LIFEHOUSE "EVERYTHING" SKIT
Watch this video now.
Wow! This is a very powerful video.
It started out lame (to me), but got pretty intense, powerful, illuminating. It released a lot in me, including tears, self-recognition, profound awareness of God's love, profound longing for God, and truly grateful worship.
During the spiritual battle I kept waiting for Jesus to DO something, not just rely on the girl with determination but not enough strength. Finally, HE DID! It was awesome. I need Jesus to do this everyday.
From within.
He does.
Watch this. Be blessed.
See sin for what it is.
Worship God.
Trust Jesus.
He loves you and wants to do the same for you... in you.
Hey...I like sent this to you like months ago (to be read in a valley girl accent : ) So glad you were blessed by it as much as I was.
I think it speaks of how drama, music and all that just speaks louder than words. If anyone related to this video they truly will be moved to tears.
Your cheeky parishonette.
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Satan shoves Jesus? Only in his dreams.
Jesus waves his arms to get attention while evil blocks him like guards in a demonic basketball game? Only in a music video.
Jesus looks at us as calmly and as assuredly as he looked at Peter after he denied him three times. Jesus doesn't wave his arms, anxiously pull his hair, or get shoved aside by the devil. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. We have to decide how near we'll follow him--and if Satan starts shoving us, we can ask Jesus to bind him.
It's nice your heart was moved, but the problematic theology in the video could lead people to think things about the relationship between Jesus and Satan that are not true. Jungians and those believing Yin-Yang philosophy would be pleased, but we Christians should be more discerning.
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RT - Good call!
Jesus isn't weak! He's not waiting for us to make the right choice before He can carry out His will, wishing He could do something to help us if only we do, well, anything. He's the Sovereign Lord, and that's why I pointed out initially that I struggled with Jesus' non-actions during the "spiritual battle" until He finally came in and saved the day. You're so right that He's not waving His arms, pulling out His hair, weakened or in any way on par with Satan.
Thanks for this, because I would dread if anyone misunderstood Christ.
Likewise, I know people who see themselves as this young woman, even to the point of slicing their arms, who've responded with faith and thankfulness to Christ for the saving act of God's love in Christ in their personal lives. Let the truths pointed out in this shine forth and may any compromises or discrepencies be seen for what they are, a human, imperfect, dramatic portrayal of the reality of sin and temptation and the sovereign love of God carried out through the personal activity (grace) of Christ.
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I was trying to put my finger on what made this skit different. It started out like so many other skits with the usual vices. I think what made it powerful for me was the illustration of how violent the battle can be, and how sometimes it can seem like it's all uphill. Maybe we all know the ending, but are we always straightforward about how hard it is to fight, even when we're already walking with Christ?
I do agree that Christ's actions may be inaccurately portrayed, but it is a depiction of an inner battle, which is very hard to represent visually. Sometimes in our lives it may seem like Christ is "losing" when in fact the problem is that we have simply gone astray.
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Hi Elizabeth,
I heartily agree with your first paragraph, but there are a few things in your second paragraph that are worth contemplating. I suspect these things are what led to the theological problems in the video. Many people worked to put it together, but no one seems to have picked up on the problems before they presented it.
The video isn't only a depiction of an inner battle. The battle is inner and outer. Both are invisible to the human eye, and therein lies the difficulty with visual representation in the skit. How does one visually depict the inner dilemma of making a choice? How does one visually depict demonic harassment of a believer in whom Jesus resides? The answer? Very carefully.
Western believers are often too afraid to contemplate the spiritual realm around them (not knowing well Jesus' authority), and they attempt to label the battle entirely internal. It is both. We hear the Liar and his demons, and we hear the Holy Spirit, and we choose whom we listen to and follow each day. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against power and principalities of darkness. Jesus made a public spectacle of them, and it is to his crucifixion and resurrection we appeal when humbly wielding His authority in silencing the darkness. Do you know how to do that?
Both you and Steve allude to God's sovereign will when you say things like "Jesus isn't waiting for us to make the right choice before he can carry out his Will," and "it may seem like Christ is losing when in fact. . ." But there's his Will, and then there's his will. We're not carrying out his will when we make sinful choices (beating the wife, slicing our arms), but we can't frustrate the Big Plan depicted in places like Revelation.
As I mentioned above, Jesus watched and perhaps listened as Peter chose to betray him. He literally would not follow Jesus out of fear and pride. Satan asked and was given permission to sift Peter, and Jesus told Peter that he would pray that his faith would not fail and that afterward he would strengthen his brothers. This is a reality many times for us as well: we find ourselves sifted as outer circumstances present us with inner choices, and when we do not choose to follow His leading we must be restored through forgiveness and our previous denials renounced with confessions of love. Going astray is never really "simple," and neither is coming back. Praise God for his mercy and sacrificial provision, and his victory over the darkness! Praise him for the everlasting arms which are always open to the repentant, and even to those who provoke him to his very face. He is Victor!
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I agree with Elizabeth with this. It is a violent battle. I think what I see is the awesome amount of power that God allows Satan to have in this world. That power seems to be in his power to deceive us humans.
As far as the way Jesus was depicted, I don't think it's that far off. Jesus broods over us like a mother hen, but we are not puppets. We should abide in Him, but we don't always. We do take false gods, and listen to Satan.
I can see Jesus struggling with our straying and our lack of faith. We are made in His image and we received our emotions from Him. I believe Jesus has great sorrow over our going astray, because He is a feeling, crying God. He is after all fully God and fully man. He died on the cross for us and He sent His Spirit to be our guide. When we are not close to Him He very well may struggle to get through all our sin to be recognized by us again. He could do it all for us, but that isn't the way He does it. The young female dancer was giving in to Satan by the cutting and the gun to her head. When she began to act like she could get back to Jesus he began to get through to her. We have to take the first step--just like Moses into the Red Sea and just like Joshua into the Promised Land.
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