Marquette – April 17, 2013 – I have been studying this concept that preacher Andrew Wommak of Cariss Bible College in Colorado has presented. I believe a positive Imagination makes all the difference.
I believe as we demonstrate Love, and share by seeing with our heart, Hope is the un-seen force in our hearts mind, that links God’s Love, and activates our Faith so God can move in our lives..
Let’s start with:
1 Cor 13:13
And now abideth Faith, Hope, and Charity (God’s kind of Love) and the greatest of these is Charity.
There are 3 behaviors that are to be chosen. Love for sure, Faith also, but the middle one in the verse is Hope. Hope is one word we don’t focus on too often. Mostly we talk about Love and Faith. But in this case, Hope is put just slightly lower than Love, but higher than Faith, .
So let’s discuss Hope and the powerful force that Hope can provide us.
As you look at this string of 3; Hope is #2 really
Charity-Love is most important, but the second most important is Hope, third is Faith.
So in this string, Hope is more important than Faith. This is very helpful to meditate on.
Hope is the anticipation of good, and a positive image, or a positive imagination, as contrasted with a negative imagination, or not having Hope.
Hope is the anticipation of good applied. It’s a positive imagination versus a negative imagination
Rom 8:24 For we are saved by Hope, but Hope that is seen is not Hope, in patience we wait for it.
Amplified Bible (AMP): Romans 8:24
For in [this] Hope we were saved. But Hope [the object of] which is seen is not Hope. For how can one Hope for what he already sees?
We are saved by Hope, but Hope that is seen, is not Hope. So Hope is believing for something you can’t see. So God tells us that Hope is something that is not seen. It’s believing for something you can’t see.
2Cor 4:18. So we are looking at things that can’t be seen as Hope.
Some things in life are not visible things of the eye, but things that you can see with your heart. This is where Hope is.
2 Corinthians 4:18
Good News Translation (GNT)
For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever.
Focusing on Hope, something that can not be seen. Using Hope is the process or power of forming a mental image of what is not present, it’s some creativity, it’s some inventiveness, it’s choosing resourcefulness.
And for Hope to be focused on, since Hope is unseen, you have to see it in your heart, inside your mind, rooted in your Imagination.
A lot of Christians don’t accept the word Imagination. We tend to try and deal with reality only, the things we see. And sometime we look at Hope, or Imagination, as childish. It’s a concept only for kids. But Imagination is not childish.
Imagination, or Hope, is alliterated as more important than Faith, and without Faith we can not please God. So without Hope, we certainly can not please God. How can God re-act to our Faith if it’s not backed by Hope.
Hebrews 11:6 AMP But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the re-warder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].
So again, without Faith you can not please God. But the promise of a diligent Faith is a positive connection to God. Since Hope is higher than Faith, what would the promise of having Hope be then?
There’s the word Fantasy: But this is not Hope, because Hope clearly is not fantasy.. It is not Walt Disney s creative imagination, or an illusion, a delusion, a whimsical idea, or a daydream. Most people improperly define Hope or Imagination as Fantasy, or the process of using Hope and Imagination as Fantasy. They also think Hope is not dealing with reality.
Hope/ Imagination is the ability to see something with your heart but not your eyes. We really can’t live without an imagination.
Hope is your ability to see something with your heart that you don’t see with your eyes.
You use this everyday. The way you get home, the landmarks you see in your mind, those that you view with your imagination. You use your imagination to drive places. You see the pictures in your mind. It is how you remember.
Using your Imagination, you can see the doors in your home. How many doors do you have in your house? You could count them in your mind. You could sit down and go around your home. You don’t have facts stored on this in your mind, but you have an image stored, and you can go through and see it.
Scripture links these two ideas… You can’t meditate without imagination.
Genesis 24:63 And Isaac went out to meditate and bow down [in prayer]
Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it.
Meditation is the way you take the truths of scripture and use them, roll it over in your mind. And your imagination is how you do that. Hope links meditation and imagination together. This brings the word alive.
KJV- Psalm 134:5 David said, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.”
English Standard: 5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.
Psalms 143 says, “Muse, roll over in your mind Ponder. Take a truth you have learned and roll it over.
Imagination is how you do that. Taking the word and see what it is saying through meditation-mussing- muddering (imagination) It is doing Hope in your mind day and night.
These are the same Greek words translated with the same meanings..
Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” You are what you think and imagine yourself to be. You are empowered to be and do only what you think you can do. Your imagination greatly influences what you believe in your heart.
Not random thoughts here, but taking the word of God and finding that God keeps you in perfect peace.
Isaiah 26:23. The Lord will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon him because he trusted him. Mind is translated imagination. Not random thoughts, but you are taking the Word of God, scripture, and mussing on it, imagining thru it.
PEACE..The Lord will keep you in perfect peace when your mind seeds, as in a spiritual womb, letting your mind keep peace thru your imagination, internalizing God’s precepts found in His word.
A negative imagination, the lack of positive Hope focused on evil, can destroy us. We have the ability to go down that road.
Genesis 6 is where God brought the flood upon earth.
Genesis 6:5: And God saw the wickedness of man was great and every imagination or thoughts of his heart were evil.
This verse shows that Imagination are actual thoughts. Not fantasy. We think in imagination. We think in pictures not in words.
Words do make a difference. Words can refine the picture in your mind. Think about an apple. What color is your apple? Well, think about a red apple…a red apple with a worm. With these words you think in pictures. We have a hard time understanding what people are saying if we can’t picture it. You can’t remember anything you haven’t pictured.
Do you know what a water blivet is? (200-500-1000-1500-2000 gallon blivets were used in Vietnam lowered from a helicopter) It’s hard to imagine how important blivets are if you’ve never seen one in your mind, or you have not mussed about a blivet, and it’s importance to maintaining life itself. Once you understand what a blivet is your will be able to imagine it
If you don’t know what it is, you can’t picture it, and you won’t be able to remember it. You can’t remember anything you haven’t pictured. We function this way. If you can’t picture it you won’t remember it. Imagination is also translated understanding in the Bible numerous times. When you picture it, you comprehend it, you understand it.
Imagination is known as understanding.
Luke 1:51 kjv He hath shown strength with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
Ephesians 4:17-18. 17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18 having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart,
They chose behavior that caused to have their understanding darkened.
You can’t understand, remember, build, or give directions without an imagination.
Words paint pictures. This is why when we share illustrations like Jesus used. Illustrations help people relate. A good teacher will paint pictures for us to remember. This helps us remember because we can see that idea in our Imagination.
Our imagination is how we think or mediate, understand, and remember. We really can’t do anything without imagination. This is why we have the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
You know; building something without looking at a diagram, is tough. So when you see a picture of how this thing works or go together, it helps you understand better. A diagram and the words makes the communication more precise and we can follow the plans.
The word of God will excite your imagination.
Ephesians 4:18: …deep thought, understanding, imagination or understanding in your heart, these thoughts of their heart was only evil continually.
As shown in Genesis 6:5, This is why Good decided to bring judgment on the earth to wipe out man and animals because of the dark imagination. It is because God deals with us on a heart level.
Many people don’t think imagination is that big of a deal.
But really, Hope or Imagination is how we do things, and the Lord dealt with people on the imagination of their heart
David was offering an offering for the temple speaking to Solomon or the people because their Imaginations and Hope and Hearts were right. This is right before David dies. He passes on the throne and blessings.
1 Chronicles 29:18 O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of Thy people, and prepare their heart unto Thee.
David was so blessed at the offering. They gazed over the gold and it worth is estimated at some 5 billion. He tells his son to thank God for everything he has done. David reminded Solomon that God brought us out as slaves, and all we did was give back to you. Keep this forever in your imagination.
1 Chronicles 28:9 kjv
“And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou seek Him, He will be found by thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever.
28:9 Solomon served God with a perfect heart and a willing mind, because God searches all hearts, and tries all the imaginations of the heart
We all picture things. Imagination in the Greek also means conception. It’s where you see things. If you don’t see it in your imagination, you won’t conceive that new idea.
Deal with your imagination and force yourself to look at things with your heart. This is how we receive seeds. You can see it in your dreams as you use your imagination. This is not a useless activity as an adult, it’s a way to see something new.
Start seeing with your heart, because it can be more exciting then when you see it with your eyes.
Living by faith, and seeing things in your heart, can be very exciting.
In Genesis 11:5-11- kjv God intervened because their imaginations were taking them to a dark place..
5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the children of men built.
6 And the Lord said, “Behold, the people are one and they have all one language, and this they begin to do; and now nothing will be withheld from them which they have imagined to do.
7 Come, let Us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”
The passage ends; “..and nothing will be retained from them, which they have imagined to do.”
This just shows your imagination is your conception. It’s where it’s conceived. If you can get it in your imagination, you can move in new directions.
Somebody has to conceive this stuff. They had a dream and a goal and things began to happen. Somebody had a vision and saw this in their imagination before they saw it in their eyes. Visionaries use this powerful source. There was so much though and Imagination here, that the Lord was threatened by the peoples. God then went to the heart of things. It was their imagination that was their real threat, because their imagination was only evil.
The imagination is super powerful. 39 times the word Imagination is used in the Old Testament. 1 Cor 29:18, is the only one positive time it’s used. Every other time it’s used, their imagination was on the evil continually. 38 references n the Old Testament are bad. Just go through them.
Luke 1:51- God has shown his strength & scatters the wicked in the imagination of their heartbreak. It’s how God over throws people too.
2 Corinthians 10-3-5
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds,
5 casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,
Imagination here are Strong-holds in things that exalt themselves against God. You can’t see it. You can’t see with your eyes what it is. Definition: Hope is the ability to see something with your heart that you can’t see with your eyes. So Hope is a positive imagination.
Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope; but hope that is seen is not hope, for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for it?
Romans 8:24 For we are saved by Hope, saved by something unseen.
Paul sees himself winning in these situations.
Many people allow their imagination to be controlled by other things. They see themselves poor, sick, failing. This expands our vision. As I see what others have done, it helps us re-imagine and focus on a new picture. Our imagination is what Hope is all about. Being able to see something by faith, taking Gods promises, and painting Hope in positive pictures on the inside moves us forward in Faith..
Prov 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish.
It’s talks about if you don’t have a vision you will perish. Hope-Imagination-Vision… without it, you will not overcome and see the power of God in your life.
2 Timothy 2 And the [instructions] which you have heard from me along with many witnesses, transmit and entrust [as a deposit] to reliable and faithful men who will be competent and qualified to teach others also.
We see many examples of this. faithfulness examples… A soldier, an athlete, a farmer.
Every successful athlete is motivated by Hope. They see themselves winning and standing on the platform and their anthem being sung. This becomes such an Imagined goal, they deny themselves, eat better, work, run, and put themselves thru things, because they see something.
Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, we wait for it with patience and composure. Romans 8:25. But if we hope for that we see not, and then with patience we wait for it. If you can’t see it clearly, you can’t see an image from of what he has called you to do.
If it’s not a strong strong goal within you, you will fall by the wayside. Your patience is linked directly to your imagination. If you can’t see it, you will become impatient. So if you don’t really see yourself succeeding, you’ll quit. When you can see something, that comes so real on the inside of you, that you can’t let go of it, you will seek it. Once you see it though, it will cause you to be patient and endure, because this vision is burning on the inside of you. Those that quit and give up, simply have an imagination that is negative.
Heb11:1 kjv now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Heb11:1 (common English version) Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see.
Faith gives substance to what is hoped for.
But if there’s nothing Hoped for, Faith has nothing to produce.
Faith produces what Hope is seen.
This is why things don’t happen.
You need to see your desire. If you don’t see it, it might not happen. Faith will not be activated.
Your Faith will only give substance for what you have already Hoped for.
If you have half-hearted Hope, will God respond to a weak Faith & do something for you, or have something happen to you?
Do you see yourself dying, planning your funeral?
What are the Imaginations of your heart?
What are you seeing?
If you are still seeing your self failing, if that’s your negative Hope and negative Imagination, your Faith can not bring success.
FOR EXAMPLE…
A Hillbilly came to a church in Kentucky. It was hot that Sunday and everybody was perspiring at that church in the hills. The Hillbilly mentioned to a Deacon he wished it wasn’t so hot in church today. The deacon reached up on the wall, turned a white knob, and suddenly cool air came down on the Hillbilly. He sat there and smiled. After the service ended, the Hillbilly asked the Deacon what was it that you did? He said I lowered the thermostat on the wall. The Hillbilly left and later that week drove back to town, went to the hardware, and got himself one of those der thermostats. He went home, put it on the wall, and turned her down waiting for some cool, refreshing air. But nothing happened? The Hillbilly had Faith, but no Imagination, no picture, no connection in the middle for his Faith to stand on.
When it’s time for a new car, what activates you to buy? Mostly you have to see yourself in that particular car, going down the road, making things happen for yourself.
Car purchasing happens when you Imagine seeing yourself in that car.
Positive associations make things happen. You can associate positive things.
Whether you know it or not…Imagination is dictating how your life goes. You have to control your imagination, or you will focus on the negatives.
Prov 23:7 So as he thinkith in his heart, so is he.
The way you see things is the way your life is going. That word think is compared to imagination.
The way you see in your imagination is the way your life will go
Be careful what you conceive in your thoughts, in your imagination. The ground doesn’t care what you plant. The ground will grow a seed.
Mark 4:8 And other fell on good ground; and it yielded fruit that sprang up and increased and brought forth: some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundredfold.”
The earth brings forth fruit by itself. God made dirt to grow stuff. You can plant anything. Any seed you plant will grow. It doesn’t matter what seed you plant. The seed just starts releasing
It’s the same with your heart. Things just start growing. Your imagination is not moral or immoral, but will just start forming and growing things within your mind either positive or negative.
You can’t run your imagination turning it on or off and keeping it from working. It is involuntarily working, just like your heart, lungs, bodily organs, brain.
It’s just like you can’t make your heart stop, or skip a beat or stop your brain from involuntarily communicating with your organs in your body.. It just does and is.
Imagination will just conceive and make things come to pass.
It’s not moral or immoral. It depends what you program on it, what you focus on, what you send into it. You can choose a positive imagination or Hope, or choose a negative one which will cause you all kinds of problems and depravity. You can’t just make it Imagine, it does.
But you do get to choose it, you can make it positive or negative.
Isah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee.
Peace will come through your imagination. The word Mind is translated Imagination
Your imagination is what causes peace in your life…and satisfaction. It causes mercy to abound in your life.
The Lord has mercy upon you according to your Hope.
If you don’t have Hope…If you are not seeing something positive, you will shut down the power of God in your life. Your faith only produces what your Hope has already seen
The spiritual womb is Imagination. It’s where we conceive things.
We don’t spend enough time in the word, when we are only imagining things which kills our creativeness. Take time to be with God, and you will conceive things. Busyness hinders us.
Psalm 46:10 Be still and know I am God.
Make an effort to spend some time letting the word of God saturate us. This makes a tremendous difference in our lives.
Hope is just a positive imagination. The 2nd greatest thing in a Christian life behind Charity or Love.
It will conceive things in your life that can get you going in a new direction. You have to let this process get going. You have to shut off all the negative imagination that is driving us.
Political seasons paint very bad negative pictures. Listening to all these talk shows are so negative. Let’s move past this and skip and abandon this negative process
You need to see that God is not through with us. Paul lived under a worse political system than we have today, and it didn’t stop him from believing. At our worst in America, we have it better than Paul. We can prosper and keep our mind on the Lord. You & I can and will.
Math 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Jesus said in the last days that the love of may will wax cold because iniquity shall abound. Iniquity is abounding and we can wax cold Our Vision can become negative if we aren’t careful.
Luke 21:26 Men’s hearts will fail them for fear and for looking upon those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Refine ourselves. Stay in the word of God. He focuses us on what he wants us to do. His perfect will for us will come to your mind. God’s word will install a positive force for us.
Paul prospered, we can. A positive Hope & Imagination helps us to see things differently.
Let God’s word dominate, or the unbelief of this world will extinguish your imagination.
As I reflect on my life, at 53 years of age, I have formed a positive imagination. I do try and follow God’s leading though out the day. God has repeatedly blessed me in encounters with business people and others I do not know each day. I also long for my less active, less fortunate, less actualized friends & associates to study this system of Positive Hope, and Positive Imagination, and daily having a closer connection to God and allowing his positive nudging of me through Faith. I see so many of my friends go to and fro without a positive basis, and I long for them to test these truths.
