Introduction
Multi-billion dollar contracts for natural resources, unprecedented growth rates, pressing demand for rental properties due to huge inflow of people flooding into the state for work and at the same time a surge in homelessness and drug abuse, out of control indigenous social problems, numerous Christians caught in money traps², and predictions that in the next year house prices will plummet 15%³ -- welcome to the wild wild West(ern Australia)⁴. On the basis of scriptural promise⁵, I have been asking the Lord for some insight into his purposes in economic boom and bust. Rightly discerned the inner spiritual purpose in these financial roller coasters is that God preparing a people for revival.

Paul understands that covetousness is a foundational sin. “I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.” (Rom 7:7 – 9)

The key term translated “revived” means “to make alive”. Sin in culture and church springs to life through covetousness and it opposed genuine Spirit - led revival. All improper desires are an expression of that human self – centredness which is the essence of sin. Selfish desire is absolutely opposed by God⁶, and leads into a spiritual wilderness.

All the apostles hate evil desire, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Col 3:5)⁷, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:14 - 15). “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.” (1 John 2:16)

God’s wrath against the idolatry of covetousness destroys inner peace⁸, so that the restless inner cravings of the greedy constantly witness to a deserved eternal death (Rom 1:32)⁹. Humanly speaking there is no escape from the cycle of evil desire, judgment and the fear of death¹⁰. (This is true even if a person should desire for themselves material poverty, apart from a concern for the glory of God (1 Cor 13:3)¹¹.) As people are flooding into the cities of West Australia⁹ in order to take of their riches, a spirit of selfish desire – and so a spirit of death - hangs over this state¹².

The church’s impotence to deal with this arises from its own spiritual covetousness. Deception and departure from the divine glory set in when any object is desired more God himself. “Nothing could be greedier, than a man for whom God is not enough.” (Augustine). Fleshly passion in the church dresses itself up as something noble – “the biggest church south of the river”, “the church that gives the most to missions”, “the most generous church”, “a church so big the city cannot ignore it”, “a global ministry”, “signs, wonders and mighty works”, “let the fire fall”. All around us believers are seeking something less than “Jesus, the whole Jesus and nothing but Jesus, so help me God.¹³”

When the cross is bypassed for intense emotional highs and strange teachings that promise they will “take you to a higher level”, we are dealing with adrenalin addiction¹⁴ rather than the Holy Spirit! Much contemporary church culture mirrors the ancient Roman practice of “bread and circuses”; the Roman nobility pacified the critical faculties of the populace by providing a dole of bread and regular entertainment. God however is working a great purpose.

Through spiritual suffering in this state we receive the revelation, “if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Rom 8:17). Knowing “all things are ours” (1 Cor 3:21 - 23) we lose interest in accumulating worldly goods, titles, achievements and intense religious experiences¹⁸. What becomes important to us is the manifestation of Jesus to the world.

Revival inevitably comes wherever the people of God have been broken and healed through the cycle of boom and bust, for through this process they have been formed in the visible image of the death conquering Christ. As the remnant church images the Jesus who gives and does not take, the principalities and powers, whose stronghold is evil human desire, are confounded and sent into disarray. Through the testimony of a church sacrificing for others (Eph 3:10; Rev 12:11) in resurrection power the forces of evil are stricken with a fear of their own (second) death²¹.

“But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual.” (1 Cor 15:46). Western Australia’s natural wealth of forests, iron, gas, diamonds, bauxite, mineral sands, pearls, gold, nickel etc. have been put here by God for a specific purpose. They set the stage for boom and bust, but, at a deeper level, for spiritual crucifixion and resurrection, this is the pattern God has embedded in history. Where believers submit to God’s pattern of dying to evil desire and rising with Christ to selfless giving we may anticipate a genuine culture transforming revival. History teaches however that where a move of the Spirit meets unrepentant covetousness in any form, “the last state will be worse than the first”²². Most revival movements end in all manner of confusion, division and sin. The choice is ours.

August 12, 2008