rebelling against low expectations
“Father, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me.” – Jim Elliot The desire of Jim Elliot’s heart was that people would come into contact with the living, loving God when they met him. He wanted people to see Jesus in and through his life. He longed that...
We are Rebelutionaries. We are young people who want to use our youth to serve the Lord. We are men and women who want to do hard things for the glory of God. But sometimes, the hardest and most impactful things we can do seem simple and insignificant. Sometimes, the thing that will actually make the biggest difference isn’t big at all. Sometimes, we overlook hard things because they are...
Fitting an arrow to the string, the crown prince took aim and released. The arrow flew through the air, landing a great distance away. A small boy–his servant–hurried to pick it up and bring it back to him. “Is not the arrow beyond you?” he called after the boy. As he said those words, he remembered his excellent education, his training with a sword and bow, his preparation to be a...
Growing up, my father was never physically absent. I never wondered if he would come home at night. But throughout my childhood, he was mentally and spiritually absent. As a child, I felt his absence deeply. I longed for a relationship with him. I lived to please him. When he was home, I followed him around like a puppy dog. I waited desperately for the day he would finally finish all the things...
It was a beautiful Sunday morning. Light streamed in through the windows, making the cozy, family-like atmosphere of the little church even more inviting. As the pastor began speaking, the congregation leaned in, eager to hear his message. Suddenly, loud sobbing disrupted the service. Everyone turned to see who was crying. A little boy with Down syndrome, a boy who was usually happy and friendly...
“I am tired of moving around. I am tired of saying goodbye. I am tired of this ache in my heart that won’t go away.” Finally alone, I let myself cry as I expressed my feelings to the Lord. After all, I was passionate about my faith and desired to serve God. I was ready to follow Him wherever He might lead. But here I was, moving to a strange place, serving the Lord in a new ministry–for the...
Abby Johnson stared at the black and white ultrasound image. The tiny baby on the monitor was so perfect and beautiful. Suddenly, something else appeared on the screen. It looked foreign and out of place. Abby didn’t want to look, but she could not pull her eyes away from the image. As the abortion doctor turned on the suction, the baby, once so perfect and beautiful, disappeared as she was...
You are far too content! Yes. You read that right. You are too content. You need to become dis-content. You need to become hungry for more. Until you do so, you will be virtually useless to the kingdom of God. Don’t Be Content With Simple Scales As a child, I took piano lessons. I learned to play scales and simple songs and hated it all. I hated it because none of it sounded good. I heard...
Clutching the jar tightly, the woman stood in the doorway and looked into the room. Her heart beat furiously. Her eyes darted back and forth. The room was so full of men, most of whom knew her. She glanced behind her and considered retreating. Suddenly she saw him. Everything else vanished. None of it mattered. Rushing into the room, she fell trembling at his feet. Breaking her jar open, she...
I watched from the back of the room as people sat, knelt, stood, sang and prayed at all the right times. From my vantage point, it looked like a performance. “These people are so legalistic,” I thought to myself. Suddenly I felt a stab of conviction. I could not see the hearts of these people. How could I tell whether they were just going through the motions or truly worshiping the...
rebelling against low expectations
