Jim and Tammy Faye’s son, Jamie Charles Bakker, is a tattooed punk rock preacher of Revolution Church, in Atlanta. (via MetaFilter)
Religion Kills
Religion is a false perception of holiness that focuses on law and kills the true message of Christ. Jesus had much to say about the religious who put the law before his true message.
“…How terrible it will be for you experts of religious law! For you crush people beneath impossible religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden.†Luke 11:46
“How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest part of your income, but you ignore the important things of the law- justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but you should not leave undone the most important things. Blind Guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat; then you swallow a camel.†Matthew 23:23-24
Jesus came and declared that the most important law was “You must love the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.†(Matthew 22:37.39) Religion ignores the reasons behind this being the most important commandment and only focuses on the exterior and works as a way to get close to God. It is religion that not only kills the true message of hope Christ taught but also has held back the lost from understanding the true meaning of Christianity.
The Idea of Revolution
To show all people the unconditional love and grace of Jesus without any reservations because of their lifestyle or religious background, past or future. This love has no agenda behind it (I Cor. 13:5). This grace sets no timeline on personal change or standards for spiritual growth (Romans 4:4-5). The idea is to be a part of people’s lives because we truly care for them rather than to fulfill a religious duty; to walk with them through all their struggles as a part of their life, not as a religious outsider.
Often times the focus of an outreach will be on people outside of its own community. At Revolution, we believe strongly in being a part of the community around us. We do this through constantly giving back in various forms including Bible Study, putting on concerts, hosting a movie night and just hanging out with people. Our goal is not to reach into a community from the outside but to reach out among our own community.
The desire at the heart of Revolution is to see this idea spread to other communities and churches. We aspire to see people from other communities and churches taking to heart the true message of the grace and love of Christ, and in turn to see them spread this message to those in their community, building relationships and sharing in the life experiences of those around them (Gal. 6:2-3), and living out the grace, hope and love that God has blessed them with.