The local church appears among entities that have little or no influence on society today.

 

If the local church is God's answer to our spiritual needs, then why are most Christians so spiritually immature and desperate? Why does their divorce rate equal that of the world? Why are we losing the vast majority of our youth? Why is it we can't get along with those of our own faith? Why is there such a disconnect between our profession and our daily performance? The point here is simply to recognize that if we place all our hope in the local church, it is a misplaced hope. Just ask Jesus, His church did not draw Him or its members closer to God, and history is repeating itself. The local church was not the Epicenter for Jesus life, faith or experience; no it was God and so it must be with the revolutionary as well.

 

Being a revolutionary isn't about eliminating, dismissing, or disparaging the local church. The core issue isn't whether or not one is involved in a local church, but whether or not one is finding a living, vibrant connection with Jesus Christ daily. A revolutionary will do whatever it takes to get closer to God and to help others do the same. They will obliterate any obstacle that prevents them from honoring God with every breath they take. They recognize that they are not merely called to go to church but to be the church!

 

The churches of today have plateaued, knowing little of a complete surrender and total dependence in Jesus Christ in their daily lives, actions and conversations. Nominal Christianity is the rule; a God-governed life is very rare. The churches draw their members to their own organizations, their programs and their culture, knowing little of Jesus as the daily power in their soul, in their daily interactions with their families, their church members and with those not of their persuasion.

 

A revolutionary doesn't merely proclaim the truth of God's Word and Warn others of what is coming but first and foremost demonstrates  from their own life, marriage and family the power of the living gospel. It's a gospel that increasingly reflects, in the individual's life, the principles and characteristics Scripture tells us are the marks of Jesus' True followers. They are not stalled or stale nor do their lives spell of the selfish indifference of lukewarmness. They, like Jesus, are not shunned because they have the truth but because they live it daily. They are truly Christ's people, their lives testify to the meaning of sacrifice and surrender as well as love for God and all men.

 

Being a revolutionary is not something you join, it's a way of life! For most of us it's coming out of ordinary religion, which is content with a foolish virgin experience and becoming Authentic followers of Jesus Christ. The entrance fee is complete surrender, utter dependence and the faith to be God's person in every aspect of life. Don't look for a place to sign up and enlist under. It's not an organization with a logo. There is no jockeying for position, no church politics exist and no "stuff" that matters. All that matters is pleasing God and what He is calling you to. That was Jesus ... God-focused and that is to be you and I as well!

 

Answering the call,

 

Jim & Sally