Dialogue with the Lord

I was sadden to hear the expulsion of Intervarsity from Georgetown University. (Story) One fascinating quote from the article is from Chaplain Constance Wheeler of the University on their decision to expel six different evangelical groups on campus. Wheeler explains: "please know we are moving forward with this decision only after much dialogue with the Lord."

This raises an interesting question. How do we know what is from the Lord or not. Obviously, the officials at the University have their reasons for making a decision which seems right. On the other hand, other Christians would probably reason that this decision is not right. Who is right and where does God stand in the midst of all of this?

I'm not arguing whether Chaplain Wheeler and the administrators at Georgetown are right or not (although I do not agree with their decision). The fact of the matter is that people have exploited the name of God since the beginning of time. Jesus obviously warns us against these false prophets who exploit the name of God to accomplish their own motives. I begin to wonder how I have done similar things in my life. An argument is better won when I use the reasoning of "God this, and God that". Afterall, who can argue against God, right? In many ways, we have fallen into a world of Christian pluralism. We have the Prosperity Gospel, the personal Gospel, and countless other tailored Gospels. While there is certain danger in pluralism, I think there is definitely a greater danger in preaching a false absolute truth.

Take time to think about the God you worship. Remember that while God is personal, he is also universal in character and truth. Are you worshiping God or the god that you make him to be? Sometimes we worship the image reflected in a mirror and do not even realized what we are doing. Sometimes doubt sets in. I see other religions and wonder about their piety and devotion. I question myself and wonder what makes me so smart to know the truth while other do not.

1) Everyone is devoted to the things that they believe. Some believe in a god, while other believe in themselves. Everyone is pious to the religion they follow whether their god is themselves, their money, or some higher power.

2) Human reasoning can only go so far. We ultimately are all blind mice having our futile theories and glimpses of God and who he is. Some people may be a little bit wiser than others, but, at the end of the day, my theory is no better than anyone else's. In order to understand the nature of God, we need God himself to reveal who he is. God did that through Jesus. Jesus, both God and man in nature, the living word of God, revealed himself to man. He brought light to darkness and allowed a relationship with God. One fundamental truth that must be held is that the Scripture is not based on the opinion of people, but written through divine inspiration of God. One remarkable proof of this evidence is that with numerous authors across numerous time periods, the scriptures come together with a continuity unlike any other written work. Ultimately, though, one has to encounter the personhood of Christ, decide to embrace him as God or reject him as a maniac, then allow him to perform the most amazing transformation in your life. There is a truth out there and something must give.

Everyday, I hope that God would reveal his nature to me so that I can fully understand who he truly is. I'm tired of worshiping a god made in my own image. I'm also scared that as God reveals more of himself, I'll have to give up more of myself. Sometimes the truth is hard to swallow. In the end, the truth is the best thing in the world.