Do You Know Any Big Words?

Antidisestablishmentarianism. My sister, Carol, taught me how to pronounce and spell that word when I could barely talk. It’s a twenty-eight lettered, twelve-syllabled term meaning “against the tearing down of churches.” It meant a lot in nineteenth century England and Ireland, but today, its main distinction is that it is one of the longest words in the English language. Now, it doesn’t even hold that record.  Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, with forty-five letters and nineteen syllables is presently considered to be our longest word, according to Wikipedia. They dub it a “factitious” word, coined to describe a condition that most of us call “black lung disease.” Okay. That will probably do it…unless you want to talk about floccinaucinihilipilification…I didn’t think so.

My kindergarten teacher was pretty impressed with my ability to say and spell that big word, but I painfully discovered that others, especially my peers, were more apt to think I was a little freakish for knowing it. I did my best to speak normally for the rest of my childhood, but in high school I joined the debate team and things went south in the verbal arts. (See what I mean?) But, it was unavoidable. I mean, how can you intelligently discuss “Resolved: That nuclear weapons should be controlled by an international organization” without resorting to fine-tuned, multisyllabic words to express your meaning? Besides that, I had to compete against my opponents in front of English professors from institutions like the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University. To be non-conversant in technical terminology (I really am hopeless!) would be suicidal. After my third year of varsity debate competition, my penchant for big words had become ingrained in my brain.

In my view, big words can be shortcuts to precise communication. One right word can eliminate the need for ten to twenty little words to approximate the meaning. The problem is, of course, if the target audience doesn’t understand the word, the positive becomes a negative. The rule of thumb (called a heuristic) that I like is to use the basketball approach. The ten-foot high goal in basketball is low enough to be reachable, but high enough to be a challenge. What a silly game it would be if the goal were at the six foot level! Use words that may be slightly over people’s heads but not out of their reach. Make them stretch a little bit. Also, most people can understand bigger words, even if they don’t use them. Again, the audience dictates the style.

The downside of big words, however, can be catastrophic. Ever heard of obfuscation? It means making something so confusing, so opaque, that it hides the true meaning. The language of diplomacy, or diplospeak, has its place. “Diplomacy is primarily words that prevent us from reaching for our swords,” observed Bosnian scholar-diplomat Drazen Pehar. But if the same results happen, like one country taking over another, or one person robbing another person blind, then where is the advantage? Michael Crichton calls medical writing a “highly skilled, calculated attempt to confuse the reader”. ^[1] B.F. Skinner savages medical notation as a form of multiple audience control which allows the doctor to communicate to the pharmacist things which might be opposed by the patient if they could understand it. ^[2]

No arena uses more verbal obfuscation to garble up clarity than theology. The long war of words waged between Arius and Athanasius in the third and fourth centuries resulted in the classic doctrine of mumbo-jumbo and discombobulation, later known as trinitarianism. While I don’t want to be too harsh, see if you can understand some of its component pieces, as stated in the Creed of Athanasius: “8. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated. 9. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible. 10. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. 11. And yet they are not three eternals but one eternal. 12. As also there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensible, but one uncreated and one incomprehensible.” The one thing incomprehensible about the doctrine is that it, in and of itself, is incomprehensible.

Today, many scholars have taken a step backwards from hardline trinitarianism because, in all honesty, they cannot make the concept mesh with the terminology. Cornerstone1.org writes, “ In a recent book on the Trinity, Catholic theologian Karl Rahner recognizes that theologians in the past have been “… embarrassed by the simple fact that in reality the Scriptures do not explicitly present a doctrine of the ‘imminent’ Trinity (even John’s prologue is no such doctrine)” (The Trinity, p. 22). (Author’s emphasis.) Other theologians also recognize the fact that the first chapter of John’s Gospel—the prologue— clearly shows the pre-existence and divinity of Christ and does not teach the doctrine of the Trinity. After discussing John’s prologue, Dr. William Newton Clarke writes: ‘There is no Trinity in this; but there is a distinction in the Godhead, a duality in God. This distinction or duality is used as basis for the idea of an only-begotten Son, and as key to the possibility of an incarnation” (Outline of Christian Theology, p. 167).

As you may surmise, we could go on forever discussing the aspects of the Trinitarian controversy. My purpose is simply to illustrate how our vocabulary can either clarify or confuse, depending upon our intent. The best strategy to use for accurate communication is to envision a ladder. When you climb a ladder, you are the same person, but you can reach different things the higher you climb. Likewise, the concept should remain unchanged at any level, even though the terminology may get more complex at higher levels. Whatever I attempt to convey to an audience, I must make sure that my word choice does not alter the basic meaning of my thought. Whenever we choose big words to fool people, to shade meanings or to manipulate minds, our methods are disingenuous.

This decidedly devious intent motivates much of the political correctness that literally plagues our culture today. In fact, nuancing or massaging the message is the very point in employing different words. Within a culture, people react to words in somewhat predictable ways. We use the word “stereotype” to express this idea. Some words are laden with emotional meaning; other words, although referring to the same thing, evoke only mild responses. Take the words “baby” and “fetus;” or, “unborn child” and “product of conception.” If we want to pump emotion into a thought, we use certain words. If we want to strip all the emotion out of the identical thought, we use words generally considered equivalent. Politicians have a field day with such euphemisms. They either use the word “taxation” or “investment”, depending on how they want their audiences to react. They use the phrase “boys and girls in uniform” or “military personnel” according to their intent. It is easy to see how this works. But people are smarter than that. Eventually, they will catch on that the speakers mean the same thing with the new words that they meant with the old ones. Once the speakers realize that they’ve been found out, it’s on to a new generation of equivocations, ad infinitum, ad nauseam.

Anyone who has ever worked with the deaf culture understands what it means to be straightforward and direct. Most deaf persons don’t clutter up their communication with equivocations, minced words and fluff. In fact, their style of speech is considered blunt or even rude to most hearing people. They don’t fool around with “obese”, “rotund”, “plump” or even “overweight.” They just say “fat.” They certainly would not say that someone was “aesthetically challenged.” No way. They’re just “ugly.” Because of the inherent constraints on their ability to communicate, they streamline their words to get at the meaning. When talking to hearing people, they often show great irritation because hearing people always “beat around the bush” instead of just coming out and saying what they mean. Many times, they even accuse hearing people of lying.

When big words are appropriate, use them. When the meaning you need to get across must diffuse hostilities, don’t use inflammatory words to stir up emotions. When the subject at hand is inherently complex, use language that is commensurate with the level of difficulty. Don’t talk up or down to people, don’t patronize people and don’t lie to people. My uncle used to say of a certain lawyer, “he was inebriated with the exuberance of his own verbosity.” He meant that he liked to hear himself talk. At the end of the day, word choice must be a function of expeditiousness. (What?!) Let me re-phrase. Choose words that best convey your specific meaning to your particular audience. If there is a precise word that applies to a thought, use it, and then explain it if you must. “Thingy, whatchamacallit, thing-a-ma-jig, do-hickey or ‘you know what I mean,’” are the first havens of the ignorant or lazy.

Oh yes. Floccinaucinihilipilification. It means, “the act or habit of estimating or describing something as worthless, or making something to be worthless by deprecation”, according to Wikipedia. It would be worth your time to log on to Wikipedia and listen to the pronunciation of this word. It probably would not be worth your time to think of how to use it in a sentence. Good wordsmithing.

Are We Getting Too Gray?

“Come out from among them, and be ye separate.” 2 Corinthians 6:17

The accelerated graying of the church should stir great concern among Apostolics today. No, not the graying hair of elders, but the bleed between black and white, the confusion between right and wrong, and the blending of good and bad. It used to be easy to blame television and the movies for cultural degradation. Now, techies familiar with TXT , IM, PIX and FLIX, MySpace, iPods and dozens of other ways and means to share information—and exert influence—will tell you that the new electronics has skyrocketed the level of difficulty in staying separate from the world. But the toughening of the job shows us how serious Satan takes it. It’s time to fight back, and we must start with a refreshed understanding of why separation is so important.

Few principles find more backing in the scriptures yet encounter more resistance from the flesh than the doctrine of separation from the world. Even after years of teaching, preaching, writing, and explaining, separation continues to be a contentious, unrelenting battle between the flesh and the Spirit. The Ancient Hebrews had trouble with it as evidenced by their desire for a king. The early church dealt with it as a matter of course, as Paul confesses, “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.” (2 Timothy 4:10.) And God knows the trouble we have with it in the twenty-first century.

The aggregate of scriptures amasses too great a case for separation from the world for true Bible believers to ignore it. Abraham separated himself from Lot . Jacob separated certain lambs from others of Laban’s flock. The Israelites were commanded to separate themselves from their uncleanness (not that they always obeyed!) Nazarites were ordered to separate from wine and strong drink and other substances. The nation of Israel had to separate themselves from among all the people of the earth, even to the point of leaving heathen wives.

In the New Testament, Jesus said. “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company…for the Son of man’s sake.” Luke 6:22. Separating the sheep from the goats, as related in Matthew 25:32, is the very basis of end time judgment. Jesus himself is declared to be “separate from sinners.” Hebrews 7:26.

Separation manifests itself in practical aspects of holy living. God’s people were to look different than those from other nations. They held to a higher standard of behavior. They were to abstain from sin, from sinful associations and from sinful practices. Why? To make a difference between holiness and uncleanness. “Touch not the unclean thing.” But what does God consider unclean?

Swine, certain kinds of sea creatures, and other animals were ceremonially unclean to the Hebrews. Pork, shrimp and lobster may have been delicious to eat, but they were off limits. This prohibition had nothing to do with appearance, taste or nutrition. It had to do with ceremonial acceptance. While Paul in the book of Romans lifts the eating ban, the symbolism of these Old Testament prohibitions remains in force. This means that believers do not indiscriminately consume anything offered up by the world. We must not look at the spiritual foods of the world and judge whether they are beautiful, tasty, fun or socially acceptable. The operative questions are what does the Bible say about them and will indulging in them displease the Lord of our salvation?

Isaiah said, “And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it.” Isaiah 35:8. The precedent was set: holiness eschews uncleanness. This principle reappears in the New Testament. “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.” 1 Thessalonians 4:7. Referencing the scriptures that relate holiness and uncleanness, we can piece together a background picture of the kind of life we ought to live.

In a crash course, the Bible teaches us to separate ourselves from uncleanness. Anything associated with sexual immorality is unclean. (Fornication, adultery, sexual perversion lust, etc.) Anything that promotes immorality is unclean. (Questionable dress, appearance, behavior, associations, use of media and blurring gender distinctions.) Anything associated with deceit, dishonesty and guile is unclean. (Lying, stealing, coveting, greed, etc.) Anything associated with defilement of the body is unclean. (Tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, drug abuse, mutilation of the body, tattoos, disfigurement). Anything associated with vulgar, base behavior is unclean. (Profanity, dirty jokes, obscenities.)

Does God care about these things? Absolutely! The Word says, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. Thank your pastor for preaching the separation principle!

The Ten Most-Wanted Men

1. The man who puts God’s business above any other business.

2. The man who brings his children to church rather than sends them.

3. The man who is willing to be the right example to every boy he meets.

4. The man who thinks more of his Sunday School class than he does his Sunday Sleep.

5. The man who measures his giving by what he has left rather than by the amount he gives.

6. The man who goes to church for Christ’s sake rather than for himself or someone else.

7. The man who has passion to help rather than to be helped.

8. The man who can see his own faults before he sees the faults of others.

9. The man who stands firm in his convictions, based on the Word of God, i.e. a “backbone” Christian.

10. The man who is more concerned about winning souls for Christ than he is about winning honor.

—Western Messenger    ^[1] Tan, P. L. (1996, c1979). Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : [a treasury of illustrations, anecdotes, facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers]. Garland TX: Bible Communications.

The Prayer Dilemma

“We do not know how we ought to pray.” Romans 8:26

The Little Leaguer steps into the batter’s box, scrapes his cleats on the dirt and takes a few vicious practice swings. Briefly glancing to the sky, he says “Please, God, let me hit a home run.” Out on the mound, the pitcher watches his opponent intently. Gripping the ball tightly, he toes the rubber slab and breathes into his well-oiled glove “Please, God, let me strike him out!” Up in heaven, God surveys the entire scene with some amusement and lets nobody know his decision. In most cases, he seems to answer the prayers of the player who spent the most time in practice. Then again, the player with the most athletic skill gets his way much of the time.

Believers often find themselves caught in the human side of this dilemma. How should we pray? Is it wrong to pray for personal gain? Are our prayers wrong? When we pray for right things, where are the answers? Why does God tell us to ask whatsoever we will in his name when it often seems so ineffective? Does a larger principle govern the whole process?

First of all, let’s admit that we all want certain things, and some of us are willing to do just about anything to get them. James 4:1-5 says, “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?” The origin of human conflict lies in the competing interests that we have with others, with nature, with ourselves, and even with God. While we say we believe in equality, we want to be first among equals or at least equal first.

The next verse shows the extent to which we go to get what we want. “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” Other translations render this verse differently. “You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel.” NASU. We may not actually commit murder, but we may boil over with hatred and murderous intent. More likely, our anxiety causes us to resort to fighting and quarreling with each other. “If God won’t give it to me, I’ll get it myself!”

Much of the time, however, we turn to prayer when nothing else works. “You have not because you ask not.” We kill, covet and wage war. We worry, fret and stew. We speculate, manipulate and negotiate. We strategize, improvise and apologize. It is not so much that we neglect prayer; it is that we perceive it as weak. Rhetoric aside, prayer seems to be the feeble dregs of advice, mumbled by an uninspired mind.

Here is where we find ourselves gored by the horns of the dilemma. “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” Does this scripture mean that we should never ask anything for ourselves? Not quite, but close. There is a difference between wishing for something and praying for it. Pray for transportation, not a Mercedes Benz. Pray for clothing, not designer fashions. Pray for your daily bread, not for the whole loaf.

Prayer elevates and sanctifies its objects. Even as God told Simon Peter not to call the things he cleansed common or unclean, neither should we treat common or unclean things as cleansed or holy. When you pray for something, it takes on a serious, sober intent. Therefore, while temporal goals, carnal desires and frivolous gadgets make appear on our wish list, they don’t deserve our prayers. When we pray for those things, we ask amiss. James is talking about inappropriate praying. We must reserve our prayers for things that have eternal significance.

But what about praying for things with eternal value? Shouldn’t God always answer those prayers? Remember, “asking amiss” also refers to the why and how of a particular prayer, not just to its substance. A few years ago, I earnestly began praying that God would bless our church with a windfall of finance. Why? So I could give huge amounts to foreign missions and other spiritual needs. It didn’t happen. Eventually, God gently let me know that he had lots of ways to get money to the right places. He didn’t need me to be his clearing house. The fact is that many of our “spiritual prayers” are vocalized wishes of a carnal heart. Prayer for revival must not serve human notoriety. Prayer for church growth must not find its basis in pride. Prayer for spiritual triumph must not be a thinly veiled excuse to exalt the one praying.

The prayer dilemma is resolved by praying prayers that truly reflect the heartbeat of God, without regard to the consequences of glory or credit. “The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Romans 8:26.

Thorns Have Roses

“There was given to me a thorn.” 2 Corinthians 12:7

It sneaks through the back door of your consciousness; it looms before your tightly closed eyes in prayer; it pulls you down each time you take a step up; it laughs at your attempts at discipleship; it hollows out your achievements, voids your victories and ridicules your goals. No amount of fasting, prayer, study, counseling, rebuke or encouragement matters. It’s always there. It is your thorn.

We know about bothersome thorns on plants. Other meanings for thorn, however, include a stake for impaling; a surgical instrument; the point of a fishhook; something that causes severe pain or constant irritation. If it’s any consolation, this same nemesis beset the greatest Christian who ever lived. More than nineteen centuries have not eased speculation about Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Was it myopia, cataracts, or epileptic seizures? Earaches or headaches? Maybe malaria, sciatica, rheumatism, recurring nightmares plagued him. Who knows? Or, some may ask, who cares?

Paul cared. Given his proficiency with language, he could have spelled out exactly what he meant by his thorn in the flesh. He chose not to tell. In my experience, things left unsaid reveal as much or more about people as the things they say. Did Paul wrap his thorn in anonymity to avoid jeopardizing his ministry? Possibly. To share some personal, intimate details—-like a congenital problem, disfigurement, predisposition to depression, strained relationships, perceived personality failures—-would be throwing red meat to the dogs. And, the thorniness of a thorn worsens when prudence hides it. Careful analysis of Paul’s excursion into his privacy yields telling truths of his complex psyche to us. In turn, this leads us to a greater understanding of ourselves. This we know: something troubled Paul until his dying day.

The thing about the thorn—-brace yourself—-is that it never goes away. Paul prayed three times for deliverance. Each time, God gently, but firmly, said no. “My grace is sufficient for you.” God forced Paul to factor this impaling stake, this messenger of Satan, into the fabric of his life. As the pain increased, so did the grace. All of Paul’s spiritual exploits, all of his monumental missionary feats, all of the righteous influence he wielded, every inspired scripture he wrote took shape with a throbbing thorn permanently buried deep within his soul. The significance of this fact is simply this: The thorn made Paul what he was. It tempered his divine revelations; it prevented pride from destroying him; it keenly honed his dependence upon God; and it perfected him with God’s strength rather than his own. By refusing to identify the thorn, he focused our attention on what it does rather that what it is.

I grieve to see potential warriors of the church thrashing around for relief from their thorns. They return time after time to the same altar. They chafe against the prickings of problems that never get resolved. And, in their failure to see the value of the thorn, they never achieve the anointing that the thorn can bring. God designed thorns to be catalysts for perfection.

Jesus said, “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you…You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom. Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do!” Matthew 5:3-12. The Message.

Strength requires stress for development. “For two years, scientists sequestered themselves in an artificial environment called Biosphere Two. Inside their self-sustaining community, the Biospherians created a number of mini-environments, including a desert, rain forest, even an ocean. Nearly every weather condition could be simulated except one, wind. Over time, the effects of their windless environment became apparent. A number of acacia trees bent over and even snapped. Without the stress of wind to strengthen the wood, the trunks grew weak and could not hold up their own weight.” Jay Akkerman. Leadership. Tough conditions do make tough people.

“From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” Galatians 6:17. Philip Harrelson asks some insightful questions: “Could it be that the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ, the marks of the Cross, were those marks that Paul obtained from the marks of his thorn? Could it be that the thorn was what shaped his life into the image of Christ? Could it be that what caused him to flame with holy fire was the presence of the stakes in hands and in feet? No man will arrive in heaven without some scars that life places upon him. But the scars of life should mark us in the manner of a Cross. The thorn is not to destroy us; it is to equip and empower.” “You can either complain that rose bushes have thorns; or rejoice that thorn bushes have roses.” -Unknown.

The Silhouette Syndrome

A silhouette appears when light shines on everything except the actual subject. The profile that emerges yields ample visual clues so viewers can tell whether an object is a bird, a plane or a flower. If silhouettes depict persons with well-known images, like George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, they may be easily recognized, even though no direct lighting shines on the person’s face. In elementary schools around the country, nearly every holiday finds kids in art classes scissoring turkeys, Santas or Lincoln profiles out of black construction paper and pasting them onto lacy white backgrounds. Subtle, yet stark, demure, yet enlightening, silhouettes intrigue us. The absence of light can be as revealing as its presence.

Art project silhouettes are one thing. Silhouettes that show up in when we decline to shine the light of truth on people and events are something else. For example, as citizens, we become outraged when law enforcement officers “look the other way” while patrolling crime infested neighborhoods and allow prostitution and drug dealing to go down in plain view. We complain bitterly at judges who let DUI offenders off the hook, permitting them to get behind the wheel of another car and risk the life of yet another innocent bystander. We berate legislators who engage in pork barrel politics. We soundly criticize elected officials whom we send to congress or the White House to do certain things, and, once they arrive, they forget why they’re there and espouse other causes. They may not realize it, but they send a truer picture of their core values to their constituents by their silence than by their noise.

Many years ago, British statesman Edmund Burke said “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Others have further observed that good men who do nothing, in fact, may not be good. James 4:17 says, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Failure to do good creates a hole, a vacuum of righteousness, a deafening silence, a blinding darkness. The Levite and the priest who crossed to the other side of the road to avoid contact with the wounded traveler may have been able to write or speak at length on caring for the sick. The work that they hastened to do may have been noble and necessary. Their failure to do something good at a critical moment, however, accurately portrayed the content of their hearts. What they didn’t do has made a far more lasting impression of their characters over the centuries than anything they did. Afterwards, they may have felt unfairly judged. After all, they didn’t do anything wrong…they just chose not to do something right. But, that’s the point, isn’t it? The legacy of a hard heart, an uncaring spirit—-or even an apostate mind—-forms in the wake of those who simply decline to act.

Those who love truth will not flee the flak of opposition to retreat into the safe grayness of doctrinal silence. Yes, definitive teaching, bold declarations and staking out strong positions on what people ought to believe and how they ought to live make many feel uncomfortable, but that’s often what God calls us to do. Imagine if doctors vowed only to share good news with their patients. Imagine if contractors schemed to hide the negatives and talk only about the positives of a proposed building project. Likewise, if we key only on safe subjects that make few waves, we abdicate our responsibility. We cannot do some good things, but omit others, thinking that the commissions compensate for the omissions. We cannot preach some truths, but leave out others, thinking that the good things we say make up for the good things we don’t say. We reveal our true interests and thought patterns through our negatives as much as our positives. This is precisely what Jesus referred to when he said, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” Matthew 23:23. In his inimitable way, Jesus charged them with skewed judgment, hardness of heart and faithlessness, and they didn’t even know they were being razor-bladed so brilliantly. Undone matters broadcast loudly the default values of our hearts. Pentecostal sage T. F. Tenney says, “Anything that goes unpreached will soon go unpracticed.”

The Apostle John writes, “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us…And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” 1 John 1:3-4. The Apostolic movement did not arrive at its present strength by not doing right things or not fully preaching the doctrine of the Apostles. We have received our legacy from fearless pioneers who were not victimized by the silhouette syndrome. We know what we believe today because they knew what they believed and they proclaimed it loudly and with great conviction. The church cannot move forward on a default message built on cowardice. Let’s turn on the light.

Hypothetically Speaking

“But if there be no resurrection of the dead…” 1 Corinthians 15:13

“What if there were no hypothetical questions?” I laughed at this absurd query recently posed to me. Later, it started me thinking. The scriptures contain many questions like these to provoke us to serious thought. They sharpen our understanding of truth and help us appreciate what we have. In the fall of 1971, John Lennon’s song, Imagine, hit the charts. He challenged fans with, “

Imagine there’s no heaven,

It’s easy if you try;

No hell below us

Above us only sky.”

Let’s take up Lennon’s invitation and see where it would lead.

Imagine that there were no Bible. We would not know why we exist and how we got here. We would not know about God or who he was. We would not understand the true history of man. We would not know about the angels, Satan, the supernatural. We would not know about the favor of God or the deception of sin. We would not have “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” We would not “understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” No patriarchs, no prophets, promises, no psalms, no proverbs, no law, no light, no truth.

Imagine that there were no ten commandments. We would be worshipping Baal-Peor, Ashtoreth, Chemosh, Amenotep, Zeus, Aphrodite, Vulcan or Jupiter. Instead of feeling the presence of the true God, we would be mutilating our bodies, burning incense or throwing our babies into the fire. Churches would be pagan temples filled with figurines of men, women, beasts, and grotesque wood, stone, gold and silver shapes. High priests would belch out profanity. The Lord’s Day would be totally secular. Children would disrespect their parents. Wanton killing would invite neither punishment nor protection. Marriage would be meaningless. We would guard our possessions behind barred windows. Lies and deceptions, greed and envy would eat out our hearts like cancerous tumors.

Imagine that there were no Calvary . Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission. No remission! Sinners would pound the altars in vain. Unrequited tears would flow down their cheeks. The crushing weight of cruel sin would never be lifted. Without Calvary …the woman at the well keeps her shame; the demonic roams the tombs; prostitution enslaves Mary Magdalene; leprous hands rot away; the diseased woman withers away; the widow of Nain pines away. Without Calvary , Peter, James and John go back to their nets; Paul becomes a radical zealot for some lost cause; a condemned world continues to groan. Think of it! The inexorable advance of the slime and corruption of sin never stops. Not one sin forgiven! Not one tear wiped away. Not one broken heart mended. No grace, no mercy, no love, no praise, no peace, no joy ever lifts the human spirit.

Imagine that there was no resurrection. “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:13-14. Everything rests on this answer. No resurrection means no reason for preaching. All teaching stops because the resurrection lies at the heart of our faith. Without it, our faith is foolishness—-the faith that brought us through our trials, the faith that sustains us in our temptations, the faith which brings God’s grace into our lives—-all this would be worthless.

After the cross, the disciples left a limp, lifeless body. A huge stone blocked the entry to the corpse, Roman soldiers kept the disciples away, mourners left the cemetery sobbing. But, this is where vain imagination meets the power of God’s reality! Jesus rose! In an instant, everything changed. The bonds of sin were broken. The finality of death was decimated. Now, there is hope where there was despair, there is peace where there was conflict and there life where there was death. In 1999, Bart Millard’s I Can Only Imagine rose to the #1 gospel song in America .

“I can only imagine what it will be like when I walk by Your side;

I can only imagine what my eyes will see when Your face is before me;

I can only imagine;

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel?

Will I dance for You, Jesus or in awe of You be still?

Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall?

Will I sing hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine. I can only imagine.”

No, Lennon, I can’t, and I won’t imagine there’s no heaven. Instead, I’m standing beside the N. A. Urshans, S. W. Chambers and Imogene Kilgores imagining what it will be like…and looking for the day I’m there. I’m not going to imagine what it would be like if it never happened…I am going to imagine what it will be like when it does happen!

With truth, there are no hypotheticals. You may waste your time imagining that truth is not true if you like, but, that’s all it is—-imagination. Not I. I choose to revel in the reality of my faith!

To Be Like Jesus

“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Galatians 3:27

If you want to put your head around essential Christianity, this is it. It’s the big TEN on the one-to-ten scale. The rest of the stuff—-no matter how awesome—-plays only a supporting role. The main event has always been, and must continue to be, Christ-likeness. So, how do we do it?

To be like Jesus means to make him your ideal. Jesus is the highest good, the source of wisdom, the standard of perfection, the unrivaled champion of the scriptures. Without Him, we have only unexplained ceremonies, unachieved purposes, unsatisfied longings and unfulfilled prophecies. Without Christ the old law is a river which has lost its way to the sea, a swift-flying arrow with no target and a magnificent eagle with no roosting branch. Jesus Christ forms the centripetal point of the law—-everything converges upon Him, and the centrifugal point of grace—-everything emerges from Him. He is the theme of both Old and New Testaments, the raison d’être to every dispensation of time, the reflection of every great personage and the substance of every great type. He is the arch-superlative. He is the writer’s masterpiece, the composer’s magnum opus, the architect’s signature creation, the artist’s exposition work, the mountain climber’s Mt. Everest, the scientist’s Nobel prize, the soldier’s Purple Heart, the actor’s Oscar, the Olympian’s gold medal, the sports hero’s championship ring, the miner’s mother lode, the judge’s landmark decision, the investor’s windfall and the inventor’s chef-d’oeuvre. Jesus is the best, highest, greatest, biggest, farthest, widest, richest and finest.

To be like Jesus means to see him as the pattern for your life. “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us.” Ephesians 5:2. You need not be at a loss as to what to do in any given situation. You have his example, his testimony, his words, his record. What should you do if you are attacked? Criticized? Lied upon? Betrayed? Forgotten? Rejected? Victimized? Just do what Jesus did.

To be like Jesus means to obey his commandments. “Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5. Jesus is not just your facilitator, your aide or consultant. He speaks with absolute authority. Omnipotent and omniscient, he has the perspective of eternity. He is Alpha and Omega, beginning and ending, first and last. He was here before he arrived and left while he was still here. One man said, “He is the miracle between the virgin’s womb and the empty tomb. He came through a door marked ‘No Entrance’ and left through a door marked ‘No Exit.’” He conquers disease; stills storms; quiets chaos; restores organs; destroys demons; defeats debaters; speaks creatively; teaches without error and knows the future. Yet, we do not keep his commandments for these reasons alone; we keep his commandments because we love him!

To be like Jesus means to submit to him. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7. Submission means surrendering your rights; accepting a higher authority over you; forfeiture of position, privilege and place. At Gethsemane , Jesus submitted his flesh to the Father. At our new birth, we submit our body, soul and spirit to Christ. “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:1-2

To be like Jesus means to identify with him. “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?” Romans 6:3. A uniform identifies the wearers group; the name and bloodline identifies and shows distinction from all others. We are identified with Christ by means of his name and his blood. This makes baptism in the name of Jesus supremely significant. All the things that make us unique should be worn as a badge of honor.

To be like Jesus means to be adopted into him. “Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15. In the sense that we are sinful flesh, we are not made in the total likeness of Christ. Adoption covers this gap in identity. Adoption confers legal and moral force of a naturally born child to his or her parents. Adopted children are often called by cruel names by their tormentors to deny their identity and legitimacy. For us, such epithets fall meaninglessly to the ground.

To be like Jesus means to be defined by him. “Jesus answered, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God .’” John 3:5-8. The DNA encoding transferred by the parents instructs the body how to grow, what shape and size it will be, and every feature down to the most miniscule molecule. Our new birth defines our values, ideals, goals, ambitions, dreams, visions, gifts, talents and everything about this life and the next. Yes, it limits our reach, but deity defines the limits! So…drop everything to pursue Christ; direct everything to conform to him; define everything to function like him. We have no greater—-no other—-purpose.