A Generation with Revelation

It was exactly 3 a.m last Tuesday, I was awaken by a beep from my cell phone from one of my disciples who is currently studying in Davao City, 3 hours away from our hometown. She was saying sorry that she wasn't able to reply on my texts earlier that day because she fell asleep. As we continued our texts about another family problem that arose last Sunday- her brother got arrested and now in jail, I started to reflect again about this generation, my heart grew heavier that early morn (I was also the hospital watcher for one of my disciple who was admitted for dengue). I started to hum this song in my head- 'Set me ablaze'- byPlanetshakers. We already sung this at church during our Worship services and first heard it last June on our G12 Regional Conference.

There was this line that stuck and it's always that line that I love to stay on every time we sing it at church. The line goes like this:

'For my generation Lord
I am crying out for more
Come and fill me with Your fire
Set me ablaze, set me ablaze'

I think it was the pre-chorus of the song. This line keeps on striking me- 'For my generation Lord, I am crying out for more.’  

What was I really crying for my generation? It’s like what the song is speaking- that there are more than these; that there is more for my generation and even the next than what is happening now. A part of me started to reflect on the realities of this generation. I thought of the struggles I went through as a young adult- the hurts and brokenness I went through before I got to know Jesus.

I got to know Jesus personally and intimately at the age of 21. Of course by that time I've already made a lot of stupid decisions, committed a lot of mistakes and even adopted and lived out wrong principles and culture. So when I got saved and ultimately became a pastor, I realized that the trend of what I went through is increasing drastically and even at a younger age. If these generation already went through all that hurt and brokenness at the age of 15 (some even younger), how about all the brokenness when they reach the age of 55? It grows exponential.

Most of the young people I minister to came from broken families due to adultery of one of the parent. Some have experienced sexual harassment like rape (both men and women) by either a relative or strangers and almost all have tried smoking, drinking and pornography in the past. I even have disciples who are recovering drug addicts and gang members. Some have sought love in their homes but could not find it that they have jumped from relationship to another relationship (like changing clothes!). It’s increasing every moment. More and more of this come through our church doors.

Though my years of ministry is still short- I have also experienced ministering to much older men and women and I also saw all the pain they've been through. It’s heart breaking. Then I look at the next generation and all the more my heart would cry out that there is more to this. So I started to pray. Here was what God birthed out of my intercession: a Generation with Revelation.

I was reminded by proverbs 29:18. In other version it speaks of ‘where there is no vision, people perish’ but on the NKJV version, it goes like this:

Proverbs 29:18

Divine guidance. Divine Wisdom. Revelation.

When people don’t accept revelation, they cast of restraint. People run wild (Prov. 29:18, NLT version). I knew I did.

I remembered my High school and college days when I never had the decency to just stop and think before I started all of my vices. No one shared to me about Jesus. If there was someone, no one had the compassion to disciple me like what I am experiencing now and doing. If someone could have just shared; help me start a relationship with God and I would have received revelation, I would not have done those things. But I never did. I ran wild. I got into smoking and drinking. I got hooked on pornography and masturbation. I was living a secret life because I started doing all those things while being active in a youth ministry. I was trying to bargain with God and myself that if I did this ministry thing, my good would outweigh my bad. I got into the wrong relationships. And ultimately, I gave myself to someone who never valued me in the end.

So I was all torn up when God found me. Then what changed me was when I received an amazing revelation that God loved me all those time I was a sinner and an addict (Romans 5:8) and showed His love when He died for me. From then on I was never the same. And it started with that first revelation I received. My new life was all about dependency on God and God’s Word. I listened to His voice daily. I would ask Him specific questions and He would respond specifically also through His Word. I was consistently reading (chronologically I might add) every day. At first, it was only a Proverb (according to the date and the number of the chapter that corresponds) then a Psalm. Then I started to read bigger chunks of His Word when I added a book from the Old and New Testament.

I got familiar with His voice. I was taking each step of my new life with every urging of His Word and nudge of the Spirit. It took time. I was always impatient. But I got used to it. Then that’s when I heard Him tell me bigger things for this new life: my family’s salvation; the people I should go with; a heart for my hometown. It was like Abraham; the moment He started to walk with God, his perspective in life was expounded. When all he could see was the four walls of His tent- God showed Abraham the night sky and the multitudes of stars.

It started with small revelations that in time grew big. He tested my faith in the small things (at first was very heavy to me) then when He finally saw me ready, He revealed to me big things like becoming a full time pastor and resigning from my job and to go home to my town and start planting a church. Actually, this blog chronicled that entire journey. I used to post my daily devotionals in this blog of mine. To this day, I still live like that; living by His Word. Listening to every revelation like it’s a flashlight on a dark road- just enough to light my way for a few steps.

Back at the hospital, I continued texting with my disciple that 3 am (we finished by 4 am) and I continued to pray that prayer. As I disciple this next generation, I pray for young men and women who will rise from the stereotype and tendency of what is happening now. To live out for Christ with revelation in every step they take.

Like this disciple of mine- she could have stayed in our hometown and attended in the University here. But weeks before her enrollment, she heard God’s leading to study in the city for a much higher quality of schooling because God has put in her heart that she would someday take up Law and become a lawyer. Even as her pastor I was amazed by what she received. God’s word confirmed it and also after days of prayer and fasting. It would have been more practical if she was here- cheaper tuition fee, no need to rent a dorm and food would be covered and she would be closer to her family. But she would rather obey and pay the price coz she knew God knows best.

A Revelation by God is very powerful in a life of a person. It turns what we might seem pain into understanding God’s purpose. It comforts us. It enables us. It keeps the hope, faith and love alive in us. It also keeps us from the danger of going the other way that might see, right but leads to death.

Before I went to sleep that night (or morning rather), I started to pray again and hope for my generation and for the next. I knew that this would be a long process. The change won’t be that visible immediately and the ripples of that change won’t be that big yet. But it will be someday. And I closed my eyes and dreamed again for a generation after God’s own Heart. Soli Deo Gloria!