He had no where else to go. He had nobody else to turn to. A man at the height of his profession, in the most desperate time of his life had finally realized that the creator of the universe was the only one who could guide him through the turmoil that would ensue. So, at Valley Forge in the bitter winter of 1776, George Washington excused himself from the company that surrounded him and rode his horse to a secluded part of the surrounding wilderness. It was at this time that he surrendered. He didn’t surrender to the enemy, he surrendered to the Savior. Washington realized that the country needed a revolution but his people were in poor spirits. Only God could make the impossible happen.
Countless letters, diary entries, newspaper articles and family stories have been passed down through the centuries about Valley Forge. Although no battle was fought, it is known as the turning point of the war. The American soldiers were worn out. They were tired, sick, cold, poor, underfed and underpaid. They didn’t have proper supplies or a proper heart. Even George Washington, their fearless leader, expressed concern to congress in a letter that he wrote to them asking for more help. It was the moment in our history that seemed like we had no chance. Time to throw in the towel. Then Washington realized what he had been leaving out. He realized that the power had always been in his hands, but it needed to be transfered somewhere else. He had to put it in God’s hands.
The story continues with the spring rolling around and the French joining America’s forces. More supplies came in. Better food and better clothes call for better attitudes. Washington enlisted captains that knew how to whip an army into shape and our great military went on to defeat the red coats of England and win the Revolution! There are so many places I could go with this, and I will eventually, but let us start from the beginning.
A revolution contains a change in philosophy. According to one definition, a revolution is “a drastic change in behavior and the way of thinking.” In other words, whatever and whoever you were before, get rid of it. A craze has swept across youth groups and youth camps all over our nation. A plea to start a “Revolution” has been heard through Christian music and Christian writings. The ultimate challenge given by speakers, musicians and writers has been to “begin a revolution in our country for the cause of Christ.” The unfortunate thing is, we don’t know exactly what that means. And if we did, we wouldn’t know how to go about accomplishing such a thing. That’s why I am writing this! There is a call to revolutionize our country and our world for God’s Glory but Christians everywhere don’t realize the need nor do they possess the practical knowledge needed to begin such a thing. Keep reading! In this book you’ll see the need. You’ll see the solution and you’ll see how you can begin the revolution in your own heart and watch it grow throughout your church, your community and your world!
Do you ever realize that when there is crisis, people turn to God? The crisis has to be a very evident crisis. Let me give an example: September 11, 2001. This is the biggest crisis of my personal lifetime. I was sitting in 11th grade art class when another teacher ran into the room and turned on our television. We saw the first building had been hit and before our young, scared, unbelieving eyes, a plane flew into the second building. In days and weeks and months immediately following this dreadful day, our great country turned to what they knew as a natural place of solace and comfort: God. Lawns were littered with signs that read “In God We Trust.” Bumper stickers made residents on our cars that read the same message. Churches were flooded with worshippers coming to pray and seek the guidance of their Savior. A nation in crisis became a nation with faith. Those signs and bumper stickers didn’t last long though. The war in Iraq began and our focus went from trusting in God to criticizing the government. We no longer spent our time talking to God, we instead spent our time writing to our congressmen about our displeasures.
The secret that isn’t so secret is the fact that we all battle crisis on a daily basis. Some would be considered more of a crisis than others, but they are desperate times nonetheless. It is still a daily occurrence when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer or killed innocently in a car crash at the hands of a drunk driver. People are losing jobs on a daily basis and losing their marriage just as quickly. No, our stories don’t make the headlines on the major newspapers or news channels, but they are real. So why is it that we turn to anything and everything that we think will make things right, other than the only thing that can make things right? The answer to this question is cliche. Let me warn you, it isn’t going to blow your mind away when I tell you. Your first instinct isn’t going to be to put this book down and allow it to resonate in your mind and soul. The reason that we don’t turn to our Savior when we face a personal crisis is: our heart. Our heart isn’t programmed to do so. Somewhere down the line we made ourselves believe that we should rely on our own understanding and our own power to pull ourself out of the hole that we’re stuck in. However, God’s Word specifically tells us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean NOT on your own understanding...” (Proverbs 3:5)
Do you know why you are reading this? Because you can relate. People enjoy reading things that they can relate to. The fact is, if you thought about it just for a few seconds, you could create a list of things going wrong in your life. You have marriage problems or you have money problems. You look at websites that you shouldn’t look at or drink more than you should. There are personal crisis’ going on all around you and your heart isn’t in the position where it naturally turns to God first. So, let me tie all of this together before I go on too many rabbit trails. There is one solution for you. Our heart needs to experience a revolution! As stated before, a revolution is a complete change. The philosophy of how we react and who we turn to has to change. Our reason for living has to change. Our love for ourselves, others and our God needs to change. Our heart needs to experience a revolution. The next few pages will reveal to you that this is very practical. It is not impossible at all to make this happen. Follow the pattern that is presented in the next few chapters and you’ll experience the change in your life that a revolution can bring.
Dang, dude. That was legit! Look forward to reading the rest!
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