Living for ‘Revival’

 by Chris Jones

If I could zero in on a particular audience for this post, I’d say it’s for my Christian friends. Specifically, it’s for those who consider themselves to be “Evangelical”. More precisely, I’m thinking of those who are praying for something we generally refer to as “revival”; an awakening of our spirits, a movement towards repentance, resulting in deeper fellowship with God, spilling into and filling every corner of our lives. Do I have your attention?

In recent months, I’ve experienced a growing sense that the awakening we’re pursuing will not only be characterized, but catalyzed by two things: “compassion” and “generosity”. Although the two might be easily summed by saying “charity” or “love”, I think it’s important to see their progression. A thought or image triggers our compassion, hopefully moving us towards acts of generosity. My concern is in wondering what obstacles stand in the way of us, as a body, walking these out in practical, everyday applications.

As much as we want to believe that we’re compassionate and generous people, do our lives yield enough evidence to provide proof? Are we able to allow our generosity to take us to a place where our lives might become less comfortable?

At the risk of stirring the negative emotions and political opinions many have assigned to them, consider the following scenarios. Think about the college kid somewhere in the middle of America, asking for help with his mounting student debt. In a different town, there’s a single mother asking for a bump in pay to help spread her little income over many expenses. Broken families ask for protection from those they see as their oppressors. While one might feel justified in criticizing the notion that a system of government should intervene on their behalf, what other solution exists in the absence of the manifest compassion and generosity of their local communities? How might the compassion and generosity of God’s people change these seemingly unsolvable situations?

Is it really a surprise that revival doesn’t come to America, when much of the evidence seems to reveal our real dysfunction? Of all the requests we could make of God, have we failed to take firm hold of the basic tools He has already given us? What if our pursuit of revival began with earnest prayers to grow in the fruit He has promised us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control (Galatians 5)?  I believe this is the answer to all of the above.

Isn’t it true that the contrast of our joy, peace, patience and self control, against the world’s despair, should move our hearts with compassion to see people restored? What role might more love, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness play in motivating us to meet the needs of our neighbors, in generosity, with the resources of God’s Kingdom? What real, lasting revival might be sparked if we stopped just praying for it, and committed ourselves to living for it?

Be Ready!

 by Chris Jones

2 Timothy 4:1-2 says, “I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.” (NLT)

I had quite the morning, yesterday. Admittedly, I was a little late arriving to my desk. Before 9 a.m., I already ministered to three individuals, all by asking the simple question, “how are you today?” Then, I listened and shared encouragement from God’s Word.

BE READY! God’s timing is far less a mystery when we begin to realize that the answer to the question of “when” is “all the time”.

What if each of us allowed that switch to be flipped in our lives? ARE YOU READY? In an instant, millions of people could be activated to go into the world, READY to preach the gospel to all mankind.

Our error would be in thinking this looks like millions of people on their “soapboxes”, pounding their Bibles. To the contrary, it looks like millions of believers READY to ask the question, “how are you today?” It’s the sound of our silence, as we’re READY to listen. It’s the peace of God, as we’re READY to share encouragement from His Word (assuming we’re equipping ourselves with it).

We pray for revival. I believe it will come when we’re READY.

Common Factor

 by Chris Jones

Since you might have slept through math, allow me to give a refresher on common factors.  They’re the numbers you multiply together to get another number, the product.  For example: two and three are factors of six (2×3=6), three and five are factors of fifteen (3×5=15) and three and seven are factors of twenty-one  (3×7=21).  Each of these equations share a common factor, three.  Three makes each of these products similar.  They bear a unique quality that three brings to the equation.

YOU IN THE BACK…WAKE UP!!!  It’s time to apply this to “real life”.

The quality of our lives is greatly influenced by the quality of our relationships.  Some are fun.  Some are serious.  Some are just straight-up toxic.  Regardless, each relationship is the product of all the factors we bring to them.  If a relationship is fun, one or both parties is bringing fun to that relationship.  If a relationship is serious, it’s the product of one or two serious people.  We get out what we put in.

The common factors in each of your relationships are the ones you bring, individually.  Maybe there’s a general sense of peace in your relationships.  It’s probably because you’re a peaceful person.  If there’s a sense of adventure and fun in your relationships, its probably a result of your adventurous, fun spirit.  It’s interesting, the things we learn about ourselves when we analyze what our relationships commonly produce.

The same is true, however, if you struggle in relationships.  Certainly, we all have relationships that fail for any variety of reasons.  It’s something entirely different, though, when each of our relationships is plagued by conflict.  While it’s easy to deflect responsibility for the role we played in any single failed relationship, a different responsibility exists when we see those patterns in the majority of our relationships.

The moral of the story is that we get out of relationships exactly what we put in: the good, the bad and the ugly.  Reducing the negative factors we bring to relationships produces life in it’s simplest form.  When you can take responsibility for what you contribute to your failed relationships, that is an uncommon factor.

Life, More Delicious

 by Chris Jones

I have a certain routine, when I get to the office each morning.  As I start work, I have a bowl of oatmeal and a glass of water.  It’s not instant oatmeal from a package.  I have a big tube of plain, whole oats in my desk.  It’s a pretty bland breakfast…until I add the fruit.  A fresh peach, banana, apple or strawberries transforms this otherwise flavorless breakfast into something that truly gives each morning a needed boost.

Life has it’s ups and downs.  Sometimes we’re riding the wave.  Other times we’re being tossed by it.  Regardless of the quality of the lives we live, they’re always better with a little fruit.

As Christians we have the option of living everyday, boosted by the Fruit of the Spirit.  Galatians 5 tells us this fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

I challenged a group of high-school and twenty-something-year-old men to consider the “flavor” the Holy Spirit brings to our lives.  Those men come to a basketball ministry I run.  The easy majority of them are the types of guys most would consider at-risk or disadvantaged, from most socio-economic standards.  These guys might not be the type to see patience or goodness or gentleness as very masculine qualities.  I encouraged them to know that a man who is patient, is a better man.  A man who is kind and shows goodness, is a better man.  A man who understands the power expressed through self-control and gentleness, is a better man.

It’s true for all of us.  The Fruit of the Spirit makes our lives, better lives.

Why, then, do we settle for anything less?  The help and power of the Holy Spirit is one prayer away, in any moment.  Imagine being on the verge of snapping at the kids when a simple prayer brings patience and the time you need to more carefully consider your response.  Picture being caught in afternoon traffic, as self-control and peace allow you to sit back and enjoy the day.  The Holy Spirit offers love and goodness, so we may show it to those in need.  He offers joy that lasts through any storm.  He makes life more delicious.