A Revelation on Revolution

[ Extracted and edited from D2Y2 Magazine, December 2007 – March 2008 Issue 4]

“Revolution”.

I believe it is a good word though it might not have had a good reputation. Say the word and people may think of unrest, chaos and upheavals. The word must not be mistaken with “rebellion”, the Bible equates rebellion with witchcraft because both are driven from the same source, i.e. selfishness. But the spirit of revolution (or a spiritual revolution) can come from God and I believe that the time has come for the Church in Malaysia to experience it.

True revolution is change that is fundamental, complete and permanent.

Revolution is change! But not just any kind of change. True revolution is change that is fundamental, complete and permanent. History will be made and things will never again be the same. This change will also bring about unrest but only one that will shake us out of our comfort zone(s) necessary to bring about the next thing that the Malaysian Church has been longing for all these years – a nationwide revival! But there is a price to pay and the Church must both prepare and be willing to pay it soon! Very soon!

I used to think that revolution was a verb but a quick check with the dictionary revealed that it was actually a noun. l was initially disappointed as I believed it to be an action word. But then I learned that while a verb is something you do, a noun is something you are. That is even better! Jesus was a revolutionary and so are we! And what we are should determine what we do (not the other way round).

I have also learned a few lessons from the lives of Roger Bannister (the first man who ran the mile under 4 minutes) and William Wilberforce (the man responsible for the abolishing of slave trade and slavery in the United Kingdom), both revolutionaries in their own right, about how revolution is really lived out. They both had:

Purpose
and lived by that focus and passion

Planning
which were both careful and clever

Preparation
that considered problems as opportunities

Perseverance
knowing that it pays to be patient

Paying
the price

Prayer
and

Paving The Way
for future generations

And they both also had this one thing in common – the common (people) said, “IT COULD NEVER BE DONE!”. Sound familiar?!  

While “revolution” may be exciting in itself, it does not exist for itself, otherwise it might as well be “rebellion”. The greatest revolutionary the world has ever known is Jesus Christ and the greatest revolution He brought to the world is love. The revolution that God seeks in and through His Church is one that results in both spiritual revival as well as social transformation.

I believe that the “formula” will look like this: Vision = Values X Volunteers X Voice X Votes … and it is a formula I would like to introduce, inspire and inculcate into the Church, especially the emerging Church, throughout Malaysia through various avenues including 2008’s Revolution Tour and Revolution Conference. I also have this vision of DREAM Malaysia Partnership, and the potential and possibility of establishing a Christian Youth Movement or Alliance in Malaysia.

The greatest revolutionary the world has ever known is Jesus Christ and the greatest revolution He brought to the world is love.

Revolution may be something we try to avoid because of our past but I sincerely believe it is something we cannot afford to avoid for the sake of our future. I believe it is not just only a good thing – it is a God thing and God is stirring it up in the hearts of His people. It is inevitable, it is already here, so let’s join it!

D2Y2, which stands for Don’t Despise Your Youth, was an official Asian Youth Ambassador (AYA) magazine birthed out in the late 90s. The printed materials communicated dynamic and effective encouragement to and from the Church, with special emphasis on the knowledge and experiences of our Christian youths, which we believe the content is still relevant and applicable in this current generation.