Easter: The Passover Lamb

If we all are sinners, then each one of us needs a Redeemer. It means that man is not the “end-all-be-all” or the “center” of the all that is. It also means that we are special and unique and that God wants a relationship with us. It means there are absolutes and standards after all. A lot of people do not want to believe in such things.
Last night, Mike and I were watching the movie, The Passion of the Christ, which we have both seen dozens of times. What was strange though, is how it struck me this particular time. I was faced with the reality of the movie, and found new meaning in it's symbolism that I have never noticed before. For example, Simon declares to the crowd that he is the innocent man forced to carry the cross of this criminal. Yet by the time Simon reaches the top of Calvary, he realizes that Christ is the innocent man and that our sins are the cause for these events. We relate to Simon because many times in our own lives we are “forced” to carry the “cross” of unemployment or health disorders or family crises. We do not want to be burdened with these sufferings. Yet after bearing our cross, we learn more about who we are as persons and how we are there to help others through their difficult times.
What struck me more than anything was the flashback of Jesus falling as a child and the anguish Mary felt as she tried to protect Him from the pain. This stirred inside of me, the raw emotion of a mother’s love for her child. I began to think of Abigail and how much God loves her more than I ever could. It was nearly impossible to imagine that truth. This emotion is conveyed throughout the movie in Mary right up to the end when she holds the body of Christ at the foot of the cross. I was amazed at her ability to perform this role in the movie.
When juxtaposed with the purpose of Christ’s suffering and death to redeem mankind, there had to be the blood. Only this blood was a cleansing blood. This blood was the blood of the Passover lamb covering the lintels and doorposts of those who would be saved. This blood was the blood of the New Covenant, which would be poured out for remission of sins. Indeed the Book of Revelation speaks of the saints whose robes were washed in the blood of the Lamb. As if to remind us of the preciousness of His blood, there is the scene during which Mary is on her hands and knees wiping up His blood after the scourging. The symbolism is profound and troubling at the same time.

Philippians 4:13

I am starting school on Monday. After I finish the eight prerequisite classes at JCC needed to enroll, I will be entering Trinity School Of Nursing. Those prerequisites include Psychology, Sociology, Nutrition, Medical Terminology, Principles of Microbiology, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Business Math, and Chemistry. I must confess that I am intrigued by all of the horror stories that my friends in the nursing profession have told me, but I am not as scared as I thought I would be. When I went to campus for a webCT orientation, I got lost. When I finally made it to the right place, it seemed as though I was surrounded by a bunch of freshman that hadn't yet learned their social security numbers. Most of them had to leave the orientation to call mom. I wasn't sure if the feeling that was overwhelming me was one of being old and out of place, or just plain uncomfortable. I felt like I was standing on the edge of a cliff and I was about to jump off. I fully admit that I am nervous, but I am up to the challenge and I am excited for the change and what it will bring to our family. And I know this much is true, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

The Enduring Truth

I am writing this post because I cannot sleep. I have been reading this book, the aforementioned UnChristian, and it has caused an overload of mental intake. Don't misunderstand me, I am not writing this post on the defense because I don't feel the need to defend anything that I believe in. I think my faith defends itself, but I am writing out of my forward-looking insight to alleviate that mental intake I was talking about. Let me start by saying that I do not associate myself with any denomination of
religion. I attended a baptist church when I was a child. When I was a teenager, I did not attend church at all. As an adult, I chose to attend a nazarene church. I believe in the Holy Bible as God's spoken word and I believe that everything in it is Truth. I am a follower of Jesus, not any man, doctrine, or religion. For those of you that need a category, that would make me a christian I guess. Also, let me say that I do not follow Christ because it seems like a nice set of life principles to live by. As a matter of fact, it's really hard. Some might ask me why then, do I follow a faith that is hard for me, or that is typically known for it's religion, rules, and standards. The answer is simple. I believe that Jesus is the only legitimate path to a dynamic spiritual world that goes far beyond my five senses. To me, and many others, christian faith offers a sophisticated, livable response to the nature of the world and how everything fits together. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and my only connection to God. I love Him because He first loved me.
I am 28 years old. My generation (not everyone, but statistically speaking) views christianity as sheltered, clueless, dull, flat, and lifeless. I can understand why. I regularly attend church and my husband is a senior pastor, and I see why a younger generation is having a hard time embracing the church. They have found that christians don't even speak on the same level as everyone else, that we use words that no one else uses or understands unless they go to church. People that are my age and younger are living in a very different world than people were twenty years ago. Young adults find it difficult to resonate with the vision of christianity, especially since our society is fast-paced and ever changing. The youth of today have lives that consist of a patchwork of diversity, perspectives, friendships, and passions. They are willing to try a little bit of everything to see where they fit in, and they are not bothered by contradictions, uncertainty, or ambiguity. A faith that that does not effectively address life's current issues seems out of tune with a generation asking big questions, expressing their doubts, and searching for their significance. Diverse lifestyles, family structures, casual sex, and drug abuse are just a few of the issues that I can think of that plague our young people today. Christianity seems really out of touch with confronting these issues. Sure, the christian faith is known for taking a stand against being immoral, but young people have significant needs that push the boundaries of conventional lifestyles. Why is this important and why should people that profess to be christians care? We should care because if we push it aside, we will fail to connect with a younger generation. We are responsible if we fail to represent a holy, just, and loving God. I believe that all people should own up to and be accountable to change the negative image that christianity has, and not just view it as a negative perception that we can do nothing about. We can do something. We can stop walking around projecting self-importance, making others feel minimized if they are outside of our faith. In scripture, God shows little or no use for people who walk around acting like they have it all together. We can stop being judgmental and hypocritical, insensitive to other people's needs, and talking words that are confusing to them. I am not suggesting that we portray the image of Jesus as a big-hearted, open-minded hippie that tried to be friends with everyone. He taught tough truths about human beings and their sin. Reshaping the gospel in order to not offend people or promoting a less offensive faith as a response to objections is not the right way to change the reputation of christianity. Honestly, my suggestion is to stop trying to convert everyone as if we are in an exclusive social club, and start listening. Find out who people are before you start pushing your belief system onto them. Try to understand where people are coming from and why they are in the situations they are in before you go handing out advice on how they can make their lives better. The reason people don't want to follow Christ is because they have seen for themselves, those who follow Christ outwardly, but not inwardly. Where did we go wrong? How can we put the enduring truth of love into practice in our lives and in our churches? Are we waiting on the world to change, or are we passionate enough about Jesus to change the world?

Intelligent Design

For Christmas, Mike bought me a dvd called Planet Earth. It is a film from the discovery channel that took seven years to make. The film makers traveled to parts of the world and different continents that have never before been filmed. There are five dvd's in the whole set, each entitled after it's region, for instance, "water, mountain, jungle, etc." These videos are absolutely incredible. The way that life was created is astonishing to me. "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard." Because of modern technology, we are now able to view areas of the universe going back millions of light years. The incredible vastness of the universe and its formation is staggering. To accept all of this as happening by chance, would take a mountain more of faith than to believe it all happened by intelligent design by a Divine Creator. Still, the atheist says there is no God.
If I say there is no God, I make myself the final voice of authority and there by take on the role of God in my own life. I become a god unto myself. Furthermore, the more we learn about life and the more educated we become, the more I realize how little I know about this world, let alone, about the vast expanse of our universe. I believe that nature laughs at our so-called scientific knowledge … it is obvious that we don't understand one millionth of one percent about anything compared to the big picture. Don't misunderstand, I do believe that God gave us the ability to obtain knowledge, understanding, and truth. But I believe it is so that we can discover His glory, not form our own conclusions about how the world was made.
Undoubtedly, there are many factors as to why we believe what we do. For many, much is shaped by their upbringing and what they were taught in their formative years. One's belief system is also affected by how personally honest or dishonest we are with our inner truth. For instance, if I have unresolved negative emotions, the defenses I have developed to protect myself from being in touch with those painful emotions, gives me warped lenses through which I view life's events. In turn, I end up with a distorted world view. Every unshed tear and buried emotion is a prism through which all of life's hurts are distorted.
In the end we believe what we choose to believe—often what is the most convenient for us. If I choose to believe in God, I know in my own heart that I am morally responsible. On the other hand, if I choose not to believe in God, I delude myself into thinking I am not morally responsible for anyone but myself and I can live as I please. What if one were to believe that Christianity was true, but refused to accept it because it would interfere with his or her lifestyle? In time, they could overcome that objection and became a Christian, which, given the evidence, is the only rational thing to do in my opinion. I would dare to suggest that maybe, their honesty led them in their choice to make a commitment of their life to God and become a Christian. How can someone look into the eyes of a newborn baby, and not believe in God? How can they see a sunset, a flower bloom, a cloud form, a raindrop, or a butterfly, and not know that these were beautifully made out of love from a magnificant Creator? So, I ask you this... is atheism an intellectual or a moral problem?

Reframing The Picture

"You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me." Acts 1:8. A pastor I know and love is discouraged. Although he is diligent in prayer and works hard, his church remains small while a congregation nearby is rapidly developing into a megachurch. Yet, when I think of the alcoholics, drug addicts, and sexually immoral people he has led to Christ and a new way of life, I see him as one who witnesses in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Because of what happened on the Day of Pentecost, we tend to associate the the Holy Spirit's presence and power with amazing phenomena and large numbers. We forget that a little later, those same people filled with that same Holy Spirit, were flogged, rejected, and imprisioned, even executed. But through all of that, they were powerful witnessess. That same power can be evidenced in a dynamic preacher who attracts great audiences. It is seen as well, in the volunteer who carries on a one-on-one prison ministry, or in the person who witnesses to a co-worker or neighbor, and in the Sunday school teacher who is faithful week after week.
The power of Pentecost is not especially reserved for those who are highly gifted. Rather, it is available to all the belivers in Christ who wish to serve Him. The power of God's spirit gives power to our witness.

Love Them Like Jesus

The American Heritage College Dictionary defines character as the combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another. It is also considered a moral or ethical strength or public estimation of ones reputation. When we refer to Jesus, and his reputation, we can see how the public viewed His character. Many people followed Jesus for many different reasons. Some of them had selfish motives and were following out of their own accord, while others were hungry to see miracles unfold. Who was this mere man that distinguished Himself apart from all the others? When Jesus challenged the people to throw the first stone at the adulteress, He showed us forgiveness. When He commanded her to go and sin no more, he showed us patience. When He saw the multitude and prayed for laborers, He showed us compassion. By His countless teachings, He shows us the way to true rest. By His death on the cross, He showed us strength, love, and most of all...sacrifice.
Publicly, Jesus was a nuisance to many. In Matthew 10:34, Jesus says," Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." He also healed on the Sabbath, which was not lawful and He spoke in parables that most people could not even understand. He spoke with the authority that many thought was not His and became known to the Pharisees as a blasphemer.
As Christians, we are called to like Christ in every aspect. Yet, our society is teaching our future generations tolerance in place of Biblical truth. The private issues of peoples lives that were not openly discussed twenty years ago, are now public issues discussed on the forefront of American Politics. One issue that comes to mind, is gay marriage. Some people skip over the scripture in the Bible that warns us that homosexuals will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. That only leads me to one other assumption...that the only other option is to spend eternity in a lake of fire. In fact, it is that way with all sin, not just homosexuality. Is homosexuality worse than murder? Or is smoking cigarettes worse than gluttony? Are we not all required to confess our sins DAILY? This brings about the question of winning souls. How are we to win the souls of those who are living life in the midst of every type of indecency, if we are not equipped with the Truth? The answer is Jesus. If we use the tools that we are given to develop a like minded attitude of Christ, then we can win souls. I do believe the number one reason that people do not want to become Christians is because they see other Christians talk the talk, but not walk the walk. You will find that when the blind are leading the blind, they both fall into a ditch. Are you learning to love like Jesus did?