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“He made known to us the mystery of His will….the summing up of all things in Christ.”- Ephesians 1:9

For almost two decades I have traversed this nation and the world, encouraging students and campus ministry leaders to seek God for revival and awakening.  I am passionate about seeing transformation in the Church and in culture at large.  Too often, however, I see well-meaning leaders, when considering revival and awakening, skip past the “who” and move on to the “what.”  Here is the “what.” Revival is the large-scale bringing of life back into the Church.  Awakening is the large-scale effect of revival in the Church upon those who aren’t presently following Jesus.  The important questions are these: “To whom are we being revived?” and “To whom is the culture awakened?”  We are the best agents for transformation when we carefully consider these two questions.

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." - Galatians 5:1

The book of Galatians, one of two key New Testament books of the Reformation, was written to explain the nature of spiritual freedom in contrast to spiritual slavery. Understanding freedom in Christ liberates the lover of God in powerful, extraordinary ways.  Not surprisingly, misunderstanding this great doctrine leads to spiritual frustration, hardship, and slavery. 

“Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.’...The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply...I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” - Psalm 16:1, 2, 4, 8-11

Embedded within Paul’s conversion/call narrative in Acts 9 is a note that, after encountering Jesus on the way to Damascus, for three days prior to his baptism, Paul “neither ate nor drank” (9:9). Later, in vv. 18–19, Luke records that after his baptism, Paul ate and “regained his strength” (9:19).

“At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved.” - Daniel 9:23

From his study of the Scriptures recorded in the book of Jeremiah, the prophet Daniel learns that the Babylonian exile will last 70 years.  He immediately responds by pouring out his heart to God; making supplication for the forgiveness and restoration of his captive people. At the very beginning of his pleas for mercy, a word goes out into the heavens.  The angel Gabriel is dispatched to inform Daniel of the coming Messiah who will atone for sin and inaugurate everlasting righteousness.

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” - Proverbs 4:23 

If you Googled the phrase, “What is most important?” you’ll find a diversity of answers.  Some say it’s making more money to enable them to do what they love most.  Some say it’s being physically healthy or spending time with family, while others prioritize being happy or knowing their purpose.  The list could be as long as there are people. What is most important to you?

You don’t usually think of a political fundraiser as beautiful and inspiring, but I was deeply encouraged to experience something of this recently.  The featured candidate currently serves as a Democrat on the New York City Council and is running for New York State Senate.  Ministry and business leaders, men and women of all backgrounds, including Caucasian, Latino, and African-American, filled the home where the fundraiser was held.  These dynamic Christian leaders support this candidate not because he is Democrat, or Latino, or a man.  They were not supporting him because he would do a favor for them or for people like them, or because of his likability (even though he is very likable).  They support him because he demonstrates godly understanding of governmental responsibility.

When a mother sees that her child is seriously sick, she swoops him up and takes him to a doctor as soon as possible.  She does this because she has faith in a couple of important details:  She has faith that her assessment of the seriousness of her child’s illness is accurate. Also, she has faith that a medical doctor will genuinely seek to help her child and, quite possibly, will be able to help heal him.

This is what faith looks like for a mother with a sick child, which begs the question, what does faith look like for the Christian who desires for God to change a community or a nation? 

Have you ever watched a little baby eat? Picture the newborn baby nursing, or as a toddler experiencing new texture sensations with each incoming spoonful. At these stages, a child is dependent on mother and father for everything pertaining to sustenance and thriving. Individually, a fasting lifestyle teaches us to ‘eat’ like a child, as we learn to depend more poignantly on the Father. As a community, fasting opens us up to God’s Spirit.[1]