We spent a few days in Washington, D.C. after a long and, thank God, very fruitful season of outreach this summer in NYC and Detroit. We visited several sites and tremendously enjoyed our stay. I was moved, as always, by the National Archives Museum, which houses the originals of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. While there, I bought a book entitled The Book of Great American Documents.
I read the Declaration of Independence again. I was stirred by the bravery and selflessness these men had to call the King of Great Britain a “tyrant” and list what they called “a long train of abuses” against the Colonies. They even stated in this history-altering document that the King had “been deaf to the voice of justice…”
It had long been an idea of humankind that there existed a God-given right to live, to be free, and to pursue happiness. However, never before had this philosophy been the basis of a revolution. That is what happened with this group of mostly God-fearing men. These ideas guided our nation for decades upon decades. Even John F. Kennedy, in his inaugural address, stated, “… the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe – the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.”
The final paragraph the Declaration of Independence is moving and profound. They appeal “to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions.” The Declaration of Independence concludes with these words:
“And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”
Webster’s Dictionary defines revolution as “an overthrow or repudiation and thorough replacement of an established power, usually government or political system; . . . a radical and pervasive change in society and the social structure.”
Our world is desperate for Christ! And this nation is in a downward moral and spiritual spiral that implores us to work toward and pray diligently for a new spiritual awakening!
We need a “radical and pervasive change” to begin in our hearts, in our minds, and thus in our lives. That kind of “revolution” begins at the foot of the bloodied cross of the Greatest Revolutionary this world has ever known and will ever know – Jesus our Messiah!
We must repudiate the persistent offers to:
- Conform to the status quo;
- Be comfortable with the struggles of our flesh;
- Buy into commercial Christianity and the promises of modern professional ministry of title, popularity, comfort, and prosperity with no sacrifice.
Our Messiah and King did not call us to this kind of living! He called us to repudiate conformity, self-centeredness, compromise, pride, title, popularity, self-reliance, and all things that prevent us from being mirrors of Christ.
He called us to a revolution of purity, holiness, and radical faith that is needed as much today as ever before in our history. He calls us to hear the call of the Great Commission and answer it with the obedience of the disciples who left everything they had and everything they knew to follow Jesus!
We must be a people who pray the prayer of A.Z.Tozer:
“O God, be exalted over my possessions. Be exalted over my friendships. Be exalted over my reputation. Make me ambitious to please You even if as a result I must sink into obscurity and my name be forgotten. Rise, O Lord, into Your proper place of honor, above my ambitions, above my likes and dislikes, above my family, my health, and even life itself. Let me decrease that You may increase.”
This is the prayer of someone whom God can use to change the world!!!