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.

Just Doin’ My Job

One can only imagine what the overloaded schedule of a CEO or a political figure must be like. From dawn to dark, official duties, non-stop planning, reviewing and supervising swallow up hours in huge gulps. The President, for example, oversees at least 117 federal agencies, including all the branches of the military, the Social Security Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the U. S. Postal Service, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the CIA , the IRS , NASA, the GSA, the FTC, the FDIC, and the FCC all the way down to the National Indian Gaming Commission. And that’s only 17 out of the 117! As of the latest statistics, the U. S. Government employs nearly four million people. Each one has a job description, a rated salary, a benefits package and an employee file. As unwieldy as the U. S. federal government may be, the public still holds the President responsible for all mistakes and mismanagement that occur at any level in any agency in his charge. The bureaucratic debacle of FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, painfully reminded the President that all problems ascend up the chain of command to the Oval Office.

Massive bureaucracies like the U. S. Government and huge corporations like Microsoft and General Motors function only on the clear understanding that everyone has a job to do. The President has to be able to hand a huge responsibility over to a trusted public servant and ask him or her to do the job. Every day, thousands of bosses hand over boxes—-or hard drives—-full of files to thousands of workers and trust them to do their jobs. Maybe processing the file of a single employee out of the millions of people seems utterly insignificant, but it has to be done. The President counts on the lowly worker, umpteen levels down in the federal scale, to faithfully discharge his or her duties. Like the branches of a tree, individual employees may be far from the trunk, but they must still understand their connection to the trunk. They may say, “I work for the U. S. Government”, or “I work for Microsoft”, but they have specific jobs and work for specific managers. They may be floaters, part of the pooled resources or general employees, but they don’t wander around, unattached, doing whatever they feel like doing. They work within prescribed guidelines and policies and are accountable to real bosses.

Just because the church is a spiritual entity does not exempt it from operating in real time with real people. Jesus validated the tree-like structure for the church when he said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches.” The branches of a vine, or a tree, grow in a hierarchical configuration. Every branch owes its existence, its support and it nourishment to the trunk. Paul enlarged on this concept in 1 Corinthians 12:14-18. “For the body is not one member, but many…18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” The effectiveness of the church as an organization depends on each individual member performing his or her job with all seriousness and dedication. The apostle says as much in his epistle. “And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. But God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.” 1 Corinthians 12:21-25

The church achieves maximum efficiency when the people show up to work every day ready and eager to perform well. Unfortunately, too many of us discard the Jesus model of the church when it doesn’t fit with our mood. Do these complaints sound familiar?

I don’t like my job . Maybe not, but doing a job you don’t like now prepares you for something better later on. Decide to like it. Want to be promoted? Promotion is based on attitude as much as skill.

My job is not important. Do you mean to say that you are more important than your job? Your job may not be important to you, but it is to someone. If Jesus thinks it’s important, it is.

I don’t like the way you do your job . You can criticize or you can help. Pray, don’t judge.

I don’t feel appreciated. Contentment comes from a job well done, not from being noticed.

I can’t do my job because I don’t have all the resources that I need. Are you whining? Whiners never have what they need to get the job done. Winners succeed against all odds. Go figure.

I want your job. Why? Do you want the glory and the recognition that you think goes with the other guy’s job? Are you eaten up with envy? Are you aware of the pressures involved? See number one.

I can do your job better than you can. Or, maybe not. It may be more difficult than you think. Whatever your reasoning, it does not excuse you to under-perform in your present position. If you want a better job, pray for the promotion of whoever is doing it now.

Instead of asking for more appreciation, appreciate more that you have even a minor role in the world’s greatest entity—-the church! I want to do my job. You should want to do your job. When all of us do our jobs with faithfulness and enthusiasm, Jesus wins.

Will Azusa Survive A Second Century?

During the last week of April, 2006, celebrants by the thousands flocked to the Azusa Street site in Los Angeles , the birthplace of Pentecostalism in the modern era. In crowded busses, animated tour guides retold the compelling story of William Seymour, a one-eyed, African-American, born of slaves after the Civil War, who overcame impossible odds to lead a revival that has touched an estimated 600 million souls. In addition to the tours of the house on Bonnie Brae Street and the site of the humble Apostolic Faith Gospel Mission on Azusa Street, now an open-aired, bricked plaza, the anniversary spawned scores of events and attracted some of the most popular names in Pentecostal circles. Separate groups sponsored their own events in locations scattered across the metro area, from LA’s Convention Center to the Sports Coliseum. The cry echoed most frequently from numerous platforms and stages was a plea for renewal.

The United Pentecostal Church , International shares the common heritage of Azusa Street with other Pentecostals, and we took full advantage of the centennial to rekindle the Holy Ghost fire. UPCI tours, however, also trekked to the Arroyo Seco camp in the San Gabriel foothills where, amid the walnut and citrus trees, not far from the present Rose Bowl, notables like Frank Ewart, Glenn Cook and G. T. Haywood openly discussed the revelation of baptism in Jesus’ name and the oneness of the Godhead in the summer of 1913. A year later, Ewart and Cook baptized each other in a baptismal tank set up in the camp meeting tent. Haywood returned to Indianapolis and baptized his entire congregation of nearly 500 people. These momentous events signified that the message of Acts 2:38 had now fully blossomed.

Thus began the first one hundred years of the Azusa revival. But, for many Pentecostals, the second century looms with the original luster gone. Media outlets report that some of the largest groups who trace their roots to Azusa admit that only forty percent of their adherents claim the tongues experience, and for some, the ratio has sunk to below twenty percent. Large numbers have slipped into a generic form of Christianity, neither experiencing nor seeking the explosive spiritual phenomena that catapulted Seymour ’s prayer meetings into a world-wide movement. Modern era Pentecostals seem far less enthralled by the outpouring of heavenly fire than were their anointed founders.

In marked contrast to these reports, however, those attending the UPCI events in LA saw a resurgence of Holy Ghost power. At the Korean-owned Olympic Sports Stadium, where the oneness Pentecostals held packed-out meetings, nearly 500 persons received the Acts 2:4 baptism of the Holy Ghost during drama, preaching services and the Friday night Holy Ghost crusade! Added to that number were over 350 who received the baptism in area churches during the three week build-up to the centennial celebration. One reporter who observed the exuberant worship, dancing in the Spirit and the tongue-talking at the Olympic Stadium services asked, “Is this what happened at the original Azusa revival? I don’t see this at the other Pentecostal venues.” UPCI leaders were only too happy to answer in the affirmative. Indeed, the headlines in the 1906 newspapers that screamed, “Weird Babel of Tongues”, and “Wild Scene Last Night on Azusa Street” could have easily described the 2006 meetings on Grand Avenue. The Korean pastor’s daughter was among those who received the Holy Ghost baptism during the week, and the church group pled with UPCI officials to schedule another crusade for next spring.

In my view, not only will Azusa survive another century—-should Christ delay the rapture of his church—-it may very well burgeon into a second wave of revival, not only of the Spirit infilling, but also of the revelation of the mighty God in Christ and of the name of Jesus. I note with great excitement that the oneness Pentecostals, in a major break with precedent, were asked to participate in the centennial by the Azusa Street 100, the official steering committee of the celebration. Furthermore, they asked our General Superintendent, Kenneth Haney, to sit on the rostrum and join the list of twenty-nine speakers at a combined celebratory service. This invitation, and our follow-up participation, positions us at a strategic time and place in religious history. God purposely set the date of the first century outpouring to take place on the Jewish feast called Pentecost, when multitudes of people representing seventeen different languages would witness the miracle. The twentieth century Azusa revival coincided with the San Francisco earthquake when people’s hearts were vulnerable to hear from heaven. One hundred years later, in April of 2006, the oneness Pentecostals showed up at a time and place where our unique message could be heard and judged fairly by the world.

This is a fabulous time to be a oneness Pentecostal. Frank Bartleman, an Azusa Street pioneer, said “I would rather live six months at that time than fifty years of ordinary life!” With all due respect, I think we may be on the cusp of challenging Mr. Bartleman’s statement. The world is about to hear of the Apostolic faith that transformed the lives of our founders and continues to break out today. Pentecostals, let the fire fall! The world has had religion. It is sick of religion. It is ready for an experience!

What Happens in Vegas

Have you heard about the woman who tried to dry off her poodle in the microwave? Or the deaf man and woman who were killed for signing hand signals of a rival gang? Or the scuba diver that drowned in a forest fire, or the baby left on the car roof? We call these tall tales urban legends. In addition, cultural myths circulate in our society…like the alligators found in the sewers of NYC; or college students have to wait 15 minutes if the professor is late for class; or you shouldn’t flash your bright lights at people because they will kill you. All pure mythology.

Here’s a myth that too many people believe: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. One would think that it is some sort of law. Bumper stickers even say, “WHiVSiV.” (It’s a line of clothing.) And then, I came across these Phil Vassar lyrics, “What happens in Vegas is just between us; Ain’t nobody’s business what anyone does; You can let down your hair, be as wild as you dare; Go crazy, do something outrageous; But what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” In fact, this phrase has been dubbed the most powerful advertising slogan of all time.

The insidious intent behind this phrase is that there are vacuums in which sin is free. It posits that there are actually “safe zones” that exist in which a person can sin and not be held accountable. But the Bible says, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23). Also, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7-8). Can you smoke in Vegas and have no cancer risk anywhere else? Can you murder in Vegas without penalty back home? Can you lie, cheat, steal, drink, gamble, or be unfaithful in Vegas with impunity? I think not. Life is interconnected. Sin one area of life causes repercussions in other areas. What happens in Vegas follows people home. But, there are other sinister lies that world believes as well.

My sin affects only me. No. Sin affects other people. Exodus 32:21. “And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?” The characters flaws and unrepented sins that were lodged in the heart of Aaron did not exist in a vacuum. Aware of it or not, his sins impacted Israel . Our actions find formulation within the confines of the heart. The tarnished heart, the misguided spirit and the corrupted soul shapes the message that proceeds from the mouth into destructive plans for others. Jesus said, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.” Matthew 15:18.

I can stop whenever I want to stop. No. Sin entraps. Moses predicted this unforeseen result of sin in Exodus 23:33. “They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.” Like the ancient Chinese finger trap, one may easily enter into the act of sin, but soon find that it is impossible to back out of it. One man found out that the sweet little clingy teenager who only needed the comfort of a strong male figure in her life turned into vicious, manipulative hustler once she had him in her clutches. Also, just as every coin has an obverse and reverse, every individual act of sin has two sides: Commit the sin; Cover the sin. The instant a sin is committed the flip side comes into play.

I can manage my weakness. No. Sin opens the door to other sins. “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” 1 Samuel 15:23. How can rebellion possibly be related to witchcraft? How could iniquity ever share common ground with stubbornness and idolatry? Because all branches of sin grow from the same trunk. That’s why John the Baptist said, “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees.” Matthew 3:10. The root of offense gives rise to many sinful branches. Saul did not conquer his initial disobedience; therefore, he experienced a chain reaction of repeated sin and tragedy in his life. David’s lust led to adultery; his adultery led to deceit; his deceit led to murder. Once the essence of sin gains admission into one’s life, it brings with it the seeds of further transgressions. James said, “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” James 3:16.

God will forgive me. Yes, if you repent and forsake your sin. Sin cannot go unpunished. “And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree.” Deuteronomy 21:22. When we sweep sin under the rug, when we treat it differently from person to person or when we simply let it go unpunished, the sinning person gets a false view of God’s justice. We cannot afford to be dismissive, tolerant or defensive of sin. Without consequences, sin loses its dread. A diminished view of sin means a diminished view of Calvary . Ambivalence toward sin casts doubt on the efficacious blood of Jesus.

Operate your life out of truth, not mythology. Jesus said, “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

Let’s Change the Culture

Changing a culture borders on the impossible. People identify deeply and strongly ethnic, regional or national traits, and they usually resist any attempt to dislodge them from their culture with a visceral reaction. Imagine how Americans would react if, for example, we were made to drive on the left side of the street instead of the right. What if Canadians were told they had to say “owt” instead of “oot”; or if New Englanders were told they had to say “Cuba” instead of “Cuber”; or if southerners were forbidden to say “ya’ll”? None of us would stand for it.

Other issues, however, must be considered more seriously. For example, the Corinthian church clung stubbornly to their pagan roots of immorality and idol worship, despite the powerful experience of conversion through the name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. They did not have a Jewish heritage to bring great conviction upon them concerning these issues. Elsewhere, Jewish Christians could not easily break from the past traditions of their Judaist upbringing. In the epistle to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul addressed the conflict between their bondage to Jewish practices and the liberty through the cross. Although he eventually triumphed in his quest, it was not without great agony and upheaval within the church.

People may be persuaded to accept a superior view from a logical standpoint, but they will rebel emotionally against that very logic. They despise holding opposing views against their traditions. They don’t want to be branded as different by their peers, and they dislike getting pushed out of their “comfort zone” or the familiar ruts that seemed to have worked for them in the past. These decisions descend from the heart, not the mind.

Success in changing the culture can only be achieved with committed and patient efforts of leadership. First, the idea must be patently superior to the present practice. Second, it must be skillfully articulated with great force and resolve. Last, it must be supremely resistant to the huge backlog of inertia that it will certainly encounter.

The United Pentecostal Church , International operates within the parameters of its own culture. Some of our defining earmarks grow out of our historical commitment to Apostolic doctrine and Bible holiness. Other characteristics, however, have evolved in obscure ways that may be difficult to understand. From time to time, we get shocked or shamed into a necessary look at our culture. We should come away from such revelations with a new resolve to change paradigms and behavior patterns that impede our mission and vision. Here is a starter list of areas that desperately need to be changed in our culture of faith.

Children. We must find better ways to impart Apostolic values to our children. The gush of evil influence from the world will not be met with a trickle or token from our teaching resources. Our renewed efforts must involve whole families, Sunday school programs, mentoring, planned activities and other efforts whose primary goal is to instill Apostolic values.

Missions. Missions must not continue to be something someone else does. It has to be what we do personally. The youth of some organizations spend two entire years of their lives in missions work. Others push their adherents to witness and sell literature with a zealot’s intensity. Whatever we do, we must imbue our emphasis on missions with sustained commitment and a unflagging campaign to keep it in front of us.

Vision. The primary process of the church is growth, both in quality and quantity. Jesus said, “I will build my church.” Building implies expansion, outreach, positive change and investment. We cannot marginalize our vision for growth into a whining or wishes. It must become a basic tenet of our faith and implemented with driving conviction.

Sacrifice. The church in the wilderness did not offer sacrifice to God on a whim. They planned and prepared sacrifices on a regular basis, because that’s what God required. Today, our culture of emotional, high-pressure kind of giving puts God under the thumb of our feelings and carnal calculations. Think of the power the church would generate with across-the-board, planned sacrificial offerings.

Discipleship. Too many in the Apostolic ranks think of discipleship as a to-do list. Instead of an attitude of Christ-likeness, it has become a superficial template that measures only observable traits. We need a paradigm shift so that our focus centers on the emulation of Christ.

Change your culture. Choose some area of your life or church that has stagnated into uselessness. Throw all your weight behind making the kind of change that restructures lives. When you affect the way you and others think, you will break into a brand, new world.

Hypertypology

The Danger of Overused Typology 

Typology has long been a favorite tool of Bible scholars and preachers. Rich details link Old Testament stories, events, people, places and things to the New Testament, adding strength and dimension to spiritual truths of the church age. When kept in perspective, typology enriches our knowledge and appreciation of the gospel. When it dominates the Biblical landscape, however, typology distorts or even destroys sound Bible teaching. The result is hypertypology, a term I have coined to describe this harmful view.

Through various shadows and figures, the Old Testament illustrates actual spiritual principles that we embrace today. For example, the brazen altar serves as a type of both Christ’s crucifixion and of repentance in the life of a new believer. A beautiful type of Christ is found in Joseph, the patriarch who became an Egyptian official in Pharaoh’s court because he played such a vital role in the salvation of the nation of Israel . Israel itself illustrates the church of Jesus Christ . Many of Israel 's experiences answer to the spiritual triumphs and tribulations the church faces today. “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” I Corinthians 10:11

Types add greatly to our understanding of the New Testament. For example, in the door to Noah’s ark, we see Jesus who said, “I am the Door.” As the door was to the ark, so Jesus is to the church. The kingship of David has powerful implications for Christ as the King of Kings, and the feasts of Israel shape our worship services and other practices of the present. Moreover, the use of types and shadows provides boundless inspiration and hope for believers today. The anointing oil, the sacrificial offerings, the unleavened bread, the lampstands and the rock that yielded water for the nation of Israel all hold great spiritual meaning for us. In fact, typology gives us great appreciation for the awesome intricacy with which the entire Bible fits together like a gigantic jigsaw puzzle. Pieces that baffle the beholder when pondered by themselves suddenly reveal a breath-taking view when they correspond with a New Testament truth. This process translates into the unity of the book, God’s masterpiece.

Hypertypology occurs when typology is taken too far. It has much the same effect as hypertension, or high blood pressure. We know that without blood pressure, an organism is either dead, or will soon die. On the other hand, too much blood pressure severely stresses the circulatory system and can cause a heart attack or stroke. Death may follow. In the same way, hypertypology threatens a balanced understanding of the Bible. Danger always lurks whenever we overuse legitimate types, when we exaggerate emphasis on the shadows and take away from the substance, when we make types rigid and singular in meaning, or when we subordinate the gospel to types rather than the types to the gospel. Such use of typology constitutes error and easily leads to false doctrine. Proper Biblical exegesis, however, demands that certain limitations be placed on types and shadows. Types cannot do more than they are designed to do: emulate the real, but not supplant it.

Consider the following dangers of hypertypology:

1) It permits the types to drive New Testament doctrine and theology, thus making the first covenant superior to the second. This clearly reverses the theme of Hebrews, both figuratively and literally.
2) It presumes unintended meanings from New Testament passages. It is improper, for example, to alter the interpretation of New Testament passages or definition of words because we think they conflict with the Old Testament.
3) It imposes unwarranted consequences upon New Testament events. For example, hypertypology makes Jesus into a lawbreaker because he violated certain provisions of the Sabbath.
4) It forces the New Testament back through the loop of the Old Testament. It other words, hypertypology would hold that New Testament doctrine only has meanings assigned to it by the Old Testament.
5) Hypertypology seduces the dubious scholar into a mistaken confirmation of his privately held theories. This is perhaps its greatest peril because anyone can espouse some theory, find an Old Testament type that supports it, and then artificially make the New Testament agree with the resulting doctrine.

Classic examples of hypertypology abound. Sabbath-keeping, the doctrine that demands the church today to observe the last day instead of the first day of the week, is probably the most familiar. The fourth chapter of Hebrews clearly shows this to be a type of “the rest” of the believer. The believer’s rest is not observing Saturday as a holy day, but in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Isaiah 28:11-12.) Also, keeping certain dietary laws which were mandatory for Israel but only represent spiritual truths for today's saints illustrate hypertypology. Other examples include the tabernacle and its furnishings, many personages in the Old Testament (e.g. Melchizidek) and historical events of Israel . The hypertypologist elevates these types to a position of higher significance than their spiritual meanings in the New Testament. In each of these instances, those who insist today that the church must either practice or at least subordinate the New Testament to the Old, teach in error.

Hypertypology produces some specific errors in reasoning. These errors stem from a very rigid insistence that the type must fit down to the most minute detail. This position creates impossible situations. One such erroneous teaching involves baptism. We know from I Corinthians 10:2 that the Red Sea passage during the exodus typified water baptism. Yet, the water did not actually cover the Israelites, even though the word baptism means to immerse. We also understand from several verses in Hebrews that every New Testament believer has access into the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament tabernacle rituals, however, only the Priests, not the common people, entered into the holy place. Also, in the holy place, the shewbread was to be eaten only by the priests, yet David ate this contrary to law. (Matthew 12:4) In other words, the types were just that: types. When misconstrued as laws instead of symbols, they become distorted and even absurd.

New Testament believers proclaim the superiority of the New Covenant. The book of Hebrews provides all the clarity we need to be assured of this fact. “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah ...For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts...In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” Hebrews 8:6-13. The writer to the Hebrews also deals extensively with this subject in the ninth chapter. The conclusion to which we must come is unavoidable: the New Testament is now the sole arbiter of our salvation and doctrine. Does this mean that the Old Testament has no value to us today? Not at all. It does mean that the Old Testament must be viewed through the lens of the New Testament, not the reverse. Whenever the Old Testament gets in the driver’s seat, doctrinal error always ensues.

Hypertypology can negatively impact New Testament doctrine by distorting the teaching and practices of the early church. The new birth experience, for example, involves the infilling of the Holy Spirit.  If we were to make the Old Testament use of spiritual or angelic visitations superior to the historical references to the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, we would draw very different conclusions about this gift than we would by affirming the superiority of the New Testament.  The Spirit of God moved upon individuals before the new covenant, but he did not take up residence within them as he did subsequent to the day of Pentecost.  This would vastly alter the theology and experience of the Spirit baptism.  Other aspects of New Testament teachings like the initial evidence truth in receiving the Holy Spirit, and a host of other authentic, Biblical experiences would be severly damaged if we were to make the New Testament subservient to the Old. 

The Old Testament saints died in an imperfect (incomplete) state.  Their salvation is intrinsically tied to the believers of the New Testament. Hebrews 11:40 clearly says, "God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect."  KJV.  For us to revert back to the Old Testament for meaning and application of spiritual truths would be to go backwards from completion to incompletion.  Not only would this fly in the face of divine revelation, it would be a shameful error.  We must allow the Old Testament to continue to be the school master to bring us to Christ.  We must not leave Christ to return to the school master.  In Christ alone do we find the fulfillment of all things.