Are You A Truth Revolutionary?

Not everyone is a revolutionary at heart. Comfortable traditions suit the majority of people.

Our guess is that you are not typical of the majority; otherwise you would not still be reading and exploring. So, we’ll make the assumption that you have the open heart and mind that characterizes a revolutionary in the truest sense of the word. And, as such, you are on the verge of a discovery that will change everything.

Ponder this question for a moment: What do you know about the ultimate revolutionary, Jesus? What do you truly know about his character and nature? What do you know about His main misson and purpose?

Traditionally, the church has provided answers that few have questioned or explored. Most people have found those answers confusing, but few have seriously questioned or explored what they have been taught.

Have you ever wondered how God and Jesus could somehow be the same being? Does the idea that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are “co-equal and co-eternal” seem confusing?

And what about afterlife: does going to heaven at death to play a harp on a pink cloud truly appeal to you? Does the idea of deceased loved ones looking down from heaven at the trials and tragedies of their families and friends in this life seem like a perfect existence to you?

And what about the main purpose of Jesus: was it really all about His death, burial, and resurrection? What was He doing the other three and a half years of His adult work? How many people understand what He meant when He spoke of the kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God?

If you’ve ever read the Book of Acts in the New Testament of the Bible, have you wondered why the church seems to have “lost its steam” two thousand years later? Is it possible that erroneous teachings have affected individual lifestyles and the collective relationships of church members?

Many people find these questions threatening. Answers are best left to Bible scholars and theologians. But, there are rare individuals who yearn for solid answers, regardless of the implications for their traditionally-held beliefs.

You are still reading, so we believe you are one of those rare individuals.

Welcome to The Revolution.

Truth Revolution=Restoration Revolution

Revolutions are big news these days. Well-ensconsed Middle Eastern and African dictatorships are toppling like dominoes.Social unrest has ignited into full-fledged anarchy and revolt, reminding us of these words:

“Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed” (Psalm 2:1-2)

These contemporary revolutions – the latest in a continuum of human revolution – are really counter-revolutions. The kingdom of God is the ultimate revolution to take back what was lost through rebellion – contemporary revolutions included.

In Jesus’ foremost kingdom revolution message – the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) – He begins with a pronouncement of blessing upon brokenness. The Beatitudes promise kingdom wholeness for all human brokenness, ultimately to be experienced in fullness in the age to come, but partially in the present age. And this revolution of restoration - destined to overthrow the present-day counter-revolution of brokenness – has powerful implications and applications for us today. As His disciples, we are the present-day administrations of the restoration revolution. So much as we are used to bring the word of God and power of God to bear on human brokenness, the restoration revolution begins to break through the current human counter-revolution. This side of the new earth, the restoration revolution will not arrive in fullness. But, as agents of the King and the Kingdom, the restoration revolution will be demonstrated through powerful and compassionate deeds performed through our lives.

If the truth revolution is ultimately a restoration revolution, doesn’t it behoove us to fully participate in it today? Is this not what we are asking when we pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven”? Do we not seek, through this prayer, to be agents of kingdom revolution in a broken world? Do we not make ourselves available to be used with gospel truth to transform lost lives into kingdom citizens?

The truth revolution is ultimately a restoration revolution. The restoring revolution comes to bear on our lives, bringing wholeness and healing as we submit to kingdom power and principles. And we then become administrations of restoration through the sharing of scripture, heartfelt prayer for human brokness, and loving touch.

Revolution Background

     History is largely a record of revolutions. The storming of the Bastille in France, the American War of Independence, the Bolshevik Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, to name just a few. Revolutions are about change; usually big change. Oppression and injustice stir unrest, and a movement is launched to bring about shifts in power and/or organizational structure. Like seismic upheavals, revolutions crumble the status quo, and usher in reform, either benevolent and malevolent. Little is left in its wake that resembles that which existed pre-revolution.

     The English word, “revolution”, comes from a Latin word meaning, “to turn around”. Revolutions surround us innocently in the form of moving clock hands, and turning wheels and mechanisms, which we measure in revolutions per minute. On a far grander scale, the universe we live in is also measured in revolutions. The moon revolves around the earth at the rate of approximately one revolution per thirty days, while the earth revolves around the sun every three hundred sixty-five days. The planets revolve around the sun at varying rates and distances, the solar system within the Milky Way galaxy, and the countless galaxies all are in orbit within the vast universe. We literally live in a universe of revolution.

     There have been revolutions of thought concerning revolutions. The earth was once considered the center of the universe, with everything revolving around it. Science has proven otherwise. And yet, there is an earthly revolution that the entire universe does revolve around. It is a revolution as far-reaching as the vast universe itself; all-encompassing in its scope. It is a revolution destined to completely restructure and reshape the very fabric of the universe that we now know; and along with it, every human life. This inescapable, all-encompassing revolution is worth knowing something about; indeed, it is worth knowing EVERYTHING about. Such a revolution of cosmic proportions demands the ultimate in knowledge and preparation, yet strangely it has been largely ignored and misunderstood.

     While this ultimate revolution has been announced and echoed often throughout history, it found fresh voice in a rugged survivalist named John, over two thousand years ago. With a ring of authority that generated an electrifying response, this wilderness man boldly declared, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”. (Matthew 3:2). As clarified through his own words, John appeared on the scene as the advance man for the true revolutionary who would similarly declare, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15)

     But, wait; how did we go from the ultimate revolution to words about “kingdom of God” and “gospel”? The dynamic element of revolution seems lost in these words, more the language of churches than revolutions. Until we truly grasp the pregnant meaning of this innocent-sounding phrase, “kingdom of God”, then we have lost the sense of revolution. If we relegate “kingdom” to the realm of medieval castles and modern monarchies, then we have robbed it of the electrifying revolutionary energy that it carried when spoken two thousand years ago. There was little doubt then that “kingdom” meant “revolution”.

     The Roman ruler, Herod, knew full well the implications of a kingdom. “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ’Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” (Matthew 2:1-3) The birth of a Jewish king meant but one thing to this egotistical Roman ruler: a power play was in the offing, and his job was on the line. Seeking to pre-empt a revolution before it ever started, Herod ordered genocide of all Jewish male babies two-years old and younger.

     The idea of revolution was ever-present during the activities and teachings of Jesus during His three and one-half years of public work. This was the expectation of the Jewish Messiah – that he would be the ultimate revolutionary, overthrowing all earthly governments and rule, and establishing a perfect world-wide government. And this socio-political expectation reached fever-pitch when Jesus ultimately chose that which He previously avoided: to enter the capital city of Jerusalem. Fully aware of expectations, as well as events about to unfold before Him, “Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.” (Luke 19:11) There was no doubt in the expectation of the crowds, or in the mind of Jesus, that Messiah implied political action.

     That which the Roman ruler, Herod, had feared over thirty years before became full-blown threat to another Roman ruler, Pontius Pilate. Face to face with the Jewish Messiah, the din of the fomenting crowds rising from below, Pilate directs a point-blank question: “Are You the King of the Jews?” (John 18:33) The response of Jesus has puzzled students of the Bible for centuries, and left many with a mistaken notion about the real nature of his dominion: “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm …”You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (John 18:35, 37). A kingdom of truth; a revolution of truth. Yet, have we truly heard His voice – the voice of truth – when we remove the realm of His authority from political and worldly systems and relegate it to the realm of a kingdom of the heart? To do so is to ignore the many politically-charged statements that Jesus personally made, and that were made thousands of years about Him prior to His earthly appearance. Such statements demand careful further study.

Is Truth A Leap of Faith?

     Picture yourself in the open door of a light prop airplane flying three miles high, about to make a jump. Conspicuously absent is a bulging pack on your back containing a life-saving parachute.  But then a parachute isn’t necessary; you’re headed down to the safety of a large, billowing cloud several hundred feet below.

     So, out you go through the open door, pummeled immediately by a blast of frigid air at the height and speed you are traveling. Free falling at nearly one hundred fifty miles per hour, the large cloud below is now only minutes away. Appearing to rise up to you rapidly as you descend, the soft deceleration it will bring to your rapid descent will be welcome relief.    

     The moment of contact is quickly approaching, but as you brace for the initial deceleration, you suddenly realize that the well-defined border of the giant cumulus is merely wispy vapor. Terror-stricken at the awful realization of truth, you now know – much too late – that your knowledge of clouds was fatally flawed.

     Absurd as this skydiving tale might sound, it well illustrates a far more perilous “leap of faith” great numbers of people are willing to take in the area of truth and tradition. Rather than carefully researching all they hear taught in the name of truth, they choose instead to jump in blind faith. Far too often, their truth assumption is as flawed as our skydiving example of faulty cloud facts.

     The adage, “look before you leap”, pertains well to both truth and skydiving. The perils of misinformation are all too obvious in our skydiving example, but perhaps less so in the realm of biblical truth. The example of a school classroom test takes precedent over our skydiving analogy, as the assumption is made that, come judgment day, God will somehow “grade of the curve”. Sincerity, no matter how misguided, must certainly factor in to God’s kingdom entrance requirements. But, our skydiving example serves us especially well in this area – no matter how sincere our skydiver is in his/her belief about the nature of clouds, the truth is destined to be tragically evident.

     Are you willing to risk the prospects of life in the age to come on assumptions that you have never tested or researched? Are you truly willing to gamble eternal life on the presumed truth others teach and proclaim? Sadly and tragically, a majority of people – as exhibited by their attitudes and actions – are clearly declaring, “Yes”, to these questions. “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Jesus – Matthew 7:13-14).  

     A truth revolutionist assumes nothing about truth and questions everything. Like someone meticulously examining all the details of a legal contract before signing, truth revolutionaries operate on this basic assumption: deception lurks everywhere, and truth must be diligently ferreted out. Paul’s admonition to Timothy is the mantra of a truth revolutionary: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

     Are you a truth revolutionary?

IN SEARCH OF THE APOSTLES’ SCROLL

“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42)

    The Israeli excavation site near Jerusalem was abuzz with speculation. Although it had thus far yielded few artifacts of interest, there was optimism that a monumental discovery was imminent. The recently-discovered parchments pointed to this site as the location of the ancient stone vault. Evidence indicated that within the vault was a solitary document that could solve one of history’s greatest mysteries. Centuries of dispute and controversy would be resolved, and long-held beliefs and creeds would either be validated or discredited. The schisms that had characterized Christianity for over 2,000 years would potentially end. The discovery of the Apostles’ Scroll would have far-reaching implications.

     The Apostles’ Scroll began as oral tradition. The remaining eleven of the original Twelve recounted the essential teachings they received firsthand from Jesus the Nazarene. The private instruction they received following his public teaching comprised the core fundamental beliefs that became the essential tenets of the Christian faith. As they recounted what they had been taught the priorities of his distinctive teachings became evident. A body of teaching that would serve the fledgling first-century movement began to take shape.

     The astounding growth of the freshly-birthed Church necessitated careful instruction of new converts in the essential teachings of Jesus. Orally relaying the Apostles’ teachings was inherently unreliable, with potential for misinterpretation as well as personal bias and commentary. Something more was needed – an accurate, reliable written instruction document. And thus came to be the Apostles’ Scroll – the irrefutable and comprehensive instruction manual of the teachings of Jesus as penned and recorded by his most reliable witnesses.

     The discovery of the Apostles’ Scroll makes for exciting drama, but finds little basis in concrete truth … or does it? Are the teachings of Jesus, as carefully taught to new converts by the original apostles, preserved in some form? Is there a “scroll” to be located that unravels centuries-old mysteries and resolves ancient conflicts and controversies? There is, and it is much closer than most people realize. It is as near as the New Testament writings of the Bible. But, discovering and extracting these fundamental teachings from the New Testament requires careful diligence. The task must be approached with an open mind; a willingness to let the body of teachings become self-evident, rather than squeezing teachings to fit predetermined suppositions. They will be discovered only through an objective fact-finding mission, and that is the doorway to The Truth Revolution – a rediscovery of the life-changing teachings of Jesus that has potential for dynamic impact and change such as the world has not seen since the first century.