A Love Revolution
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." (John 13:34).
The command "LOVE one another" appears eleven times in the Bible, all in the New Testament. Jesus said it three times. "These things I command you, that you LOVE one another." (John 15:17). Jesus defeated Satan through an "act" of LOVE!! LOVE is an unconditional affection with no limits or conditions: completely loving someone.
REVOLUTION - a sudden, complete, or marked change in something, a procedure of course, as if in a circuit, back to a starting point, and a single turn of this kind.
A GRACE REVOLUTION - 500 years ago the Holy Spirit gave Martin Luther a revelation of salvation by grace alone. This revelation was the catalyst that brought about freedom from the false doctrine of salvation by works and religious law keeping. The revelation of salvation by Jesus' grace alone (God's unearned, unmerited favor, blessing and enabling) brought mankind out of the "Dark Ages."
A POWER REVOLUTION - In 1905, William J. Seymour preached on the infilling of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues. A small group gathered together regularly and prayed to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. On April 9, 1906, after five weeks of Seymour's preaching and prayer, and three days into an intended 10-day fast, Edward S. Lee spoke in tongues for the first time. At the next meeting, Seymour shared Lee's testimony and preached a sermon on Acts 2:4 and soon six others began to speak in tongues as well, including Jennie Moore, who would later become Seymour's wife. A few days later, on April 12, Seymour spoke in tongues for the first time after praying all night long.
News of the events at North Bonnie Brae St. quickly circulated among the African American, Latino, and White residents of the city. Soon the crowds became very large and were full of people speaking in tongues, shouting, singing, and moaning. Finally, the front porch collapsed, forcing the group to begin looking for a new meeting place. A resident of the neighborhood described the happenings at 216 North Bonnie Brae with the following words:
“They shouted three days and three nights. It was Easter season. The people came from everywhere. By the next morning there was no way of getting near the house. As people came in they would fall under God's power; and the whole city was stirred. They shouted until the foundation of the house gave way, but no one was hurt.”
The group from Bonnie Brae Street eventually discovered an available building at 312 Azusa Street in downtown Los Angeles as we know the “The Azusa Street Revival.”
A LOVE REVOLUTION - I remember singing a beautiful Christian song years ago with extreme passion about love:
“We are one in the Spirit ,we are one in the Lord.
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.
And we pray that our unity may one day be restored.
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love!"
What would it look like today if Christians REALLY LOVED like Jesus. The world needs A LOVE REVOLUTION! I want to be a part of this LOVE REVOLUTION. Jesus said, "They'll know you are mine because you LOVE" (John 13:35). We've not transformed the world for the Kingdom of God with Grace. We've not transformed the world for the Kingdom of God with Power. How about let's try LOVE! Would you join me? Let's LOVE like Jesus loved ... UNCONDITIONALLY!