In the summer of 1972 I was 16 years old. Allied participation in the Vietnam War was declining, but the conflict still raged with the Easter Offensive. My enrollment in the draft was only 18 months away and I was paying attention.

Early in June I arrived in Southern California for my first summer of internship with First Presbyterian Church of San Clemente, California. It turned out to be a remarkable experience on many levels.

Yesterday afternoon, Dianne and I went to see “The Jesus Revolution” movie. It is the story of God's movement among young people in Southern California, specifically Costa Mesa and Calvary Chapel, during the early 1970s. I highly recommend the movie to you.

Ultimately, the Jesus revolution would expand throughout the United States and go down as one of the great revivals in history.

Back in California, Calvary Chapel held church services every night of the week. The link will give you a sense of this magnificent move of God.

Given the remarkable numbers of converts and Believers, the church erected a circus tent, briefly visible in the link above, as opposed to building an auditorium. They held baptismal services in the ocean and baptized hundreds weekly.

Monday night at Calvary Chapel was music night. The group singing in the link is Love Song, a Monday evening regular.

Most Mondays my friends and I made our way from San Clemente to Costa Mesa to hear what in retrospect were the origins of contemporary Christian music. The power of God's Spirit in the tent was remarkable. Sitting in the theater yesterday, my mind was flooded with memories that were instrumental and formative in my spiritual life.

On July 27th of that summer, I went through my evening routine of making my hide-a-bed and then lying on my belly in front of the screen door to read the Scriptures. My reading that evening was in Romans 6. While I found it impossible to adequately express the next day what I saw in Scripture that night, I knew God had unleashed a profound truth through his Word. I understood at a rudimentary level that my old self had died in Christ and that a new person had arisen in Christ. As a result, I was free—and responsible, response-able—to say no to sin’s temptations (6:7).

While participating in the revival of my generation, particularly located in Costa Mesa during my summers working there, the Spirit of God brought revelation and light to me individually on July 27, 1972.

After two or three ineffective efforts to talk about what I had seen in the Bible while lying on my belly with the ocean breeze in my face, I kept the move of God to myself, not out of shame, embarrassment, or doubt, but for lack of ability to articulate what happened to me. Even after I returned home to Oklahoma, I didn't speak with even my parents about what transpired over the summer. I brought home new music and adventures of surfing and living in a far-off land, but while I knew the Spirit continued to work his magic in my soul, I couldn't articulate what he was doing.

That my life was changed was clear to me.

It was probably 7-9 years later that Dad, and Mom, and I compared notes about the Spirit’s move in our lives and realized that he was doing a remarkable thing in each of us simultaneously. As you have heard them say in their conferences, neither of them were talking about what was happening in their lives either. In time, the quest to understand what God had done was translated into the practicality that you know from our ministry together.

As is noted in the movie, the Jesus revolution was/is profound yet simple. It is simply Christ and Christ alone doing his work.

I left the movie theater yesterday with a whirlwind of thoughts so tumultuous that I had no words to speak. I came straight home and went to my reverie on the patio to ponder and reflect. A rather violent storm was moving into our area, and as it arrived, it matched the hurricane in my head and heart. I remained on the patio as Dianne sheltered in our downstairs bath and the tornado sirens sounded.

Years passed following the pivotal summer of 1972. In time, given my propensity to test and verify, I took my experience in the summer of 1972, and the theology included in Romans 5-8, and broke it apart multiple times to comprehend what Jesus was doing in my life. Philosophically, psychologically, historically, sociologically, grammatically, and theologically I deconstructed and reconstructed the move and message of God through Jesus. In each endeavor, I came to the resolute conclusion that the revolution of transformation in Christ as conveyed in Romans and experienced initially during the summer of 1972 was true, legitimate, and applicable. So convinced was I of this that it formed my professional life.

This is the back story that underlies what you read and hear from me. Truly, it is from my heart to yours, a revolution of Jesus Christ.

As our predecessors in the faith declared, it is our declaration as well that Christ alone can give new life, transform, and guide us. After all, He is the way, the truth, and the life.

As you know, or as I hope you know, there is no place so far away that Jesus Christ is not present offering salvation and life. While the outward manifestations of independent life apart from God are varied, with some living in various states of debauchery and others in various states of worldly success, at the end of the day we are each sinful by nature and sinners in practice, each in desperate need of rebirth and forgiveness. In fact, each of us is so far removed from God's life and ideal that there is only one way of reconciliation: Jesus Christ. Reconciliation of such magnitude can only be described as revolutionary.

While the theology of Christianity is so profound that it can be studied for a lifetime by the brightest minds among us, it is still as simple as this: in Christ alone there is hope, life, and ultimate truth.

Accessing Jesus Christ is as simple as declaring one's need for Him. In humility, He takes us on such lowly terms only to include us in the glory of his life and eternal future. This is the revolution of Jesus Christ.

Now, switching gears, I have used a dictation program to prepare this article. It is far from perfect, but immensely better than the hunting and pecking that I'm doing with my surgically repaired thumb now living temporarily in its tiny house otherwise known as a cast. I appreciate your prayers for me. I'm doing fine, just inconvenienced. However, this too shall pass.

I encourage you to go see the movie.

Here's the deal: Even though the events in this movie are 50 years removed, Jesus Christ is still active and alive. It is interesting to consider that another spiritual revival may be transpiring among America’s youth, but whether it is or not, personal revival and daily spiritual vibrancy are as close as the Holy Spirit who lives within you.

Revolution is yours for the asking.