Greetings all! I hope that you had a very happy New Year and conclusion to the end of the year.
I was reading something that caught my eye (in the word) and it reminded me of a video that I saw on Youtube. You can view it below.
On Youtube its entitled "Oprah denies Christ" and makes a big to do about it, which is appropriate because in a way its true, she is denying that He is the sole way to salvation and she is a very influential woman. However, the reason I post it is not to get on an "Oprah is the Devil" jaunt, but rather point out that at least at Vandy, the majority of our student body would likely agree with her.
That said, what is your response to this video, and religious relativism as a whole. I would say that Oprah is pretty much an Arch Bishop of the "I'm a Good Person" religion at this point. I don't say this to mock her but rather to be as descriptive as possible. People of her background and Christians of all shapes and sizes make up a sizable chunk of the people who I've encountered, especially at college.
I would like your feedback to the content in this video:
1. What response would you make to Oprah
2. Would you have any response to the dark haired lady in the audience who tried to defend Christianity
3. What would you do in this situation?
Thanks guys!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Friday, December 26, 2008
The Lord Provides
Yesterday I began to conceptualize Christ in a way I hadn't before: Christ the Ram instead of Christ the Lamb. Not the sweet suckling babe that starred in nativity scenes all over the world up until yesterday, not just the young and pure Agnus Dei (lamb of God) but the full grown and willful sacrfice of the Ram of provision.
The story in Genesis of Abraham sacrificing Isaac is what is informing this conception. I dont think Abraham could have anticipated that on the fateful day when God asked him to go into a foreign land, along with the promise of the blessing of descendents as numerous as the stars in the sky, he would ask him to make the hardest decision that a human could possibly make. To choose between his Lord and his son, which the Lord had provided him. To those unfamiliar with the story, God granted Abraham his heart's desire, a son from his wife Sarah, but later on, God asks Abraham to sacrifice this son, Isaac, to him on a mountain.
Abraham dutifully goes to the mountain with every intention of doing what God asks and before he is about to plunge his knife into Isaac, the hand of God comes out of the heavens and stops Abraham. God tells Abraham to stop and not to harm Isaac:
“Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."
The story in Genesis of Abraham sacrificing Isaac is what is informing this conception. I dont think Abraham could have anticipated that on the fateful day when God asked him to go into a foreign land, along with the promise of the blessing of descendents as numerous as the stars in the sky, he would ask him to make the hardest decision that a human could possibly make. To choose between his Lord and his son, which the Lord had provided him. To those unfamiliar with the story, God granted Abraham his heart's desire, a son from his wife Sarah, but later on, God asks Abraham to sacrifice this son, Isaac, to him on a mountain.
Abraham dutifully goes to the mountain with every intention of doing what God asks and before he is about to plunge his knife into Isaac, the hand of God comes out of the heavens and stops Abraham. God tells Abraham to stop and not to harm Isaac:
“Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."
The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." - Genesis 22:13-20
This story is both amazing and difficult for me in many ways. First, as a normal person, I would like to know what God wants me to do, and all the outcomes and possibilities that will happen as a result of it. I want to be able to “skip to the end” of God's story for me not only know my path, but to know everything on it. However, in spite of this I consider that when God first told Abraham to go to that land, he didn't tell him “Oh, and 45 years from know I'm gonna ask you to kill your only son and not give you any reason why that you could comprehend”
There are many reason why God reveals things to us a little at a time. It really is because he wont allow us to be tempted, or even have knowledge of more than we can endure. But going further, God asks each and every one of us to make a similar sacrifice in our life. and we cannot anticipate the amazing outcome that comes as a result. Abraham did not withold the most precious thing in his life from God, yet how could he possibly anticipate that his decision would be what God wanted all along to fufill not only their covenant, but help provide salvation for us?
That is why I latched onto the image of the sacrificial Ram. It is an adult, unlike the lamb, caught up in the thicket of thorns and briars by its horns, the very things that give it is strength and glory. Likewise, Jesus Christ as a man and as God took the very thing that gave him glory, his divinity and sovereignty, and sacrificed it, caught up in the humiliation of a crown of thorns that tore his skin and the mockery of turture in order to become our provision. God provided a Ram, and he provided Himself. Abraham responded in obedience to God's sovereignty as His Lord and gave up his only son, and God responded to his love for us and gave up His only Son, who was Himself.
This story was initially challenging to me as I was younger because I thought it was a very cruel thing for God to ask Abraham to do. However, being more and more aware of the extent of God's grace, this story now makes me fearful that I might love something and desire it more than my desire to obey God. However, one thing sticks in my mind. What would have been the tipping point for me in this story is when Isaac looks at his dad and asks where the sacrifice is. Abraham, with no certainty of what would happen, responds, "The Lord will provide"
Its amazing that these simple words that to our view, did not really inspire confidence, is the key takeaway from this story. The Lord will provide, especially when we are not sure what it is that He will do or that would happen. I can only hope and pray that I can have the strength, or the weakness, to say those same words. Abraham is our father in faith, let us follow his example, however imperfect, to do God's will.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Tangible Salvation
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us-that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full." 1 John 1:1-4
John speaks here of a certain familiarity with the Son of God that comes only from communion with Him. He handled "that which was from the beginning." We are sensory creatures. When we see a painting, many of us want to let our hands trail across the canvas, feeling the ridges formed by the brush strokes, this experience somehow making the work of art more real in our minds. We are not usually content displaying our affection to those we love with a smile or a word, but we hug their necks, squeezing them to make our love felt physically.
We cannot help this peculiarity of design, and I would say even that we should embrace (=D) it. As our Creator as well as Savior, Jesus understood this. At the end of John (Chapter 20) Jesus is appearing to His disciples after being resurrected. Thomas, often called doubting, responds to the other disciples who have told him they have seen Jesus alive by saying that he will not believe until he sees the holes in Jesus' hands and feel and puts his hand into His side. Jesus knows this is what it will take for Thomas to believe, and therefore appears to him and has him put his finger in the nail-formed holes and has him put his hand in His side. The physical sensation of touching the wounds of his Savior changes Thomas forever. Of the disciples, Thomas, according to church history, journeyed the farthest in spreading the Gospel-India.
How do we translate this to our own lives? How can we effectively reach into the side of Christ and touch the holes in His hands and feet? We know that greater love has no man than this-he would lay his life down for his friends. As we lay our lives down for one another, we are expressing the love of Christ in a tangible way, allowing ourselves to become colaborers with Him, as well as crucifying our selfish flesh. As we spend our lives on behalf of others, Christ makes Himself more real to us, increasing our faith so that we too, may spread the Gospel. So find your own way to touch His side. Explore ways to feel the wounds in His hands and feet. Your faith will be strengthened. Your purpose made clear. Your life everlasting and abundant.
John speaks here of a certain familiarity with the Son of God that comes only from communion with Him. He handled "that which was from the beginning." We are sensory creatures. When we see a painting, many of us want to let our hands trail across the canvas, feeling the ridges formed by the brush strokes, this experience somehow making the work of art more real in our minds. We are not usually content displaying our affection to those we love with a smile or a word, but we hug their necks, squeezing them to make our love felt physically.
We cannot help this peculiarity of design, and I would say even that we should embrace (=D) it. As our Creator as well as Savior, Jesus understood this. At the end of John (Chapter 20) Jesus is appearing to His disciples after being resurrected. Thomas, often called doubting, responds to the other disciples who have told him they have seen Jesus alive by saying that he will not believe until he sees the holes in Jesus' hands and feel and puts his hand into His side. Jesus knows this is what it will take for Thomas to believe, and therefore appears to him and has him put his finger in the nail-formed holes and has him put his hand in His side. The physical sensation of touching the wounds of his Savior changes Thomas forever. Of the disciples, Thomas, according to church history, journeyed the farthest in spreading the Gospel-India.
How do we translate this to our own lives? How can we effectively reach into the side of Christ and touch the holes in His hands and feet? We know that greater love has no man than this-he would lay his life down for his friends. As we lay our lives down for one another, we are expressing the love of Christ in a tangible way, allowing ourselves to become colaborers with Him, as well as crucifying our selfish flesh. As we spend our lives on behalf of others, Christ makes Himself more real to us, increasing our faith so that we too, may spread the Gospel. So find your own way to touch His side. Explore ways to feel the wounds in His hands and feet. Your faith will be strengthened. Your purpose made clear. Your life everlasting and abundant.
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