Thunderstruck...the Prayer version.

As I'm writing this blog, I pictured you sitting on the seat at Revolution Church Sunday listening to us rock it out to Thunderstruck by AC/DC. In fact, you may have just experienced a coronary failure at the very thought of it.



But stay with me (and we're not covering Thunderstruck live just for the record but I can't guarantee the beat won't show up on a video!). Rock guitarist Angus Young struck gold prior to the release of one of the most recognizable rock-n-roll riffs of all time. Regardless of what you think of the band's other selections and their personal convictions and decisions (good thing I'm not blogging about Highway to Hell, right?), this particular one is very important.

It's about power. Though it peaked at No. 5 on the 1990 Billboard chart, it's been made famous as a stadium anthem for sporting events across the country. Countless teams and athletes have emerged onto the field to the hard-core thunder chant. That's where I heard it the first time.

Young was said to have been flying in a plane with the band when it was struck by lightning. Another story says that during a visit to Fort Hood, TX, in the late 1980s, the band saw a demonstration of the Combined Arms Livefire Exercise (CALFEX) featuring the M1A1 tank. Young then began to pick the notes one by one on guitar, and the famous, incredible and powerful song was born. As you listen to the song, it's amazing to know he picks every single note individually using two hands. What an impressive solo.

We are a power-hungry generation. We crave it, desire it and gravitate to it. I could sit adjacent to a military base and watch command post operations for hours, and certainly am humbled at the sight of a C-130 cargo plane slowly descending to its runway. Power is electric.

Young was no different. Awestruck with power, he created an emotional response through music that moves people still 32 years after its release. Football players boil with adrenalin with the horizon-rattling thunder booms of percussion as the song blares in pre-game warmups, and military bases across the world pump it hard through the speakers at rec time. Thunderstruck is undeniable audio power.

But I am a pastor, ironically making it a little weird I'm setting this all up with a blog about AC/DC. Now don't be knocking my roots, I was a child of the 80s and every long-haired electric guitar rock band was bringing it loud out of my speakers. Def Leppard, Guns N'Roses, Poison, Bon Jovi, Van Halen, you name it. My family somehow thought I listened to country music all the time but I think most of them were afraid I would play the lyrics backwards and perform evil rituals if they caught me listening to "that" music. Anyhow, I digress, while humming Welcome to the Jungle.

There is indeed a powerful force working inside of me and it's not through music, it is the living, breathing Word of God through the power of the Holy Spirit and His son, Jesus Christ. The words of Jesus were humbling and they were truth; they also had power.

Funny thing, this Jesus who spoke of power also presented his own version of Thunderstruck in regards to our faith. Addressing his followers, Jesus pulled out the electric guitar and ripped every note. Not literally, although I bet he would be better than the guys from the 1980s.

Jesus goes to the high mountain in Matthew 17. Three disciples watched - in awe - as Jesus was presented in his glorified state. It was called the transfiguration. God spoke, confirmed his "beloved son" and the disciples fell to the ground trembling.

They returned to the base of the mountain where a huge gathering of people was waiting for them. A man brought his son, clearly possessed with a demon, and Jesus casts it out, healing the young man. The disciples were amazed at this display of power so they asked a pertinent question. Why can't "we" do that?

Jesus then uttered a very recognizable scripture.

You don't have enough faith. I tell you the truth. If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it would move. Nothing would be impossible. - Matthew 17:20 NLT


Christ followers love to throw that verse out like a badge of courage. If only I have faith of a little tiny speck I can move mountains! But are you willing to encounter the life-changing power of God when you do, and are you willing to stand and face the demonic, nasty, evil enemy of God who will discourage and rob you of every opportunity to do so by attacking your faith?

To have our cake and eat it too, our faith must be first as small as a mustard seed, but explosive enough to shake the mountain. When the mountain begins to move, we can't get weak-legged and dodge God just because it ticks Satan off. We must stand our ground, realizing this kind of faith prayer is earth-shaking and will likely move us off our place as God shifts the ground in front of us.

Whether over the mountain, around it, through it or just flat out massively blowing it up, God said our faith is powerful enough to move mountains. My question to you - is our emotional response to this faith one of AWE, one of ACTION, or one of REACTION?

The awe Christian will write a song about it and sing pretty little hymns and write nice little ditty stories but when Satan comes growling like a lion, we'll take our happy face and run for the hills.

The reaction Christian will stand up and yell at the mountain for not moving and then platform every sinful reason it was there in the first place, not ever realizing there are real people being crushed under its power while we point fingers and criticize them.

The action Christian will follow the words of Jesus and command the mountain to be moved in a prayer of faith and a step of thunder so impressively inspiring that when Satan begins to tremble it will cause our feet to dance on the rocks. We'll go kick holes in the sides of the mountain and trample that enemy under our feet. And while God is shaking, we will keep praying, keep believing and keep going. We will not give up just because the mountain is moving; we will be empowered because our faith is proving that it can.

So I'm asking you if you have the courage to join me in a prayer journey this Sunday for the next 40 days - every day, every hour, every scripture we can find and every battle we can encamp.

This is not a rock song. It's a rock movement. Pardon me, while I kick this loose pebble and get motivated.

See you Sunday. Might want to bring a helmet.

Revolution Church meets Sundays at 9:00 and 10:30 a.m. at 3644 Highway 31-W in White House, TN. Live.Love.Serve. Find out more... http://liveloveserve.us