Fantasyland is an existence somewhere between reality and insanity. Perhaps it's a mechanism to escape reality and yet not be insane! The earliest philosophers have always pondered "What is reality?" in effect by asking "What is truth?' These two thoughts are interconnected because truth must be in congruent to reality.
Let's look at some fantasies of many people:
- Being discovered for their talent.
- Winning the lottery, becoming wealthy.
- Marrying the person of their dreams.
- Their children being obedient and successful.
- Playing a professional sport.
- Becoming a rock star.
- ad nauseum
Playing a professional support is much more of a fantasy, but many high school athletes dream of that. One of my students in Sunday School, age 19, said that he was going to play professional football, notwithstanding that he had played in a county school and was now working at serving fast food. When I asked "And what college do you now play for?", he only looked bewildered. His fantasy was unrealistic because he had not yet been discovered and was in no situation to be discovered! He likely never had the qualifications or skill to be what he fantasized!
When I attended "open meeting" at the drug rehab, most of the teens had one thing in common: their goals in life were to become rock stars, and it appears that most of them believed the first step to stardom was getting high. Why did they think that way? That's what rock stars do! I guess they thought that someone like Simon Cowell would step in the high school restroom where they were loving on Maryjane, grab them by their long sissified hair and take them to the recording studio where they could borrow a guitar and some talent; then screech into the microphone.
Fantasy's are possible, but unlikely. However, "possible fantasies" are what's called "hope". I hoped, when I was young, that I would be successful! At the time it was a mere fantasy because I was a youth with no skills and had a very narrow road to accomplishment.
I have a fantasy right now! My desire is to go to heaven. I don't deserve to go there, many people say it's not real, and hence, is unattainable. Their is no tangible evidence that anyone ever went to heaven! Is heaven a mere fantasy?
We can't see heaven, no one knows where it is, and scientists can't detect it. Most people would say "Heaven is not for real!", but I know that "Heaven Is For Real"! Scientifically and objectively heaven is not there. It's a mere fantasy in the minds of those who fear death. Their fantasy is that they will never die, but live on! Not a bad fantasy, I would say! The Bible describes this fantasy:
Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."It would appear that my fantasy has purpose! It's called faith! My fantasy is what I hope for and it's going to a place where things can't be seen; from here anyhow!
Remember, I said some fantasies are possible! That's "hope" and "faith" is my trust that what I hope for meets objective reality! It would be futile to fantasize heaven and then heaven is proven to be not real. There are things out there somewhere that we just don't know about from a scientific standpoint, but are there regardless of popular thought.
In the courtroom forsenic and corroborating evidence is allowed to prove innocence or guilt. Forsenic evidence is what's scientific. Corroborating evidence is testimony by reliable witnesses. Given that forsenic evidence is not available for heaven, we must rely on the testimony of witnesses.
Acts 1:1 "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until the day in which he (Jesus) was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight."
- The ascension was documented by Luke, the author of Acts.
- Luke gave Theophilus a first hand account of the ascension.
- The apostles all saw the ascension.
- They all saw him after he was crucified and resurrected.
- It was by "infallible proofs" that he was there after his death.
- He assembled with the apostles although he had died.
- He spoke to others after his death.
- The apostles saw him taken up into the heavens.
Therein lies the corroborating evidence by trustworthy people who wrote what would be "legal dispositions" that Jesus died, yet lived afterwards, and that he ascended into the clouds and has yet to return. Where is Jesus now? He went to his Father was his own first hand testimony and where he went it was not yet time for them to go!
My fantasy had possibilities! I admit that it's only faith right now, but it is a fantasy actually experienced by another. Therefore, it is a tangible fantasy!
Without this hope or tangible fantasy there would be little reason for living and it would be extremely hard to cope! However, heaven and Jesus is are from a coping mechanism, is more real than a fantasy, and I can do something to make it more likely: to move it from the fantasy realm into a trustworthy hope. I can believe and have faith!
So you have little faith? Then where is your hope? Who is better off; those who fantasize on the trivial unlikely things which are certain not to happen, or the few of us who put our hope in Jesus? For dreamers there is no salvation. For doubters there is none, but for those with faith our hope will come true! The objective evidence points that way! After all, if Jesus didn't ascend into heaven where is he? Where does he lie in the grave?
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