There is a period of “blind belief” in the life of every
person. It usually begins to slowly fade
into self-discovery around the age of two.
Mom says, “HOT!” and the toddler
reaches out to touch the pan only to discover that Mom was right. The challenges to authority and knowledge
continue throughout childhood, adolescence and into young adulthood. At some point, a set of accepted values are
established and the need to challenge all authority and societal norms is
buried under more exciting pursuits…but what if societal norms are wrong; what
if accepted facts are not facts at all, but merely someone’s opinion or
interpretation? What would we learn, how
far would knowledge increase, what scientific advances would be gained if one
person had the courage to challenge?
In the 21st Century, we have the benefit of sophisticated
instrumentation, powerful satellites, and pictures from space to prove that the
EARTH IS ROUND! Although a few “FLAT EARTHERS” still
exist, intelligent people all accept that we live on a big round ball. By the
way, we only have to read the Word of God to find out that there were ancients,
such as Job, who speak of a CIRCULAR
HORIZON and Isaiah, who declares that God sits on the CIRCLE OF THE EARTH to understand that the earth is round. Yet it became an accepted “societal
norm” that the earth was flat until around 500BC. Pythagoras, a Philosopher and Mathematician challenged conventional knowledge, declaring
that since his observations showed the moon was round, it only made sense that
the earth must be round also…BUT what if no one had ever challenged this “fact?”
We will never receive
further revelation without allowing the things we have always believed to be
challenged!
We all can name several religions that are stuck in the
century in which their particular sect was formed and a doctrine was
established and codified. Dissent is squashed and those who would question are
shun and ostracized, so that the religious tenets are kept pure. They have received no fresh revelation for
1,000, 500, 75 or 40 years but “Praise God, they hold to the old paths”
and no one dares to challenge.
This isn’t a Middle Ages or modern day phenomenon, some of
the great leaders of the Bible were happily walking in their established tenets
until they were CHALLENGED and
received GREAT REVELATION!
In the Book of Acts we read of Saul’s miraculous conversion,
how he became the great Apostle Paul and then, follow his ministry through the
Epistles, yet Paul did not receive his GREAT
REVELATION until his closely held beliefs were CHALLENGED!!!
We find in Acts 9, that Saul was on his way to kill those
who dared to challenge the established religion of Israel. He even had the blessing of the Religious leaders,
but God had other plans and CHALLENGED
Paul’s mission by shining a supernatural light on the situation. A large portion of our New Testament Bible
would be missing, if Paul had not been CHALLENGED!
The great Apostle Peter had been given the Keys to the
Kingdom, was filled with the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room and preached the
first sermon after the birth of the Church on the Day of Pentecost, yet God had
to CHALLENGE HIS ADHERENCE TO THE LAW before He could
impart further revelation and use Peter in a powerful mission.
Peter was raised a Jew, embraced the Jewish law and believed it was sin to break any part of the law as it had been handed down…then God CHALLENGED him in a vision. In his vision, Peter was told to slay and eat animal flesh that would violate the dietary laws of his established beliefs. At first, he resisted, but God had a plan for GREAT REVELATION and it lead to Cornelius, a Gentile, finding the same salvation that Peter had received….But what if Peter had never been CHALLENGED?
Peter was raised a Jew, embraced the Jewish law and believed it was sin to break any part of the law as it had been handed down…then God CHALLENGED him in a vision. In his vision, Peter was told to slay and eat animal flesh that would violate the dietary laws of his established beliefs. At first, he resisted, but God had a plan for GREAT REVELATION and it lead to Cornelius, a Gentile, finding the same salvation that Peter had received….But what if Peter had never been CHALLENGED?
Acts 19:2 And he said
unto them, “Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?” And they said
unto him, “We have not so much as heard that there be any Holy Ghost.”
After receiving supernatural revelation, Paul journeys to
Ephesus and meets up with a group of John’s disciples. They were Believers because they followed the
teaching of John, which said they should believe on Jesus and they had been
baptized by John unto repentance. There
is nothing to suggest that they were unhappy with their religious experience or
even felt a hunger for “something more.” Paul, however, CHALLENGED them with one question, “Have you received the Holy Ghost
since you believed?” They had
come to the crossroad of “STATUS QUO and
REVELATION!”
The account continues; the Disciples of John took the “Road
of Revelation,” were baptized in the Name of Jesus and received the
Holy Ghost; speaking in other tongues and prophesying…BUT WHAT IF THEY HAD NEVER BEEN CHALLENGED?
REVELATION IS NOT
a greater understanding, supported by our preconceived point of view or interpretation
of Scripture. Revelation will NEVER contradict Scripture but it MAY contradict YOUR INTERPRETATION of Scripture!
If only we could get past what WE THINK WE KNOW! What great REVELATIONS
of TRUTH, contained in His Word, is God waiting to impart to you, if
you would only open yourself up to being CHALLENGED?
TRUE REVELATION WILL
ROCK YOUR WORLD!
