REVOLUTIONARY CHRISTIANITY
Webster’s defines a revolutionary as one who takes part in a revolution or adheres to revolutionary doctrines. Revolution is defined as constituting or bringing about major fundamental change in the structure of a thing, esp. a belief system. Unbeknownst to most the current usage and meaning of the word stems from a document written back in the 1,500’s entitled De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium, trans. “On the Revolution of the Celestial Orbs” by one Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543). In this book, which was published post-humously due to fear of repercussion from the church, Copernicus challenged the dogmatically accepted model of the universe which had been in place for over 1000 years. This model was based upon the philosophical ideals of the famous Aristotle, and championed by the equally famous Claudius Ptolemaeus – known simply as Ptolemy. The basic gist of this model was that the earth held a static position at the center of the universe (a concept known as geocentricism) and everything else moved around it. So ingrained was this belief that the church considered it a heresy worthy of death via burning at the stake to believe differently.
The problem with Ptolemy’s system was that it failed to accurately predict certain motions of heavenly bodies which in his day were too imperceptible to recognize. However, 1000 years later these 1%-2% errors became quite obvious. Understand that on a universal scale 2% of the observable sky is roughly equal to 4 times the angular diameter of the moon! That’s quite an error. {Now I am going somewhere with this so stay with me. Some of you may remember that my college background includes extensive study in physics and mathematics so bear with me – the truth I will uncover is powerful.} It was these inconsistencies that lead Copernicus to revisit the model of planetary configuration taking the daring step of placing the sun in the center and the earth a mere planetoid that revolves around the sun (a concept known as heliocentrism). Or was it?
In 1483 another man was born whom God would use to propose ideas in the religious system that were even more damnable than those of Copernicus. His “model” also shifted the accepted belief that placed an earthly system at the hub of the spiritual universe, that of the corrupt and heretical Catholic Church, to a heliocentric Christianity that once again placed God at the center. He too observed the obvious errors that began as subtle deviations from truth and grew into such damnable heresy as the selling of indulgences for the building of St. Peter’s. Both Luther and Copernicus challenged the foundational belief systems of their day as did other of their contemporaries such as Columbus, Magellan, da Vinci and Michelangelo to name a few. Notice that all these men were reformers in their respective disciplines being divinely motivated by the prevalent Spirit of Reformation in their day. In fact the century between 1450-1550 brought great upheaval in nearly every natural and spiritual arena because God was shifting the Kingdom and the earth had no choice but to respond. All of these men found themselves in the current of a reformational river that swept them along into new and uncharted positions both naturally and spiritually. Many lost their positions with men and many lost their lives. Nevertheless during that century everything changed.
We are living in a day when God is again moving in a reformational way. Every aspect of our earthly existence is being challenged, shifted and reconfigured. Spiritual men are receiving great revelation and even carnal men are making earth-shaking discoveries which are well beyond their capacity of understanding. It will take great faith and courage to stand against the accepted belief systems within the Church to bring foundational change. God is looking across the earth to find those in whom He can show Himself strong. Strong in revelation. Strong in power. Strong in conviction. And strong in declaration. As we proceed through this revolutionary season all the parameters will change. This is a revolution brethren! The revolution has begun in the hearts of a new generation and is breaking out across the earth. The current meaning of revolution is coined from Copernicus’ aforementioned writing and speaks of one who dares to openly challenge the process. May we all take our place in this generation and again shift the centrality of all things to the Son, finding our predetermined course in the spiritual universe and thereby bringing order to the observed inconsistencies of the Churches position in the earth. What a day in which to live!
