The book, The Shack, is a theologically life changing book. It shapes how we view certain theological concepts of God. This book gives us a greater concept of the Holy Spirit's workings in the Trinity.
This book explains how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all work together in unity. It describes how one aspect of the Trinity is not greater than the other. All three work together to produce one God that has three natures but is still God. This relationship is described as simple and easy throughout the book. The author discusses all three parts of God coming together.
The author helps us grasp this nature of three persons in one in the main character's encounter with God. Papa, personified as God, says, "When we spoke of ourselves into human existence we chose to be the Son of God, we became fully human. We also chose the embrace the limitations this entailed" (101). Even though we have always been present in this created universe, we now became flesh and blood." On 103, Papa or God says "I am God and I am three persons, and each of the three is fully and entirely one." I feel as if the author uses this quote to show how this relationship of the Father, Son, and HS works as a whole.
The main part of this section of the book that is a problem is authority. There is no authority of God over Jesus. The Trinity is depicted in a way that is construed and turned to fit the author's perspective.
The nature of Jesus described by Papa or God also shows how God's three nature into one work together. Papa says although "by nature he is fully God, he is fully human and lives as such." The author depicts Jesus as totally reliant on everything. Jesus cannot do anything with the Father's leading.
The author wants us to see that without the Trinity that God wouldn't not be able to love the way he can. He would be limited to the amount of love he can give us. The Trinity opens up the depth of The Father's love for us through God, talking to Jesus personally, and the Holy Spirit guiding us along the way.
Young's term for Holy Spirit chimes into the conversation in this book describing this unity of God's love. "It's a circle of relationship, not a chain of command, or a 'great chain of being' as your ancestors put it." This relationship is described as one working with the other to produce something great and awesome. The relationship is a simple, easy unity between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is God in flesh and the Holy Spirit gives us things to pray for and guides us daily in our walk with God.
At times, we break this unity when we sin... As Christians, we first broke in in the Fall, when Adam ate of the Tree of Good and Evil.
Today, I hope you realize this wonderful relationship with God in this thing we call the Trinity. This book challenged me in my theology and thinking.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Thursday, February 21, 2013
The Shack: How to Deal with Pain and Loss
The book The Shack by Wm. Young details a man who details with pain and loss of his daughter who was abducted and murdered. The author deals with this incident throughout the beginning of this book through the search for the killer and the family dealing with the loss of their daughter.
The author helps us see that we can't blame God for our struggles and pain in life. God allows things to happen because of evil in this world. Because of the sin of Adam, we are all fallen human beings. Mack says (94), "If I can't trust you to take care of Missy then how can I trust you to take care of me." God who is termed Papa in the book calls Mack out that he doesn't trust him.
The main character Mackenzie Phillips relationship with God is severed through his broken relationship with his Father and this tragedy. As Christians, we at times become mad at God because of things that happen to us in life. We have to learn that some things happen because our broken nature in this world.
Forgiveness is also key in regaining the ability to love others after hardships take place.Mack is finally able to forgive his dad for not loving him (217). He also forgives the man who murdered his daughter Missy (226).
Lastly, trusting in God though it may take time is necessary to restore our relationship with God. God can lead back to a deep, lasting, relationship with him if we learn to trust him in time. Mack learns to trust God in the second half of this book and finally admits to God that he trusts him with all of his life (226).
This book was very helpful for me because I have also struggled through hard times in my life. I have had to remind myself that God allowed this to happen for a purpose. Also, the it may have happened because of the sin nature in this world. I have come to realize that trusting God with hard things takes time. We will not be able to move on life if we can't trust God with the hardships that we deal with daily.
The author helps us see that we can't blame God for our struggles and pain in life. God allows things to happen because of evil in this world. Because of the sin of Adam, we are all fallen human beings. Mack says (94), "If I can't trust you to take care of Missy then how can I trust you to take care of me." God who is termed Papa in the book calls Mack out that he doesn't trust him.
The main character Mackenzie Phillips relationship with God is severed through his broken relationship with his Father and this tragedy. As Christians, we at times become mad at God because of things that happen to us in life. We have to learn that some things happen because our broken nature in this world.
Forgiveness is also key in regaining the ability to love others after hardships take place.Mack is finally able to forgive his dad for not loving him (217). He also forgives the man who murdered his daughter Missy (226).
Lastly, trusting in God though it may take time is necessary to restore our relationship with God. God can lead back to a deep, lasting, relationship with him if we learn to trust him in time. Mack learns to trust God in the second half of this book and finally admits to God that he trusts him with all of his life (226).
This book was very helpful for me because I have also struggled through hard times in my life. I have had to remind myself that God allowed this to happen for a purpose. Also, the it may have happened because of the sin nature in this world. I have come to realize that trusting God with hard things takes time. We will not be able to move on life if we can't trust God with the hardships that we deal with daily.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Series of "Are you a Fan or a Follower?
What are you willing to give up in order to follow Jesus? Your family? Your life?
That is what Kyle Idelman describes is the difference between being a fan or a follower. I follower is willing to give up their whole life to Jesus. A fan won't leave behind all they have to give up their life to surrender to Christ. A follower senses the call to surrender all they have to a relationship with Jesus Christ. A follower is totally committed to Jesus.
In Luke 9:57-62, there are instances where people are faced with the decision to surrender everything to Jesus. The first man says in verse 57, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus then says in verse 58, "Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." We as followers of Christ have to be willing to go wherever Jesus leads us.
While in verse 59, Jesus called another to follow him. This man said, "Lord first let me go and bury my father." In the next verse Jesus replies to the man, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." We try to make excuses and put off following God. As sinful people prone to wander to put off surrendering everything to Christ.
In today's culture we have so many things to do and accomplish on a day to day basis. Following Christ becomes just one of those things we put off on our list of things we need to do. This can be ongoing process unless we stop making excuses in life and ways to get around giving up everything we have for faith in Christ.
In Matthew 4:18-22 describes how Jesus' disciples first followed him. In verse 20 it says they at once followed him and in 22 it describes how immediately they gave up everything and followed him. This is what Jesus wants from those that follow him. Jesus requires us to give up everything and follow him at once. As followers, we can't be waiting for life to clear up or make up another excuse to get out of following him at that moment, it has to be right now or we won't do it.
The author of the book tells a story about a teenager girl's funeral that he did who surrendered her life to Christ. He read her journal on the day of her funeral. In it, she describes how surrendered to God completely she was. Her dad says she didn't care about grades, college, what car she drove, what house she lived in, or many goals scored, all she cared about was her relationship with Jesus Christ. That is the only thing that should matter to us.
Are you willing to give up everything for him?
God called me to give up everything for him in the summer of my sophomore year of high school. Years later, at D-focus at called me to give up all that I have to him and be in a more desperately dependent relationship with him. During that time, I sensed a call for a total surrender to God.
In the last section of these verses another person says in verse 61, "I will follow you Lord; but first let me say good-by to my family." Jesus was agitated at this and said in verse 62, "No one who puts his hand to the plow is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Becoming followers of God requires us to make a decision. Do we want to give up all of our life for Jesus? There are many instances even in the Bible of people having to give up things for Jesus from Nicodemus unsure of whether to give up his prestige, the rich young ruler unwilling to give up his stuff, and Elisha having to give up his wealth. In Psalm 106: 19-20, it describes how the people bowed down before a golden calf when Moses received the ten commandments. 19 "At Horeb they made a calf
and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
20 They exchanged their glorious God
for an image of a bull, which eats grass". We have to be willing to surrender everything to God and not hold on to anything.
I want to leave you with this on a true follower of Christ. William Borden, the son of a dairy billionaire, who did his undergraduate with at Yale and graduate at Princeton left everything to follow Christ. He left millions to reach an Muslims. He left these three phrases in his journal that was found before he died. He wrote down the phrases No regrets, No reserves, and No retreats. One thing we can learn from him is to say yes to Christ in everything and no to our self and it's desires.
That is what Kyle Idelman describes is the difference between being a fan or a follower. I follower is willing to give up their whole life to Jesus. A fan won't leave behind all they have to give up their life to surrender to Christ. A follower senses the call to surrender all they have to a relationship with Jesus Christ. A follower is totally committed to Jesus.
In Luke 9:57-62, there are instances where people are faced with the decision to surrender everything to Jesus. The first man says in verse 57, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus then says in verse 58, "Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." We as followers of Christ have to be willing to go wherever Jesus leads us.
While in verse 59, Jesus called another to follow him. This man said, "Lord first let me go and bury my father." In the next verse Jesus replies to the man, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." We try to make excuses and put off following God. As sinful people prone to wander to put off surrendering everything to Christ.
In today's culture we have so many things to do and accomplish on a day to day basis. Following Christ becomes just one of those things we put off on our list of things we need to do. This can be ongoing process unless we stop making excuses in life and ways to get around giving up everything we have for faith in Christ.
In Matthew 4:18-22 describes how Jesus' disciples first followed him. In verse 20 it says they at once followed him and in 22 it describes how immediately they gave up everything and followed him. This is what Jesus wants from those that follow him. Jesus requires us to give up everything and follow him at once. As followers, we can't be waiting for life to clear up or make up another excuse to get out of following him at that moment, it has to be right now or we won't do it.
The author of the book tells a story about a teenager girl's funeral that he did who surrendered her life to Christ. He read her journal on the day of her funeral. In it, she describes how surrendered to God completely she was. Her dad says she didn't care about grades, college, what car she drove, what house she lived in, or many goals scored, all she cared about was her relationship with Jesus Christ. That is the only thing that should matter to us.
Are you willing to give up everything for him?
God called me to give up everything for him in the summer of my sophomore year of high school. Years later, at D-focus at called me to give up all that I have to him and be in a more desperately dependent relationship with him. During that time, I sensed a call for a total surrender to God.
In the last section of these verses another person says in verse 61, "I will follow you Lord; but first let me say good-by to my family." Jesus was agitated at this and said in verse 62, "No one who puts his hand to the plow is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Becoming followers of God requires us to make a decision. Do we want to give up all of our life for Jesus? There are many instances even in the Bible of people having to give up things for Jesus from Nicodemus unsure of whether to give up his prestige, the rich young ruler unwilling to give up his stuff, and Elisha having to give up his wealth. In Psalm 106: 19-20, it describes how the people bowed down before a golden calf when Moses received the ten commandments. 19 "At Horeb they made a calf
and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
20 They exchanged their glorious God
for an image of a bull, which eats grass". We have to be willing to surrender everything to God and not hold on to anything.
I want to leave you with this on a true follower of Christ. William Borden, the son of a dairy billionaire, who did his undergraduate with at Yale and graduate at Princeton left everything to follow Christ. He left millions to reach an Muslims. He left these three phrases in his journal that was found before he died. He wrote down the phrases No regrets, No reserves, and No retreats. One thing we can learn from him is to say yes to Christ in everything and no to our self and it's desires.
Trusting God
Trusting God is really hard. God has brought me through some hard times in my life. In these times, he has helped me trust him with all I am and have.
Everyone has had trouble trusting God in their life. Even the prophets and some of the most influential people in the Bible. Moses didn't think God could use him to speak and minister to the people. God would end up using Aaron to speak through Moses. Jesus at times had trouble trusting God. He surrendered his life to God in total trust and died on the cross for our sins.
Sometimes I have had trouble trusting God with my driving problems. It's hard not having a car and not being able to drive. I used to get mad at God during high school when I first ended up not being able to drive when hearing of my disability that affects my driving problems. At times I think it is God's plan for me to struggle with this disability while other times I just get frustrated. It hinders my life and where I want to go and do in the future.
I learned through D-focus a summer discipleship program I did that God can give us faith if we trust him with our struggles in life. During that next year, I surrendered my attitudes, struggles, and what I was facing to God and he gave me great faith. God also showed me that he is sovereign over all things.
God brings hard times in our life to conform us to his image. That is also his purpose to conform his to his image and for us to know and understand him. This truth of God using things to conform is to his image is found in Romans 8:28-29.
God is faith to us and we most of the time are not faithful to him. That is what I learned in my Old Testament class last semester. God wants to the best for us and he loves us abundantly are two truths I need to cling to daily when I struggle in trusting God. God is isn't too big for any struggle in my life is another thing I need to remind myself of when struggling with trusting God.
I have to remind myself to trust God with all of my life. I can't do this life on my own. We as Christians, are desperately dependent on God for everything in our life; John 15:5.
Everyone has had trouble trusting God in their life. Even the prophets and some of the most influential people in the Bible. Moses didn't think God could use him to speak and minister to the people. God would end up using Aaron to speak through Moses. Jesus at times had trouble trusting God. He surrendered his life to God in total trust and died on the cross for our sins.
Sometimes I have had trouble trusting God with my driving problems. It's hard not having a car and not being able to drive. I used to get mad at God during high school when I first ended up not being able to drive when hearing of my disability that affects my driving problems. At times I think it is God's plan for me to struggle with this disability while other times I just get frustrated. It hinders my life and where I want to go and do in the future.
I learned through D-focus a summer discipleship program I did that God can give us faith if we trust him with our struggles in life. During that next year, I surrendered my attitudes, struggles, and what I was facing to God and he gave me great faith. God also showed me that he is sovereign over all things.
God brings hard times in our life to conform us to his image. That is also his purpose to conform his to his image and for us to know and understand him. This truth of God using things to conform is to his image is found in Romans 8:28-29.
God is faith to us and we most of the time are not faithful to him. That is what I learned in my Old Testament class last semester. God wants to the best for us and he loves us abundantly are two truths I need to cling to daily when I struggle in trusting God. God is isn't too big for any struggle in my life is another thing I need to remind myself of when struggling with trusting God.
I have to remind myself to trust God with all of my life. I can't do this life on my own. We as Christians, are desperately dependent on God for everything in our life; John 15:5.
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