The Rebelution: A Challenge For My Generation
Should I ignorantly assume that the blessings I have received in way of gifting and talent, position and family, country and freedom, have been given blindly and without purpose? Should I, heedless of their potential, throw these things away for the sake of convenience? Will I take the road so often traveled and go with the flow rather than against the current? Will I choose the fate of the common man or that of the uncommon man?
Needless to say, a life of sin and sorrow is readily available to all, whereas a life of purity, honor, and virtue is only granted to a precious few. The gifts necessary to change the world are as rare as the man who tries it, while the ability to conform to the world is evident in all its abundance.
The path of the righteous man is overgrown and seldom used. It is a lonely road, often uphill and through deep valleys. The common way offers many amenities, it is a well-worn path, easily traveled and with plenty of company.
Righteousness is work comprised of fleeing from temptation, running to Christ, fighting the good fight, running the race, and wrestling with myself. Complacency, however, offers a road devoid of care. I give myself to the very things I should flee from and fight with. So much easier to choose, so much simpler, and just what we want—yet not what I want.
To change the world God has changed my heart. To fight the fight God has won the war. To run the race Christ has set me free. All this is mine through Christ Jesus my Lord, yet this is the road often missed, often forgotten, often ignored.
The harder road lies before those who choose life and godliness, yet the greater destination, a glorious paradise and a wonderful feast.
This is the path I have chosen, to follow God and to do His will—to change the world, to be a leader—to shine as a light in the darkness that I’ve been placed in, not by chance, but by sovereign purposeful design. Should a candle set in a dark room assume that darkness is his fate? Would it be acceptable for the candle to make peace with the darkness? Not when he holds the potential for glorious light!
Therefore I must take all precautions to guard myself in all holiness, righteousness, and purity. Sin cannot be endured. The war is on, the fight is God’s—therefore I will be victorious. No truces will be made; no terms will be accepted. Victory is my end and that through Jesus Christ.
Reminding myself that one slip will destroy all possibilities of great service I will take and pursue all measures of accountability and protection. For if sin reigns I am ruined, and if it gains I have lost.
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord’s great love I am not consumed, for His compassion’s never fail. They are new every morning; great is His faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.”
In what confidence, you ask, do I make such resolve? Not in my strength for it has failed. Not in my previous accomplishments for they are pale. Not in hope of willpower for it is weak and corrupt. Not in conscience for it is dull. Not in my head, or arms, or legs, or hands, or feet, or anything in me that could supply strength physically, mentally, or spiritually, for they have all failed. They have all fallen short. They have all broken promises they vowed to keep. They have never brought me true or lasting success. They never will. I have no hope in myself.
In what confidence, you ask, do I make such resolve? I make resolve in the strength of God, in the grace, mercy, and power of Jesus Christ. In the salvation I know I have through Him. From the righteousness I have received from Him, from the robes of white that cover my sin, from the blood that was spilt for me, for the love that I feel in His embrace, for everything that is not me and is Him—in this I trust and in this I rest my hope.
You may wonder on reading this whether I will follow through with this resolution. Will it be only sad irony ten years hence that such a thing was ever written by these hands? Will this be a scrap of broken dreams and aspirations? Will I forget in an hour what was so clear and true now?
The answer to those questions will be decided by where I put my trust. Know this to be true: if my trust, despite my words, is in myself, then laugh at my humiliation. What a fool I was. Yet if my trust, as my words testified, is in God, then know with unwavering clarity that there is nowhere I will not go, no mountain I will not climb, no success that will not be realized, as long as all is done for God’s glory and in His strength. If my trust is in Him, then honor Him for my success. It will be beyond my dreams and yours if He can only pull my trust to Him for its eternal resting place.
Who am I? I’m a rebelutionary.
August 9th, 2005 at 9:50 pm
Hey Brett,
I havn’t herd from you in a while. It was great to read your blog. It was beautiful. I am amazed by your love and trust in the Lord. It is really verry encouraging to know there are people like you and Alex out there who care. Who want to be a leader. Who want to help change the society and how they view diffrent aspects in it. How are you going to start changing the world? You and Alex are the type of leaders that the world needs. What is some advice to help me take part in the fight of changing the world and society? Thankyou so much for writing that!
Lauren
P.S. It would be really great if you could answer my question if you have time. Just write me at my email address. Thanks Again!!
GOD BLESS!!!
September 1st, 2006 at 7:28 pm
Hey Brett!
This is some really great stuff. This is the first time I’ve visited the site, and trust me, I am really excited! You guys are doing a super job getting the message of Christ across to the world, not to mention encouraging fellow Believers as well. I’m going to try to keep up with the blog and use it as part of my daily devotions. I really liked your definition of what it means to be a “Rebelutionary”, and that is what I want in my life.
I am definitely going to tell my friends in my church Youth Group about your site.
Thanks so much, and keep fighting the Good Fight!
Sincerely ,
Will Kelly
September 7th, 2006 at 6:50 pm
Hey Brett!
Wow! I am soo impressed by this website! It is very refreshing to know that there are Christian guys out there that are so on fire for the Lord! Ya’ll are doing a terrific job conveying your message to us readers! Everything on here is soo important and I can’t wait to tell my friends about it!! Your passion for Christ is encouraging and uplifting. Thank you so much and continue to hunger and thrist for Christ!!
God bless,
Mary Kathryn
September 13th, 2006 at 11:53 am
wow…
that is soo very true and i do to believe we should all take that path as a christian yet some christians are to scared to shine in darkenss or to stand up and be a leader they get pulled down or they are to nervous to deal with the pressure. from expierence i am one to say that sharing the gospel is very complicated in some places. see i have been a missionary kid my whole life and in some places like india you can not share as much as you want to because of their penalties against missionaries. Yet here in america some choose not to share as much due to peer pressure or critsism. For me some people suppose i am notn christian by the way i dress…I dress punkish but because of my ministry i reach out to the kids with problems…no i dont not have sitanic friends as for them i can only pray but for most punk kids i help i listen, i love them and they are the people who need jesus the most so i dress like them become their friends and minister and set a model i help them quit drugs or cutting or drinking and help them find the path of christ. But im a very strong christian and i agree 100% with what you say…
your a great influence and i am sooo very happy to have heard from you from my small group leader at church
God bless and reward you
Angie Nolen
October 9th, 2006 at 1:00 pm
Hey, my name is Liz Leach. I actually found the website through the girl talk blog. I was intrigued when I read about it on one of the Girl Talk posts so I checked it out. It took me a few minutes to realized that you are related to Josh Harris. I went to Covenant Life for a year, and now I am attending a Sovereign Grace Church in Philadelphia (I say all this just so you know I’m not some random person). Thanks so much for creating this site! It is so encouraging to see teens that are committed to living pure and holy lives! I am encouraged to continue to pursue Jesus Christ as I read this blog! I am so amazed at how God transforms lives (mine especially)!!! Keep following God with all your heart!
October 19th, 2006 at 3:58 pm
Hey my name is shannon and I found out about this website from a friend and this my friends is a good one:)… no, not jokingly in all honisty this website not only is it helping kids and adults to know truth but see it and hear it from Brett and Alex and anybody else tying to spread the gosple. I am going to the Puerto Vallarta Dump in Mexico to do a missions trip with my class and some other adults who are going as chaperones and I am so excited to be able to spread the work of God to children who are suffering and to give then clothing and shoes and clean place to live. It will be an eye opener for sure. So If you can pray for me and my group that we raise enough money to go. God Bless,
Shannon Buck
November 29th, 2006 at 12:40 pm
[…] “…to follow God and to do His will—to change the world, to be a leader—to shine as a light in the darkness that I’ve been placed in, not by chance, but by sovereign purposeful design.” (TheRebelution.com) […]
December 21st, 2006 at 9:42 am
“Though a righteous man fall, he will rise again; but the wicked are brought down by calamity.” “…the righteous are as bold as a lion.” -Proverbs ” Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling..” -Jude
He is ABLE to keep you, and that which you have committed to Him! “They that know their God shall be stong and do exploits…they shall be willing in the day of His power…”
December 31st, 2006 at 8:27 pm
What do you hope to acomplish through with this website? And movement?
January 3rd, 2007 at 8:03 pm
WoW.
January 26th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
Hmmm. I never know what to say first in these comment thingies so I’ll say something random like “red penguins” and you’ll do a double take and be like “WHAT!?” and then I’ll say “just trying to break the ice” and you’ll roll your eyes and be like “this girl is such a FREAK!”… … but you’ll be intrigued and want to keep reading…
…
…
aHA! I was right! tehehe…
now that the ice is broken I just wanted to say that you and your brother have been such amazing examples to me ever since I first wandered onto your site after reading a World magazine article about you guys. Something I struggle with constantly is falling back into stupid things and you guys always have the right thing to say on your blog. So from one crazy, freakishly annoying, yet wholesomely valued homeschooled christian girl (me) to one spiritually gifted always says the right thing christian guy (you) …
THANKS!
January 30th, 2007 at 1:11 am
This is a life-transforming blog…I am glad that there are Christian teenagers out there, brave enough to tell the world of their rebelutionary cause. I admire you for your courage to stand for such a God-glorifying cause. Brett, what you’ve written has encouraged me to also live and comply to the God-given task of “setting an example in speech,in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.” I pray that I will also have the heart of a rebelutionary Christian teenager.
I thank God for leading me to this blog. God bless you and this ministry….
March 14th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
God WILL have a set apart people, those that will be a light to a dark, dark world.
He is coming, not just in natural clouds, but a cloud of witnesses(Heb. 12:1). It is up to us to be that people. Gods word will NOT return unto him void (Isa. 55:11). The Lord is looking for individuals that he can show himself strong through (2 Chr. 16:9) He is looking for disciples, those that will follow in his steps. Lord help me to be part of that chosen generation and peculiar (or set apart) people to show forth your praise (1 pet 2:9)
April 18th, 2007 at 3:45 am
This is amazing. Let the rebelutionaries arise!
April 22nd, 2007 at 11:06 am
I have been browsing your blog for a couple weeks and am amazed at everything I find. You are doing an incredible job at hitting the nail on the head. I have been encouraged by finding that I’m not the only teen out there struggling with these sorts of things, and by being inspired to work harder at being a godly girl, truly set apart for Christ.
Thanks for working so hard to encourage other young people and turn this generation’s hearts toward the Lord.
April 24th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
It is encouraging to know that there are other teens who are fervent for Christ and in a heated battle with the world’s misery to win the souls of the lost for Him.
[Administrator Note: We’ve made it our policy to not allow advertising of personal websites in our comment section, but in this case, it’s not because we don’t appreciate what you’re doing. In fact, we link to your blog on our sidebar. God bless!]
April 26th, 2007 at 11:02 am
Great, thanks! (Sorry, i didn’t know bout the policy)
May 3rd, 2007 at 7:30 pm
Your goals were very well-said. I echo them whole-heartedly, the only difference being that my path will be as a young lady seeking the Lord. Thank you for putting into words your desires to walk pleasing to the Lord. They are an encouragement and a challenge to me to never, ever forsake my Lord and to lean on Him all the days of my life. Thank you, and God bless.
May 9th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
You may be the most pedantic and sanctimonious person on the planet.
May 10th, 2007 at 5:51 am
I appreciate what you have established here. Have you ever heard of the General Youth Conference? It is creating a army of young people who will finish the race. I think you should look them up. I believe their website is GeneralYouthConference.com
I have searched several times on the internet for a group of devoted young people, and you, GYC, and Young Disciples Ministries are the only one I have come across!!
May the Lord bless you. Keep up the good work!!
June 7th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
hi brett,
i just wanted to take a moment to thank for your stand. i’m a youth pastor and have been thoroughly encouraged by your uncompromising committment to our Master, His Word and leadership for you and others’ lives. And i pray that our God ‘…will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.’
God bless brother.
June 18th, 2007 at 7:16 am
Hey Brett, thank you so much for this article! I am now a Rebelutionary. Praise God!
June 20th, 2007 at 5:35 am
I’ve just got to say that I’ve never seen anything like this and I’ve grown up in a Christian home, church, school. Thank you for being light and salt in this dark world and daring to stand amid the compromise of today. I wish you joy and peace in believing and blessed ministry as you seek to serve our God.
thank you for making a difference
June 29th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Hey
I saw an article about you guys and the rebelution in a World magazine two days ago. I wanted to write and tell ya’ll that Jesus Christ is so glorified through you both, and that the impact you are having on hundreds of teens is an everlasting one that will never fade. We want to see Jesus lifted high, a banner that flies across this land, that all men might see the truth and know He is the way to heaven. I’ll be praying for you guys. Press on toward the goal to win the prize of the upward call in christ Jesus.
Lydia MK
July 21st, 2007 at 7:59 pm
Wow! Need I say more? The tour is amazing and I really appreciate your unique writing syle. You are very intelligent and it shows in the very most public aspects of your testimony. I really enjoyed reading this blog because it was so nicely written and so filled with truth.
July 28th, 2007 at 10:38 pm
I find this incredibly disturbing, a new generation willingly submitting to ignorance and subserviance. This website is rather depressing, to say the least.
August 30th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
I recon you guys are awesome and have done a really brave thing to stand up for what you believe in, especially the culture of today. Your blog was amazing.
Keep up the good work.
God Bless.xx
September 3rd, 2007 at 9:41 am
wow… Simply said. I am so excited to see what God does in the coming months and years with this generation.
September 17th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
wow!!!!!!you guys are such a blessing!!!!!!!!May God use you in amazing ways!!!!
Lets bring on this new generation!!!!!!!!!!!
November 30th, 2007 at 12:14 am
I discovered your website after hearing it mentioned by Chuck Norris.
Although only God really knows our hearts, it seems to me that your hearts are really in the right place; loving and reverencing God, and loving your neighbor enough to share God’s word.
I also watched the “Are you a good person?”; though I already knew none is “good” but God. Overall I think it’s well done and very effective. I do see one correction that needs to be made. The creator of your presentation has fallen into a trap that is common to our modern era. That is of substituting a “sinner’s prayer” for being buried with Christ by baptized as a Faith-motivated, Spirit-filled immersion in water that represents the blood of Christ.
This isn’t surprising, since for several centuries, the predominant Christian thought presented Baptism as a work of self-righteousness. Since we know we cannot be saved by our own merits, Baptism has often been seen as unnecessary; even though Christ commanded it, and it is explicitly included in nearly all the conversion accounts in Acts.
We simply need to understand that Baptism is really a sign that we are a sin-dead corpse who can do nothing for ourselves, and that we submit to burial in the blood of Christ; trusting in His power to save us through Faith, by the Grace of God. I’m just trying to do (in my poor way) the same thing God’s word is leading you to do; share a little of what I’ve gleaned from prayerful study of his word.
By God’s Grace, we all share the same hope for eternal life in His presence, as we try to follow the path of His Son, Jesus Christ, in Faith. God Bless you, your study and your efforts in Him.
Sincerely,
David Deering
purereligion.net
December 1st, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Wow! That’s all I can say. God bless you.
February 12th, 2008 at 8:20 am
Hey I need advice. I have a friend who thinks she is in love.she has been praying for one for a long time.He is 15 and lives in Atlanta,and he is a christian and he is an abolishtionist.She is 13 and she is moving to Indiana.she is an abolishtionist and a christian.they have never met.she knows about him but he does’nt know about him.
advice needed. -your sister in Christ,hannah
February 12th, 2008 at 8:21 am
i mean he does’nt know about her.
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:34 am
Amazing..simply amazing.That’s how I can describe the way God has been using you and your brother.
Hello, Brett! I’m really blessed with what you said there. It’s encouraging to know that there are still Christians who live their lives the way the Lord wants. You know, I’ve been a Christian since I was 3 years old, and now I’m fifteen, but I still haven’t trusted the Lord that much. I thank the Lord for using you as an instrument to be a blessing to others in such a great way that even those who do not know Jesus can be touched by your lives. HE has really used that message to rebuke me. I HAVEN’T BEEN READING MY BIBLE FOR ALMOST A YEAR YOU KNOW. I EVEN FORGET TO PRAY. And do you know what has always been my alibi? my excuse? I DON’T HAVE TIME. I’M A SCHOLAR. I HAVE TO STUDY. And guess what? My study technique doesn’t even seem to work anymore. I get easily distracted. And I get easily discouraged with failures. Do you know that feeling like anyone who comes near you or work with you for an assignment or something gets unlucky? (See! I even seem to believe in luck now). It really makes me feel bad because I’m a Christian. And I ought to be a blessing-and never a burden.I have been living my life so carelessly that my grades are already going down.
Okay, so much to those revelations…
Just want to let you know that this ministry has reached the Philippines..(I’m a Filipino..hehe)
GO!!!
God bless you. I’ll pray for you.Keep running the race…HE will never let you down. And please keep yourself away from temptations. God is using you so greatly and I know how much the enemy wants to stop you, hinder you,discourage you…BE CAREFUL IF YOU THINK YOU STAND, LEST YOU FALL.
Again, GOD BLESS YOU, and take care.
You sister in Christ,
Julls
February 26th, 2008 at 10:09 am
To God be the glory!
Glad to know that there are other comrades-in-arms who will not let the Devil gain ground.
Praise our King.
Sincerely in Him,
A fellow soldier.
April 1st, 2008 at 9:23 am
[…] Serving His Purpose? I read a really interesting article today by Brett Harris, and the opening has been on my mind since. […]
April 28th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Amen! True words spoken from the heart, a heart that is similar to myself and many others. It is a true inspiration to me to be a rebelutionary!
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Hey! I just wanted to say thanks to you and Alex for creating this site. You have no idea what a positive impact it has been on my life.
May 6th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Thanks for what you have written. It is truly inspirational - I shall borrow some of the words for my own reference. God bless you and keep you always.
May 14th, 2008 at 9:01 am
There is a quote by John Stuart Mills that says -
“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The depraved and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling, which thinks nothing is worth war, is far worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing that is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made so, by exertions of better men than himself.”
I think that as Christians as a whole we tend to forget that when we decide to lay down ourselves completely for the Lord, we are enlisting in the army of God. When many believers realize this there seem to be three responses (at least that I have witnessed): From my own experiences, the most common response seems to be a response of fear in which believers strive for peace, make-shift treaties, and as you said above, to negotiate terms with the offender. What we forget, is that peace is not necessarily the absence of war - in some cases, “peace talks” prolong the conflict which end up as a stalemate…and we all know that a stalemate is not possible in the Kingdom of God. Peace between Good and Evil will not occur until the defeat of evil, and we do not know exactly when that will be. There must be a winner and there must be a loser - and we know that God wins. It’s that simple. The second response is the opposite of seeking peace. It’s seeking war. Usually from what I have observed, these people are good natured and have a genuine and fervent love for the Lord, but lose sight of the purpose. They want to condemn demons, curse the evil one, and go out looking for battles which they are not spiritually prepared for. I had a very dear friend who suffered from this. He was foolhardy, brash, unwise, and for many reasons, as well as his foolishness, will end up living the rest of his life in an orange uniform with a cereal number on his left chest pocket. And then the third response is exactly what you and Alex are doing! I’m so relieved and thankful that there are those who see the potential of people our age to sway either for or against this fight for righteousness and redemption. But you both do not seem to be foolhardy nor unwise. And I pray that you will remain on target and hit the mark, the course which the Lord has set before you both.
You both have been incredibly blessed and may you continue to be. May the full armor of God protect you, because there will be many, many challenges. You just gave the Devil a reason to pummel you with temptation. I pray you will continue to triumph and stay the course.
Heidi
June 16th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Hey! You guys ttly rock! Its so cool and encouraging to see teens go against the flow! Awesome guys! Thats all I can say! Awesome!
Alexis the Awesomest……jk…
June 16th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
This is the kind of blog I’m talkin about! I just read your testimony, and the part baout the candle in the darkness really speaks to me! Awesome, I’ve never quite looked at it that way. Your Testamony sounds like straight out of the Bible, fresh to the spirit, and God inspired! I’m totally encouraged and love it! Thanks!
Alexis, God’s Kid
June 19th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
This is really cool guys! WOW! I,m glad you are doing this, God is an awsome God!
June 26th, 2008 at 6:28 am
Thank you Alex and Brett for writing your book. It literally has been a wake up call to my life. I’m now striving for a better connection with God and am reading my Bible every day. And now I’m trying not to shirk away from the hard things God puts in front of me.
July 8th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Amen!
I just bought DO HARD THINGS and am ready, i pray, to be a rebelutionary.
Thanks to you two for letting God use you, it does amazing things.
July 21st, 2008 at 3:42 pm
You guys are wonderful! A guy at church gave me your book to read. I am very glad he did. It really opened my eyes. Thank you! Praying for you and all the rebelutionaries around the world.
August 4th, 2008 at 8:18 am
I’m an old mom who recently purchased Do Hard Things. Thank you. These ideas are not JUST for teens. Adults need to be reminded to do hard things, move out of our comfort zones and trust in Christ all the way. Praying this groundswell by God’s grace will grow and grow.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:01 am
[…] “Brett and I firmly believe we are living in historic times. We further believe that God is raising up a generation of young people, specifically those in the Christian, homeschool community, who will one day assume positions of leadership in all spheres of life: social, political, and spiritual. This is not a call for the complacent or the lackadaisical. This is not a call to those who are willing to lower their standards to meet the expectations of their culture. This is a call to the rebelutionary.” -Alex & Brett Harris […]
August 9th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
I purchased Do Hard Things not two days ago. I’ve only read a couple chapters so far because I’m trying to read another book first, but already I can’t wait to read more of what you guys have to say and to join the rebelution. Keep up the good work and I pray that you will continue to put your trust in Christ as you say above.
August 28th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
You’ve said what so many have wanted to. God bless you brother. Now how do we go about fighting this fight?
August 31st, 2008 at 2:18 pm
This blog is genius! I’m going to tell my friends about this. This is my first time on the blog and I am impressed! I’m 15 years old and I went on a mission trip to Mexico this summer. It was truly a blessing to serve the almighty King! We need to reach our generation, and Alex and Brett have got a huge lead on it! Do Hard Things is a book that encourages us to take one step forward to becoming mature adults! God bless all who do hard things!
September 2nd, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Hey Brett that is awesome! What a great perspective. I like when you talked about choosing the flow following the crowd or choosing to step out and follow God, to follow and see the huge plans and purpose for our lives, stepping out of our comfort zones. It made me think.. There has been something in my life that God has called me to do, to step out and its not always easy or the thing to do. But God has a reason and a purpose even when we dont fully understand. Thank you for encouraging me to remember that God has a reason and He has chosen me to do His great work. God is doing great things through you guys. Keep up the good work. Oh ya and by the way, your book was great! Thanks again! God Bless!!
-Tiffany
September 6th, 2008 at 6:40 am
I am in the first stages of being a ‘rebelutionary.’ The first chapters of your book I’ve read, and I must say that it’s powerful text. In our Christian walk, there will be many trials, tribulations, and obstacles and the only way to face them is through prayer. I’ve done many hard things in my life, many of which included stepping out of my comfort zone. I just did step out of it by inviting an unsaved friend to a youth group event. I’ll say it wasn’t the easiest thing, because also deep inside I’m concerned about what he’ll think about me, but i know that’s self-focused and with God’s help I can hurdle over these obstacles and do hard things indeed.