In my last post I talked about the fact that God has a journey intended for us and that sometimes we have to undertake that journey before we are prepared to fight for him. The cool part about God is this: He's ready for us the moment we finish our Journey.
A while back I saw a movie called SuckerPunch. The idea of the movie wasn't the best, but one line really hit me in the movie. The main character is in an Eastern style pagoda temple and she's talking to the "wise man" and he hands her a gun and a sword and ushers her into battle with three giant samurai warriors with one line of encouragement, "You have all the weapons you need. Now fight." While this is not meant to have any sort of Christian theme in it, It really shows this idea of trusting God. It's kind of far out but this girl is able to defeat these giant samurai when she has the faith to do it. The beginning of the battle, you see her as extremely tentative, but by the end she's a strong warrior, capable of just about anything. God wants the same thing for us! I love movies where you see the main character ride out into battle for their kings; When there is no hope for victory, but they still run forward to face their enemies one last time - laying everything on the line.
God wants that same thing for us. A lot of times we get wrapped up in sin and it seems like there is no way out - like no matter what we do we can't escape from it. James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you." It's that final resistance that gives us hope to win the battle against sin; that one time of resisting and overcoming your sin. I firmly believe that when you have the courage and strength to confront sin, God is right there waiting to push the devil away.
A great picture of this comes from Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers. The scene is called Forth Eorlingas and is set up where King Theoden and the fellowship are barricaded in the last stronghold of Helm's Deep, simply waiting for their enemies to break down the door and slaughter them, when Aragorn speaks up and tells the king to ride out and meet them one last time. From that, we get an epic scene with the king and Aragorn along with a portion of the Rohirrim riding out of the keep and trampling and killing all the orcs in their path and just when the situation seems to get the worst, Aragorn looks up to the horizon and sees gandalf ready to ride in and take on the orcs with the rest of Rohan's army. I think God wants the same thing for us. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says, "For the weapons we fight with are not of this world. They have divine power to demolish strongholds." God has given you every weapon you need to vanquish sin. Resist the devil; Resist SIN and the devil will flee from you. You have the power to win the battle! While each battle doesn't win you the war, recurring victory does. You have all the weapons you need - Now fight.
Forth Eorlingas Scene
(for those of you who haven't seen the movie, they do win the battle for Helm's Deep because of Gandalf's flanking attack)
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
God's Not Dead - A Narnian Principle
The Chronicles of Narnia is one of the most well-known Christian-based mainstream film series on the market. I remember walking through high school and hearing everybody talking about how much they loved The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and I heard the same thing when Prince Caspian came out. It has a major theme of the sacrifice of God for us to claim victory over evil, but there are a lot of other more underlying themes that you don't always see.
One of the biggest themes is the fact that God's not dead. In the beginning of the movie we find out that there has been winter for a hundred years and that the whole time, Aslan (God) has not been seen the whole time. When we meet the beavers, there is this sense of urgency because God has returned to Narnia and is preparing for battle.
A lot of times it can seem the same way in our own lives. We settle down into the "Routine of life" and it seems like life is just coasting along. I've struggled often with just knowing that God is working in my life and even present with me! But then it seems we find a place where we get a sense of Spiritual urgency and we get excited because we see God moving in lives. For me, that's always been at Dare 2 Share conferences and Maranatha Bible camp. I leave those places pumped up to see God working in my life and the lives of countless others but within a month, I'm back to the normal routine, forgetting that I have this God inside me working miracles every day. It's easy to lose track of the fact that we serve the LIVING God, not just god.
The God we serve calls us to fight every day. Just like the four characters from Narnia, we have a duty to fullfill! But we aren'r always ready for that duty.Think about the timeline used for the battle of Narnia. When the four children show up, do they simply march into battle? NO! They take a long journey just to find Aslan, a metaphor for the journey we take to find God. Then, even when they find Aslan, they don't just march out and take on the White Witch - they practice with their weapons, just like we practice with ours! We learn how to overcome sin and we get materials to help us do that!
Peter is a perfect example here. Before he gets the courage to fight for Aslan, he fights Maugrim to save his sisters. It's a short fight, but it still gives him the courage to stand up to the mountainous task of defeating the white witch. Then, he has to get suited up in his armor to fight. Ephesians 6:10-17 says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. " God has equipped us for battle! We have everything we need to march out and take on the armies of evil!
My last point is this: God is a loving God, but he is also a just God. In one of the last scenes of the great battle, Aslan attacks and kills the witch. Even for someone who read the books and knew the plot, I was still a little awestruck by it. Throughout the movie, Aslan had been this collected, majestic, loving lion and then He just attacks the witch ferociously? I lost track of the idea of what Aslan was! Aslan is a lion, just like God is described in the bible as the "Lion of Judah." The bible doesn't say things without a reason. A lot of times, we as christians tend to make God a little kitten that is there to love on us, but that's only part of what God is. God is a lion, willing and ready to fight for his beloved. The question is this: Are you ready for God to fight with you?
One of the biggest themes is the fact that God's not dead. In the beginning of the movie we find out that there has been winter for a hundred years and that the whole time, Aslan (God) has not been seen the whole time. When we meet the beavers, there is this sense of urgency because God has returned to Narnia and is preparing for battle.
A lot of times it can seem the same way in our own lives. We settle down into the "Routine of life" and it seems like life is just coasting along. I've struggled often with just knowing that God is working in my life and even present with me! But then it seems we find a place where we get a sense of Spiritual urgency and we get excited because we see God moving in lives. For me, that's always been at Dare 2 Share conferences and Maranatha Bible camp. I leave those places pumped up to see God working in my life and the lives of countless others but within a month, I'm back to the normal routine, forgetting that I have this God inside me working miracles every day. It's easy to lose track of the fact that we serve the LIVING God, not just god.
The God we serve calls us to fight every day. Just like the four characters from Narnia, we have a duty to fullfill! But we aren'r always ready for that duty.Think about the timeline used for the battle of Narnia. When the four children show up, do they simply march into battle? NO! They take a long journey just to find Aslan, a metaphor for the journey we take to find God. Then, even when they find Aslan, they don't just march out and take on the White Witch - they practice with their weapons, just like we practice with ours! We learn how to overcome sin and we get materials to help us do that!
Peter is a perfect example here. Before he gets the courage to fight for Aslan, he fights Maugrim to save his sisters. It's a short fight, but it still gives him the courage to stand up to the mountainous task of defeating the white witch. Then, he has to get suited up in his armor to fight. Ephesians 6:10-17 says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. " God has equipped us for battle! We have everything we need to march out and take on the armies of evil!
My last point is this: God is a loving God, but he is also a just God. In one of the last scenes of the great battle, Aslan attacks and kills the witch. Even for someone who read the books and knew the plot, I was still a little awestruck by it. Throughout the movie, Aslan had been this collected, majestic, loving lion and then He just attacks the witch ferociously? I lost track of the idea of what Aslan was! Aslan is a lion, just like God is described in the bible as the "Lion of Judah." The bible doesn't say things without a reason. A lot of times, we as christians tend to make God a little kitten that is there to love on us, but that's only part of what God is. God is a lion, willing and ready to fight for his beloved. The question is this: Are you ready for God to fight with you?
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Wilson - A Cast Away concept
I recently watched the movie Cast Away again and started thinking a little deeper about the movie and some ideas it presents. For those of you who may not have seen the movie, It's about a Fed Ex guy who gets stranded on a remote island for five years. Along the way he befriends a volleyball that was in one of the packages that washed up on the beach. He names the volleyball Wilson because it's the name of the maker and throughout the movie he clings to this ball as his only friend.
It didn't really hit me until it's towards the end of the movie and he's on his raft headed back to civilization and the volleyball falls off the raft. He immediately jumps into the water to rescue his "friend" and when he can't he apologizes for it over and over again. It made me think about how a lot of time in life we cling to things that aren't necessarily good for us. I think all of us, at some point, have our "Wilsons" that we consider to be precious beyond measure. In Matthew 6:20, it says, "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." Everything in this earth is going to pass away. It's not going to matter what we have in life. We tend to hold onto things like this as if they were some sort of life raft and when they leave, it's like the entire world falls against us. This can come in the form of a car accident, losing a job, and so many things.
Luke 12:28-29 says, "If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it." God loves you! He's going to look after your needs no matter what. Recently I had a car accident and for a week I didn't know what I was going to do. I'm a delivery driver, so it was more than simply an accident to me - I was losing my job too. Now, knowing where I am and what became of that accident, I wouldn't take it back. I have a new car and on Monday I start a new job, still delivering, but where I'll make more money.
The accident came at a time when I was getting over an addiction that I'd been going through for nine months. I was just starting to sort my life out and reconnect with old friends and I instantly blamed God. I thought, "if I'm doing all of this, then why would you let this happen to me?" However because of that accident I got a new car that I enjoy even more than my old car. It's a car that I can cruise in rather than just feeling like I have to get from point A to point B as fast as I can.
Like Tom Hanks in Castaway, I was so quick to try my best to hold on to my Wilson, the old car I used to drive. Even though God wanted me to be able to get a different car that I would enjoy more, I didn't want it. I found myself in a place where I just wanted to get back to my addiction... and I did for about a week. In the end, it was my friends that helped me get out of it. had I not lost my car, I'd still be in the same job and while I would have had a little less hardship, I probably wouldn't have had the desire to donate plasma, something I wouldn't give up now, only two weeks into it.
In the end, letting go of Wilson helped me get to a place where God could show me just how special he was, just how much he wanted to take care of me. What's your WIlson? And would you be willing to let it go? I'm not saying you should get rid of your car or quit your job - just think about it. Are there things that you make more important than anything else in life? Things your put before God? Exodus 20:3 says, "You shall have no other gods before me." I don't think this applies simply literally. I think God wants us to put him before EVERYTHING. Before our jobs and our posessions - He did. Think about it. God gave up his son to die for us on the cross. Would you? God cares about us enough to do that... and sometimes he wants us to let go of the things we hold onto so tightly we can't see him. Sometimes he whispers in our ears, "Let it go." The next time he does.. will you listen?
It didn't really hit me until it's towards the end of the movie and he's on his raft headed back to civilization and the volleyball falls off the raft. He immediately jumps into the water to rescue his "friend" and when he can't he apologizes for it over and over again. It made me think about how a lot of time in life we cling to things that aren't necessarily good for us. I think all of us, at some point, have our "Wilsons" that we consider to be precious beyond measure. In Matthew 6:20, it says, "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." Everything in this earth is going to pass away. It's not going to matter what we have in life. We tend to hold onto things like this as if they were some sort of life raft and when they leave, it's like the entire world falls against us. This can come in the form of a car accident, losing a job, and so many things.
Luke 12:28-29 says, "If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it." God loves you! He's going to look after your needs no matter what. Recently I had a car accident and for a week I didn't know what I was going to do. I'm a delivery driver, so it was more than simply an accident to me - I was losing my job too. Now, knowing where I am and what became of that accident, I wouldn't take it back. I have a new car and on Monday I start a new job, still delivering, but where I'll make more money.
The accident came at a time when I was getting over an addiction that I'd been going through for nine months. I was just starting to sort my life out and reconnect with old friends and I instantly blamed God. I thought, "if I'm doing all of this, then why would you let this happen to me?" However because of that accident I got a new car that I enjoy even more than my old car. It's a car that I can cruise in rather than just feeling like I have to get from point A to point B as fast as I can.
Like Tom Hanks in Castaway, I was so quick to try my best to hold on to my Wilson, the old car I used to drive. Even though God wanted me to be able to get a different car that I would enjoy more, I didn't want it. I found myself in a place where I just wanted to get back to my addiction... and I did for about a week. In the end, it was my friends that helped me get out of it. had I not lost my car, I'd still be in the same job and while I would have had a little less hardship, I probably wouldn't have had the desire to donate plasma, something I wouldn't give up now, only two weeks into it.
In the end, letting go of Wilson helped me get to a place where God could show me just how special he was, just how much he wanted to take care of me. What's your WIlson? And would you be willing to let it go? I'm not saying you should get rid of your car or quit your job - just think about it. Are there things that you make more important than anything else in life? Things your put before God? Exodus 20:3 says, "You shall have no other gods before me." I don't think this applies simply literally. I think God wants us to put him before EVERYTHING. Before our jobs and our posessions - He did. Think about it. God gave up his son to die for us on the cross. Would you? God cares about us enough to do that... and sometimes he wants us to let go of the things we hold onto so tightly we can't see him. Sometimes he whispers in our ears, "Let it go." The next time he does.. will you listen?
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Angel Beats!
So in one of my first blogs I mentioned the fact that i ADORE the anime, 'Angel Beats!' and that I would talk about it in a later post. I figured I might as well post it here now! so aside from a few issues with the show, namely some foul language and a lot of questioning God, it's a beautiful piece about getting past the problems with your life. THERE ARE GOING TO BE SPOILERS ABOUT THE SHOW HERE.
The show starts out with the main Character, Otonashi waking up in a sort of limbo where he is immediately given the opportunity to fight against the "enemy" of the world, a young girl named Angel. At first he resists fighting, but by the second episode he fights with the "Battlefront," a group dedicated to fighting against God to avoid "obliteration," where they cease to exist in that world. Throughout the show, he talks to the other members of the group and learns about their previous lives, all of which were filled with pain and sadness.
-- Spoilers --
A great example of this is the leader of the brigade, a girl named Yuri. She tells her story in the first or second episode of the show. She grew up with three siblings until burglars broke into her house and forced her to find valuable things with the threat of killing her siblings if she couldn't find anything. She is forced to watch all three of her siblings die at the hands of ruthless men and then left to wait until the police arrive a few minutes later. You never find out how she died, but some of the other characters you do. One of the characters tries drugs after a devastating baseball game and another is killed from a blow from a beer bottle during her father's drunken rage.
To make a long story short, you find out that Otonashi had a sister with cancer and was with her when she died. He spends the rest of his childhood pursuing a career as a doctor, but gets in a train wreck on the way to the university to get his degree. An episode or two later, you find out that he saved the life of almost every person on that train after it was involved in a cave-in. He himself dies just as rescuers find the group - right after he signs an ID that sets him as an organ donor.
I'm leaving a lot of details out in this, of course, but in the end you find out that the reason that the world exists is to give kids who had bad lives when they were alive a second chance to live. It gives them the opportunity to live happy, fulfilled lives and then pass on. Three episodes from the finale he finds out who was thought to be the antagonist, Kanade (Angel) is actually the girl who received his heart after the train wreck and that the one thing she wanted in life was to thank him. The show ends with everybody in the world passing on and living down their old lives. It's a beautiful story, even with the issues I mentioned earlier, and I'd recommend it to almost anyone.
--
A lot of times we can do the same thing as in the show. When God gives us a life filled with pain, we blame God for our problems. I know I have. It's funny though - in the end God wants us to live happy lives - He wants us to love him and spend Eternity in heaven, but we fight him all throughout our lives with disobedience and sin. We can mistake the pain and problems in our lives as some sort of undeserved punishment when that's not always the case. We don't think about the fact that what we look at as unfair is God's way of making us the people he wants us to be. Life isn't always happy and it's definitely not always easy, but God has a plan for life. John 16:33 says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." God knows we will have problems and he is there for us through those problems, we just don't always see it, or even sometimes want to see it.
My last point in this is simply giving back. There are a lot of people in the world who have issues with their body - Leukemia, cancer, organ failures - literally hundreds of ailments, but there are a lot more people in this world without and we have the opportunity to give back, whether through giving blood or plasma every month or simply being an organ donor. Kanade and Otonashi's story is a beautiful picture of the effect we can have - a few pen-strokes at the end of Otonashi's life was able to extend Kanade's, even if it was just for a few days. Not everybody gets that chance, and I don't think it's really possible to understand what a blessing that chance can be. You never know how God can use what we give to Him, so why not give Him the chance to use us?
The show starts out with the main Character, Otonashi waking up in a sort of limbo where he is immediately given the opportunity to fight against the "enemy" of the world, a young girl named Angel. At first he resists fighting, but by the second episode he fights with the "Battlefront," a group dedicated to fighting against God to avoid "obliteration," where they cease to exist in that world. Throughout the show, he talks to the other members of the group and learns about their previous lives, all of which were filled with pain and sadness.
-- Spoilers --
A great example of this is the leader of the brigade, a girl named Yuri. She tells her story in the first or second episode of the show. She grew up with three siblings until burglars broke into her house and forced her to find valuable things with the threat of killing her siblings if she couldn't find anything. She is forced to watch all three of her siblings die at the hands of ruthless men and then left to wait until the police arrive a few minutes later. You never find out how she died, but some of the other characters you do. One of the characters tries drugs after a devastating baseball game and another is killed from a blow from a beer bottle during her father's drunken rage.
To make a long story short, you find out that Otonashi had a sister with cancer and was with her when she died. He spends the rest of his childhood pursuing a career as a doctor, but gets in a train wreck on the way to the university to get his degree. An episode or two later, you find out that he saved the life of almost every person on that train after it was involved in a cave-in. He himself dies just as rescuers find the group - right after he signs an ID that sets him as an organ donor.
I'm leaving a lot of details out in this, of course, but in the end you find out that the reason that the world exists is to give kids who had bad lives when they were alive a second chance to live. It gives them the opportunity to live happy, fulfilled lives and then pass on. Three episodes from the finale he finds out who was thought to be the antagonist, Kanade (Angel) is actually the girl who received his heart after the train wreck and that the one thing she wanted in life was to thank him. The show ends with everybody in the world passing on and living down their old lives. It's a beautiful story, even with the issues I mentioned earlier, and I'd recommend it to almost anyone.
--
A lot of times we can do the same thing as in the show. When God gives us a life filled with pain, we blame God for our problems. I know I have. It's funny though - in the end God wants us to live happy lives - He wants us to love him and spend Eternity in heaven, but we fight him all throughout our lives with disobedience and sin. We can mistake the pain and problems in our lives as some sort of undeserved punishment when that's not always the case. We don't think about the fact that what we look at as unfair is God's way of making us the people he wants us to be. Life isn't always happy and it's definitely not always easy, but God has a plan for life. John 16:33 says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." God knows we will have problems and he is there for us through those problems, we just don't always see it, or even sometimes want to see it.
My last point in this is simply giving back. There are a lot of people in the world who have issues with their body - Leukemia, cancer, organ failures - literally hundreds of ailments, but there are a lot more people in this world without and we have the opportunity to give back, whether through giving blood or plasma every month or simply being an organ donor. Kanade and Otonashi's story is a beautiful picture of the effect we can have - a few pen-strokes at the end of Otonashi's life was able to extend Kanade's, even if it was just for a few days. Not everybody gets that chance, and I don't think it's really possible to understand what a blessing that chance can be. You never know how God can use what we give to Him, so why not give Him the chance to use us?
Thursday, February 2, 2012
The Patriot and Freedom
I was watching the movie "the Patriot" earlier and one line really struck me. For those of you who may not have seen it, Mel Gibson plays the head of a militia during the American Revolution. A few of the militia members are talking and one of them turns to a black slave who was fighting to gain his freedom and says, "What the hell would you do with freedom?"
It really makes you wonder, What do you do with your freedom?k The bible says we are made alive through Christ and that he paid the penalty for our sins. We as Christians were dead to sins - we were slaves to our old lives and Christ paid the price to set us free. Rather than let us live a life of slavery, God sent his son, Jesus to pay the full penalty for our sins. Christ fought for us and won our freedom through his death on the cross. He died so that we would be able to live as freed slaves. While I know the situation is vastly different, the idea holds. Our slavery to sin makes us deserving of death. We as a species were committing treason against our God and deserved a traitor's death but Christ paid that for us. We have freedom! It's as simple as putting our faith and trust in Christ. The question now is this? What will you do with your freedom?
At times it's simple to simply turn around and live our lives and be happy with the fact that we have freedom. We fall into a place where we are comfortable with our lives. Everything is dandy and peachy. HOWEVER I firmly believe that God calls us to arms every second of every day. The fight isn't over. It never will be. Now we have to fight for Christ! I'm not saying we literally go to battle. Each person has their own unique calling. Some of us are called directly to the battlefront to fight as missionaries for Christ. Some are called to be leaders and guides for our brothers and sisters who fight with us. Some are called simply to pray and others are called to fire their two shots and give themselves as martyrs to be sacrifices for God. There are an almost infinite number of ways you can fight for Christ. You just have to have the courage to try. So I ask again - What will you do with your freedom?
The Patriot Final Battle
It really makes you wonder, What do you do with your freedom?k The bible says we are made alive through Christ and that he paid the penalty for our sins. We as Christians were dead to sins - we were slaves to our old lives and Christ paid the price to set us free. Rather than let us live a life of slavery, God sent his son, Jesus to pay the full penalty for our sins. Christ fought for us and won our freedom through his death on the cross. He died so that we would be able to live as freed slaves. While I know the situation is vastly different, the idea holds. Our slavery to sin makes us deserving of death. We as a species were committing treason against our God and deserved a traitor's death but Christ paid that for us. We have freedom! It's as simple as putting our faith and trust in Christ. The question now is this? What will you do with your freedom?
At times it's simple to simply turn around and live our lives and be happy with the fact that we have freedom. We fall into a place where we are comfortable with our lives. Everything is dandy and peachy. HOWEVER I firmly believe that God calls us to arms every second of every day. The fight isn't over. It never will be. Now we have to fight for Christ! I'm not saying we literally go to battle. Each person has their own unique calling. Some of us are called directly to the battlefront to fight as missionaries for Christ. Some are called to be leaders and guides for our brothers and sisters who fight with us. Some are called simply to pray and others are called to fire their two shots and give themselves as martyrs to be sacrifices for God. There are an almost infinite number of ways you can fight for Christ. You just have to have the courage to try. So I ask again - What will you do with your freedom?
The Patriot Final Battle
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