Articles From Our Bulletins
Imagine...
Not a world lyrically described by a famous “Beatle,” but using your mind’s eye of faith, imagine what it would have been like to actually witness:
The glory of God filling Solomon’s Temple at its dedication. “Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. The priests could not enter into the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the Lord, saying, ‘Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting,’” 2Chronicles 7:1-3. How awe-inspiring that must have been to witness! To see the fire come down from heaven and consume the burnt offering, to smell the smoke, and be forced from the Temple itself by “the glory of the Lord” as He “filled the house.” What an awesome…. and perhaps, terrifying experience! Can you imagine?
The Transfiguration of Jesus. “Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him,” Matthew 17:1-3. And then, after Peter’s suggestion of making three tabernacles- one each for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone,” Matthew 17:5-8. Visualize the wonder that must have filled their eyes at seeing Jesus in this way, and then the fear in their hearts when the cloud overshadowed them and God spoke to them directly from heaven? Can you imagine?
The Crucifixion of Jesus. “They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between,” John 19:17-18. Can you comprehend what Mary saw and felt as she saw her firstborn bloodied from beating and thorns piercing his brow, nailed through His hands and feet to a cross, lifted up for others to scorn and mock for hours, waiting in agony to die, and then Him finding and looking upon you amongst the jeering crowd to utter His last words to you, “Woman behold your son!” John 19:26? Can you even imagine?
The Ascension of Jesus. “He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’ And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight,” Acts 1:7-9. Try to put yourself in the apostles’ place. You’ve spent virtually every waking hour for the last three and a half years with this Man, personally witnessed Him perform countless miracles of wonder, and now you stand surely slack-jawed and mouth-agape watching rise from the ground and disappear into the heavens! Can you imagine?
Now, this hasn’t been a mere mental exercise to test or expand our imaginative capabilities. God provided these images, as He did all of Scripture, “for our instruction, that through the perseverance and encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope,” Romans 15:4. So, what should these particular images teach us? The lessons or points of instruction are many, but let’s concentrate on just a few:
- God is awesome and majestic. As we meet in the houses that we have built to worship Him, never forget Who, What, and How He is, or why we have assembled, cf. John 4:23-24. Let this image humble our hearts, inspire reverence and godly fear to our purposes, and promote true praise to His great and holy Name.
- God has the power to transform our physical beings into gloriously spiritual ones, Romans 12:1-2. He can cleanse us and make us white as light, and cause His light to shine upon us so brightly that we reflect it to everyone around us, cf. Matthew 5:14-16.
- God’s love for us is without measure, limit, or bounds. The precious blood of His only begotten Son that ran down and pooled beneath the cross powerfully demonstrates it. Remember that love, and the sacrifice it induced when we assemble every Sunday to commemorate that bloody yet blessed event that purchased our souls, cf. 1Corinthians 11:23-34; and remember it each day in between also, 1Corinthians 6:20.
- God wants us to be with Him eternally. As Jesus ascended through the clouds into heaven, He will return again to gather and take home to glory those that are His, “and thus we shall always be with the Lord,” 1Thessalonians 4:13-18.
You see, those weren’t imaginary stories that we conjured in our minds. They were real events that were recorded to teach and instruct us about God, His nature, His power, His love, and His desires for us. You don’t really have to imagine anything- just read, learn, and follow in faith to experience Him and them for yourself!
- Imagine.pdf (92.22 kB)
