Tag: Theology

The Face of Revival

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Church, Theology

–Summer of 2002

The Face of Revival

In a recent conversation with a student, I was asked this question.  “What does revival look like?”  The question grew out of the student’s frustration on the fact that she had heard messages on revival, messages that spoke of our need for revival, and the results of revival, but had never really given her something solid so that she could recognize the beginnings of revival.

As I began to think about that question, it dawned on me that many of us might miss the beginning of revival because we are looking for the wrong thing.  Too often we dress revival up in the clothes of supernatural phenomenon or other forms of Divine visitation, when really revival will first come to us dressed in sackcloth and ashes.  When God gave Solomon the process to find personal and national revival, it began with a call to humility.  “If my people which are called by my name will humble themselves…”

What Does Humility Look Like?

Andrew Murray in his classic work on humility, states, “Humility is the place of entire dependence on God and is by its very nature the first duty and the highest virtue of man.  It is simply man’s acknowledging the truth of his position as man in yielding to God His place as God.”  Another church father said it like this, “Humility is the frame of mind a man possesses who is fully aware of his nothingness apart from God and of his sinfulness that would eternally separate him from God were not God willing to rescue him.”  Humility does not imply a slavishness or servility.  Nor is it inconsistent with a right estimation of one’s self, gifts and calling of God.  Nor with a proper self assertion when called for.  True humility is, indeed, the frame of mind that a man possesses whereby he understands his total dependence upon God for all that he is and does.

Are We People of Humility?

Being clothed with humility, as Saint Peter admonishes, is a concept that most of us haven’t considered.  We do not think of humility as a dominant characteristic of today’s successful person.  Most church members and even many church leaders are not known for their humility, but for their self reliance, self sufficiency, and self confidence.  Those seem to be traits that fit well within the sociological and political scheme of things.  So we value them rather than valuing what the Bible calls humility.  It might even be said that many in the church have an aversion to humility.  Some erroneously see it as a weakness.  One of those traits if possessed too much might even hinder a man getting along in life.

Is Humility Important to Revival?

The answer is quite easy.  There can be no revival without first a spirit of humility gripping the church.  It is out of a spirit of humility that all the other attributes of revival flow.

Will God Humble Us?

 When we set our hearts to seeking God for revival, we are actually asking God to humble us.  The evidence that He is answering our prayer for revival can be seen in the way that He chooses to humble His church.

In his book, Changed into His Image, Jim Berg lists four ways that God may choose to humble us.

First, He will send a problem we can’t handle to expose our helplessness.  Do you remember the story of Naaman in II Kings?  A high-ranking Syrian official who needed healing from his leprosy could not accept the humility of meeting only with the second man and then being told to wash in the muddy Jordan River.  But Naaman was confronted with a problem that would not go away until he humbled himself and did what God commanded.

The second way God humbles us is to give us a command we won’t obey so as to expose our self-centeredness.   Do you remember the Prophet named Jonah?  God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh, and Jonah simply wouldn’t go.  The end result being, Jonah got a real glimpse of his self-centered and selfish heart.

The third way is for God to arrange an outcome we can’t control to expose our sinfulness.  Do you remember when King David took Bathsheba into his bedchamber for an evening of pleasure, only to send her back home thinking no one would ever know?  When word came back from Bathsheba that she was pregnant, David knew he had a problem on his hands that he couldn’t control.  He tried to desperately corral it and deal with it, but it was beyond his control, and God intended it to be that way.  David needed to see his own sinfulness.

The fourth way is that He will show us a God we can’t comprehend to expose our finiteness.  Job was no doubt a good man.  God Himself testified to such.  But Job needed a lesson in humility so that he could understand that God Himself is beyond our human understanding.

When you and I begin to pray for revival and when we begin to look about for signs of that revival, we should not be shocked if the first face we see is not pleasant but one that humbles all of us.

Triumphing Over Tragedy

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Christian Living, Church, Theology

–November of 2001

Triumphing Over Tragedy

America has been awakened from decades of secure slumber by a terrorist nightmare of monumental proportions.  In a series of murderous assaults, our sense of territorial invulnerability has been shattered, our economy shaken to its heels, and our carefree way of life halted in its tracks.  The American psyche was clearly rattled on September 11, 2001.

Our response to this national horror has been interesting.  Rescue workers became heroes in swift succession as they braved the burning buildings only to be entombed with those they sought to save.  Congressional leaders closed ranks, made speeches, and allocated funds to relieve the victims and to capture the attackers.  The talking heads in the media marshaled the experts and discussed everything from Islamic fanaticism to World War III.  The average American, however, went to his knees in prayer, stood in line to give blood, and opened both his heart and his purse to thousands of widows and orphans.

My greatest disappointment came from the religious media personalities.  They blamed every segment of sinner it was safe to blame (though Scripture says judgment must begin at the house of God), predicted the end of time, and offered specials on their latest prophecy book.  These are the same religious leaders who promised dire consequences for the world just because our calendar was changing was from 1999 to 2000.  In their haste to capitalize on another “ministry opportunity” they stooped once again to interpreting the Bible through the newspaper, instead of interpreting the newspaper through the Bible.

A very bright spot for me came from two things that our President did.  First, he led America to the place of prayer.  Second, he stood atop the rubble of the World Trade Center and announced to the world that America’s soul had not been torn asunder for it rested on something far more permanent than concrete and steel.  He reminded all of us that terrorists may destroy our infrastructure, but they could never damage our spirit.  I don’t believe our President was grand standing.  He was simply voicing his core beliefs.

President Bush offered the church a great object lesson as he stood atop that pile of rubble.  During times of crisis the church must possess and project a discerning faith that looks beyond the fleeting shadow of the moment to the abiding substance of eternity; beyond things shaken to the things that are unshakable.  Jesus told His church not to fear anyone or anything that could destroy the body (the passing), but fear Him that could destroy both body and soul (the permanent).

The men of this world despair when buildings topple, bodies are broken, and lives are snuffed out.  But the child of God stands amid the encircling gloom of a desperately troubled day, lifts his eyes to Heaven, and remembers “this world passeth away but He that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”

In times of tragedy the greatest responsibility that the church may have is simply to live up to its greatest convictions and beliefs.  Oh yes, we must be there offering our hands to dig through the debris.  We must be there offering our hearts to comfort those that mourn.  We must be there giving of our means to provide shelter and food for those who are needy.  But, we must also be there standing atop the broken dreams of this present world letting our faith point the way to the only world that really lasts.

Knowing God

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Christian Living, Theology

–October of 2001

Knowing God

To the average man in America God is an inference, not a reality.  He has put belief in the Almighty into the back of his mind along with the other various odds and ends that make up his philosophy of life.  The possibility of an intimate acquaintance with God has never entered his thinking.

Christians, to be sure, go further than this.  God is more than brain deep.  To them He is life deep.  The Bible makes it perfectly clear that God is personal and can be known in personal experience.  Leaping out from almost every page of Scripture is a God who affects us and is affected by us.  The Old Testament gives us portraits of God speaking, pleading, loving, working, and manifesting Himself whenever and wherever His people have the receptivity necessary to receive such manifestation.  We see Him walking with Adam and Eve in the Garden, eating with Abraham by his tent, and arguing with Moses on a mountain top.  The gospels give us a front-row seat as God steps from behind the curtain onto the stage of life to interact with man.  The Bible assumes it to be self-evident that we can know God intimately.

Within the holiness tradition, we are regularly summoned to know God, to talk to God and to love God as one loves a friend.  Yet, to many, the idea of being intimate with God is still mystical and illusive.  Their knowledge of God is more accidental than intentional—more like an occasional contact than an ongoing companionship.  When talking about God they use the textbook language of a learner rather than the transparent language of a lover.  They remind me of a story the Boston Globe carried about an Elvis Presley look-alike contest.  One contestant had this to say, “Elvis was my idol.  I have seen his concerts, watched every movie he has done, bought every album he made, collected ticket stubs and clippings from programs all around the world, had my hair styled like his, and won many look alike contests.  I’ve stormed the stage at his concerts so that he would see me, and I’ve climbed the walls at Graceland to catch a glimpse of him.  It’s really funny, though.  All the effort I put into following him…and I could never seem to get close.”

Why do so many Christians find it difficult to get close to God?  I believe, for the most part, it is the same reason we find it difficult being intimate with one another.  One of the more significant barriers to any relationship is self-centeredness.  The sinful self seeks independence from both God and man.  It is self-seeking rather than self-giving.  No relationship can find true intimacy unless there is a giving of oneself freely to the other.

Another barrier is superficiality.  Our image-conscious culture holds others at enough distance to prevent the development of close relationships.  To allow people to get close means that they will see me as I really am.  We struggle with this kind of openness.  Honesty about ourselves makes us vulnerable.  Being vulnerable is often too threatening to our self image and security.  When this is carried over into our Christian walk, we keep God at a distance.  We fear exposing our inner self to Him.  We talk to Him in clichés rather than pouring out our heart in true transparency.  But the more we mask our true self and hide from God and others, the more distant our relationships become.

A final hindrance is time.  Children spell love “T-I-M-E” and so does God.  Most relationships I know are starving for a lack of time.  Our Western culture has forgotten how to walk.  We know only how to run and drive.  We pack our days so full that time to build meaningful relationships is all but impossible.  Our relationship to God has to be “crock-potted” not microwaved!  The salvation of our soul may be the miracle of a moment but the making of an intimate relationship with God is the work of a lifetime.

God wants to tear down every barrier and walk with us in intimate fellowship.  Scripture tells us if we will, “draw nigh to God, He will draw nigh to us.”  That’s not just a possibility, but a promise.  There is no better time than the present to start “knowing God”.

What God Requires

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Christian Living, Theology

–Winter of 2001

What God Requires

In every age there are those who aspire to an intimate relationship with a holy God and to live the godly life resulting from that relationship.  It is also true that in every age there are those who have constructed their own brand of cheap grace to insure a minimum demand upon their life.  Standing between these two categories is a veritable host asking the eternally important question, “What level of living does God require of His people?”

We know that salvation and acceptance with God comes by grace through faith.  Yet no serious Bible student can escape being jolted by the flat ultimatum to “be holy for I am holy.”  Nor can we overlook the command to pursue holiness, “without which no man shall see the Lord.”  The call to holy living is repeated in various ways throughout the whole of Scripture.  If God means what He says, then salvation by grace through faith has some serious behavioral ramifications.

The Old Testament sets the tone and standard for God’s expectation of His people.  A summation of the first few books of the Old Testament clearly teaches us that God’s goal for human life is that we should live in real fellowship with Him—a fellowship that requires a correct understanding of who He is and a sharing of His revealed character.  Four times in the book of Leviticus (often referred to as the “Holiness Code”) God tells His people that He is holy and, because that is so, they must be holy.  He is requiring a holiness of life that is not only relational (meaning, a holiness that is derived and dependent upon a right relationship with God), but one that is also replicational (meaning, a holiness that shares His character and is behavioral, touching every aspect of our personal, social, moral, civil and religious life).  This behavioral aspect is presented further when we are given an Old Testament description of true religion, “Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, and with a perfect heart” (II Chron. 19:9).  Clearly God expects us to serve Him reverently with a life that is totally yielded and faithfully obedient to His revealed commands and statutes.

The New Testament standard is the same as the Old.  It teaches that we are redeemed from sinful bondage and brought into a relationship with God by saving grace.  This salvation is more than going to Heaven when we die.  It is an intimate personal progressive relationship with Christ.  It means that God radically and immediately re-orients our lives to the Lordship of Christ so that obedience to Him is a normal practice in our lives.  It means that He will also “purify our hearts by faith” through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, enabling the Holy Spirit to reproduce Christ’s character in us.  Although this is not done in our own strength, we are fully cooperative participants in this effort by the application of Biblical truths as we see new truth and by the exercise of certain disciplines that help maintain true piety in our lives.

Both Testaments call us to live lives that are morally pure, ethically righteous, and faithfully obedient.  This call to holy living is clear, and every Christian needs to take this call seriously.  Dr. John Oswalt in his book, The Call to Be Holy, makes the observation, “The fate of the American church and the church around the world depends upon what it does with the biblical doctrine of Christian holiness.”  Dr. Oswalt is right.  It is also right to note that my fate and yours depends upon what we do with the biblical call to holy living.  God requires holiness of heart and life.

The Battle for Truth

by Mike Avery, posted in All Articles, Culture, Theology

–October of 2000

The Battle for Truth

The Clinton Presidency has forced to the forefront of this election year the two very important issues of moral absolutes and religious faith.  I suppose this ought to be cause for celebration, but I, for one, am deeply troubled with how I see these issues being addressed.  Both candidates have spent a considerable amount of energy trying to convince the American public that they are decent, honest, God-fearing men who have the integrity and character it takes to be president.  But a closer look at what is being said and how it is being communicated deeply troubles me.

The vice president has told the American public that he is a committed husband and father, who is solidly anchored in the traditional moral values that are important to our nation.  To reinforce his own testimony, he has secured testimonials from a high-profile lesbian, a movie star, and Ted Kennedy.  Furthermore, he has told us that as president he would defend the moral values of the American family while in the same breath telling us that he would fight for a woman’s right to an abortion and oppose the overturn of Roe vs. Wade.  He says and does all of this with no apparent thought of contradiction.

The nomination of an Orthodox Jew has opened up the other issue of religious faith.  This nomination has allowed the media to openly talk about the “barrier of race and religion” finally being torn down.  They have also been able to discuss the validity and equality of all other religions with that of Christianity.  A prominent media figure asked a guest this question, “How could an Orthodox Jew be elected when the vast majority of Americans say they are Christian and in saying that they believe that Jesus is the only way to Heaven?”  His guest replied, “I am a Christian.  I believe that Jesus is the Son of God.  But, I do not believe He is only way to Heaven.  I believe He is simply a way to Heaven.”  He went on to proclaim that the Islamic faith and the Buddhist faith were all legitimate ways to get to Heaven and Christ was just one of many.  The program host thought his response was just outstanding and applauded the fact that America is finally growing up.

What the vice president, the media, and the educational elite see as intellectual enlightenment, I see as an encroaching darkness.  Why?  Because both perspectives undermine the absolute truth found in Scripture.

Our civilization, both morally and judicially, was built upon the absolutes embodied in the Judeo-Christian faith as revealed in Holy Scripture.  Decency, civility, morally and justice all rest upon these moral absolutes.  Our own constitution would be in shreds if these moral absolutes were pulled from underneath it.  The rejection of these values bring chaos, confusion, contradiction and emptiness.  When a society proclaims that there is no transcendent source of moral truth, it is left to construct its own belief system out of a moral vacuum.

The perfect example of this took place some years ago when Cal Thomas had just finished giving a lecture at the University of Michigan.  A student who heard the lecture strongly objected to his thesis that our nation needs to promote values rooted in fixed absolutes.  Thomas responded, “If you reject my value system, what do you recommend to replace it?”  The young lady couldn’t answer.  Thomas pressed further by asking, “What is your major?”   “I am a senior, and my major is ethics.”  “On what do you base your own ethics?” Thomas posed. “I don’t know.  I’m still trying to work that out.”

Here is a typical example of what our American educational system is producing.  This young lady has been given no moral foundation for right or wrong.  She has been stripped of a belief in the Bible and even taught an antagonism towards values founded on Scripture.  Her moral compass has been completely destroyed.  Consequently, she has no way of finding what real truth is.

It is out of this moral wasteland that the modern mind has developed post-modernism.  This is a view of life that rejects not only Christian truth, but any claim to absolute truth.  This means that all viewpoints, lifestyles and religious faiths are equally valid and acceptable. A post-modernist has no problem accepting two completely opposite points of view. Growing out of post-modernism is multi-culturalism.  Multi-culturalism opens the door to say that the faith of a Muslim is as valid as that of a Christian because both are anchored in their own perception of truth.  Since neither can know absolute truth, the one is as adequate as the other for salvation.

Most of my readers see the fallacy of all of this and may be wondering what the point is.  The upshot of it all is this.  There is an orchestrated endeavor to destroy belief in the absolute truths of God’s Word and in Jesus as the only way to be saved.  The educational system that has produced both of our presidential candidates has been at the very heart of systematically destroying the absolutes that we have embraced as a nation.

The success of this endeavor will not be to stamp out Christianity, but to gain enough room to claim a society so pluralistic that the message of toleration and inclusiveness will be preached by politicians, made into laws by Congress, upheld by the Supreme Court, and enforced by police until most of the vestiges of Christian values are gone and Christianity is just one of many views.  This, my friend, will lay the foundation for a new world order.

We are, indeed, in a battle for truth.  Your voice and your vote can still make a difference.  If I were you, I would use them both.