Sing! Until your lungs give out!

                I like to make confessions about myself on tumblr. I think it’s because I know no one reads it. So here goes: I don’t think there is a point to wanting revival. I know it goes against westernized Christianity, I think wanting revival is almost sin. because it’s usually selfish. It’s usually about ones self or ones church that they attend and the last thing it’s ever about is God. If there is a reader, please read the whole thing before making thinking I’m a complete fool. So just run with me for a little bit.

                We’ll start off by looking at the word “Revival.” To imply that something needs revival means that it was dead. To say that something was dead says that it was once alive. So at what point was the thing you’re looking for alive? Some would say in the days of Azusa Street, they want that, or others would say Pensacola, how about Acts 2? If you really want something from God, Something brand new, why would you want what someone else has already had? If the God that you worship is still creating and making new things today, wouldn’t you want something brand new? Something God has never ever done before? If you got that then it wouldn’t be called revival, it wouldn’t even have a name because it’s brand new. Didn’t Jesus say “Let the dead bury the dead”? You go after something brand new and different. Another reason why I am so against revival is because of the motive behind it too. A worship leader at a worship night said he wanted everyone to come to his church and pray for revival. He wanted to scream, shout and dance in the presence of God. He wanted to see a movement like no other so that everyone can see who God is. That’s awesome, that’s all good and well but what happens when he gets that and it goes away? Does he keep chasing that feeling that he had before or dose he use what God gave him to look for something brand new and different? Then you wonder why God hasn’t given him what he wanted.

                Ok so you read that and you’re still not convinced. Then let me give you some advice on finding a brand new movement from God. You can call it “revival,” I have no name for it, but for writing purposes I’ll call it a “Movement.”  Remember when I was talking about the Guy wanted to dance and shout for God?  Why can’t he do that now?  He already has everything he needs for a Movement. Don’t say “There’s going to be a Movement.” Say“There is a Movement.” Whatever you’re looking for is already here, so start acting like it. When you stop looking for a brand new Movement of God is when you’ll be right in the middle of it. If you do what God asks you love him, love yourself, love others then you’ll see Gods hand move. If you’re bringing heaven to earth that’s when you will see God. Seek God, not the Movement of God. We are not after feelings were after God. We don’t chase a feeling we chase God and the feeling comes as a result of the chasing. The feeling is there to empower you for action; it’s not there just to be there. To reduce God to a fuzzy feeling is, I believe, a sin. He’s so much bigger than that and we never give him enough credit. Let me put it this way: Revival is over rated. We don’t need it. But oddly enough it’s when you stop searching is when you’ll actually be right in the middle of it. That’s when you find out it’s something completely different. 

                I hope after this you want to look for something brand new and different, rather than something that someone else has already had and is (to them) dead. Let’s let the dead bury the dead and let God create a brand new “Movement.” It starts with you believing that that movement is already here, today. Not the future. Let God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

I went out with a group of people to check out this Pizza place on the far side of town one night for dinner. It took about an hour to get there and it was a lot of us. The people I was going with said that the pizza what “The best pizza in town” and that the ride was worth it. They said that they first tried it when someone we really look up to took them there first and it was his favorite. So naturally I was excited because I’m fat and I love pizza. I love pizza because I’m fat? Na, skinny people love pizza too… just not as much as me. ANYWAY! We got there the service was horrible! I won’t tell you how bad the whole experience was, I’ll just stick to the point. I finally got that “awesome” pizza that that they were all talking about, took my first bite, and nothing. It was ok. In fact it tasted just like the pizza from a popular food chain in our city. My friends looked at me with anticipation, they said, “Soooo…? What do you think?” I had to say it. “It’s ok. It tastes just like (insert generic pizza chain here)” They said it wasn’t true but that it’s awesome pizza and I’m crazy. The crazy part are true but the first two are lies. Now they weren’t lying to me. They really thought it was the greatest pizza. Or did they?

You know who is the worst person you can lie to? Yourself. Lying to yourself is even worse than lying to God. Have you ever tried to lie to God? Or not bring something up in prayer because of your shame? The funny thing is that you know that God knows everything, so eventually whatever the sin is it will surface, but since you’re human you do it anyway. God has covered you with Grace and you can go to him with whatever whenever. He is always waiting, like a father who looks out for his son. Then there’s the lies that you tell but not to anyone else but yourself. The truth about the pizza is that it wasn’t “THE BEST PIZZA!!!” But they somehow lied to themselves about it and said that it was. Why? Was it to make the person who took them first feel good? Was it to make the trip seem worth it? Or did they want to feel like they had insight to an exclusive hot spot for pizza? Maybe when they took that first bite of pizza they thought the same thing as me, and Got asked the same question, but the answer was a little different. They lied to themselves and said it was “Awesome” and so that lie in turn, became truth. They actually started to believe that that pizza was as good as they said. When you lie to God that lie remains a lie but when you lie to yourself that lie becomes true to you. A sort of self truth, that is true to you and only you. You convince yourself that this lie is true because it’s the easy way out. Ignorance is bliss but there is freedom in truth. Just like people who say “Going to church will make me happy,” “America is the best country,” and “Taco Bell is delicious.” All lies, awesome thoughts but horrible beliefs. So please, can we stop lying to ourselves? That way we can live in true freedom and be awake to everything God really wants to show us. Living a fantasy doesn’t help anyone. About my friends if you ask them TO THIS DAY! If they have been back to the pizza place ever since, they’ll tell you “No.” Because, well they decided to stop lying to themselves about it.

Remember this part in The Avengers? Loki and Thor are fighting about how Loki wants to take over the world.

Thor: So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights. No, the Earth is under my protection, Loki.

Loki: [laughs] And you’re doing a marvelous job with that. The humans slaughter each other in droves, while you ideally threat. I mean to rule them. And why should I not?

Thor: You think yourself above them.

Loki: Well, yes.

Thor: Then you miss the truth of ruling, brother. Throne would suit you ill.

We know this: God is King (Rev 19:16) and we are co-heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.) That makes us royalty.

Greed. I have seen in a lot of churches and messed up mindsets, where living the life of a Christian is all about what we can get. “BLESS ME, HEAL ME, AND TOUCH ME, ME, ME, ME…” “I’m gonna get mines!” “I claim it!!!” Spoiled mindset, like a kid who doesn’t get the toy he wants for Christmas.  When really the life of royalty is about what we can do for the people. The best kings were the ones who did everything they could for their kingdom. No matter the cost it was all about the people. Jesus left everything for God. It was never about what he could get. It was always about serving and loving on others.   

Pride. Some people look down on others for not being “saved.” They look down on them for not believing the same thing or lifestyle as them.  Just like a person with money looks down on the poor. Or like someone who speaks English looks down on someone who only speaks Spanish, and vice versa. The best royalty looks at the people of the kingdom with compassion and love.  Jesus, as an insult, was called friend of sinners. Today we look at that and see it as a goal we would love to reach one day. Jesus wanted to be with everyone no one wanted to be with. We must share in the pains of others, not think ourselves above them. The people that we reject are Jesus wants to be with.  

Loki was greedy and prideful but he still wanted what the king had without being anything like the king. Just like a lot of Christians are greedy and prideful and they still want everything from God without really wanting God himself. I wonder if those people have ever really met the resurrected Christ. If they did then how did they end up that way? At what point did they forget what it’s all about? The Throne would suit those people ill. They forgot that it’s all about the people. We are meant to serve because we represent the King. The king serves the people so we serve the people. We aren’t to look down on those who aren’t free but to help them, and love them, no matter the cost. The King gave us his best so we give our best to our King and his people. The kingdom isn’t ours yet, but it does belong to us. So we fight, we have a lot of work to do. It might even look like it’s a losing battle. We will still give our best because it’s not about us, it’s about the people. It’s not about what we can get but about what we can give.

I know it sounds silly, corny even, that I get lessons about Jesus from movies, but I believe I can find God anywhere… even a summer blockbuster move. So, I’ll be posting 2 or 3 blogs from quotes I found in some movies this summer. I hope you like them. Knowing that probably no one reads my blog, I most of all hope I like em.