My problem with the movie Noah is that some Christians seem to think it was ok. If Star Wars adds a stupid character like JarJar Binks, the movie is crucified by Star Wars fans. If Katniss Everdeen is shown smiling in the movie, it's big news because she doesn't in the book (ok, maybe she did a fake one once, ). Harry Potter fans expect the same. Why is this movie any different with Christians? Because we are so excited that someone with more "skill "and more 'artful ability' than Kirk Cameron or Sherwood Baptist is making a Christian Story? "Hey, It won't be cheesy!" Maybe it's just me, but I PREFER Christian cheese to out right BS...at least cheese is edible.
My problems with the movie are as follows- And for the record, you will be able to tell this review is written with an angry slant. This is because the movie was done so as well. Spoiler warnings: the entire thing was angry. No happiness here.
God never speaks to Noah, he only has vague visions and deduces what to do but even admits that he doesn't really know for sure on occasion.
There are rock monsters, (bad CGI creations for those stuck on the 'art' angle) not unlike Ents from Lord of the Rings (much better done), who were originally bad in helping Cain flourish in his punishment, but are now good for some reason? Not sure about that one and its not worth re-watching for clarity. I'd read my Bible for clarification, but mine is missing the chapters dealing with the Rock Monsters.
Methuselah is treated as Yoda, who lives in a cave (and apparently has for sometime, yet still isn't looking like Golum). He is shown to have a better connection to God (somehow) and can heal the barren womb (good thing, because otherwise the human race would have died out pretty quick with only that ONE extra female taken on board).
The main reason I wanted to see it was to see the grandeur of the ark and the animals gathering or flood gates opening up, but their 'wow' factor was detracted by the meaninglessness of the story and the screen was maybe 100 times smaller. The ark did look amazingly duplicated. However, the rock monsters built most of it from trees that grew INSTANTANEOUSLY (because who has time to wait 500 years). I also don't believe hundreds of snakes filled the ark- imagine 2 of every species of every animal fitting on that thing? (Well, minus the 1 species because the 'bad guy' who was sneaked onto the ark killed one of them) But this point is probably the most forgivable.
Instead of being a righteous man and having a relationship with the Lord, Noah believed he was given a mission- to help God wipe out the human race, including him and his family, because of the wickedness- And this depravity is shown well in ALL characters. Noah does wrestle with some deep theology but there are no answers in a non-christian portrayal. Simple logic begs, why waste your time (or the rock monsters' time) building an ark if you are all just going to die out afterwards anyway? Why wouldn't the Lord just create new animals? The last 30 minutes of the movie was a miserable ordeal with a hateful family stuck together, with Noah's wife and son's pregnant girlfriend (?!) trying to steer clear of Noah as he wrestled with his "necessary task" in killing the two baby girls after their birth, and his son plotting murderous revenge with a stowaway on Noah because Noah let his girlfriend die in the mob before the flood. Noah, why not just kill the babies' mother now, as opposed to waiting til birth to face 2 beautiful babies later? Or better yet, why did you get on the boat in the first place if God meant to COMPLETELY wipe out humanity?? It wasn't even because someone needed to feed the animals because these animals allegedly slept the entire nine or so months. These lapses in logic are probably forgivable to some seeing that the movie creators don't understand the story or have an ounce of real wisdom and weren't going for a truly Christian story anyway... Well then for the love of donuts, please change his name to Tubal Seth or something else so we don't THINK its meant to be a story resembling one of the mighty men of Faith. Even if not meant to be Christian, the logic of the movie and its portrayal was AWFUL and this is far less forgivable than the subpar acting or 'cheese' factor of something worthwhile and redeeming like Facing the Giants, or Fireproof.
The lone moment of redemption came with Noah kissing his granddaughters as opposed to stabbing them. But in the vein of the story-logic, it was a moment of complete disobedience to his 'god', so movie-wise, that was a moment of pure sin. I couldn't even enjoy the rainbow either. It was more like multiple colorful ripples in the sky as the Lord (the sun??) pulsed out his pleasure with his still completely corrupt and angry creation. No beauty in this art.
Friday, October 24, 2014
Saturday, January 5, 2013
So I thought I'd share something on gun control. Yeah, I know. I'm sick of the subject too. But it actually came up in my devotions, so I felt like writing. I have some thoughts from David, a king and a man after God's own heart.
"Oh brother, here he goes, saying that because people get slaughtered in the old testament, it makes it okay today."
Relax. Let me finish.
What is gun control? Or rather what is the issue? The way I see it, it comes down to fear. Fear that the government will take away MY RIGHTS and that will result in a less happy, fulfilled life for me, (really? Guns provide happiness? They cost so much money, which ALSO brings happiness...) or one where I end up dead because I don't have one. Fear that someone will surely come into my house and kill all my family...fear that I will be shot while walking down the street! I know there are arguments already. Argue away. These are MY thoughts.
To play the devil's advocate for just a moment. Say someone did come into your house with a gun and demand stuff...how does you owning fifty guns keep this from happening? Unless you sleep with a loaded gun under your pillow, or a loaded shotgun above the door (but have you practiced this kind of quick draw with a homicidal person standing at the door?) This will not help at all. Gun deaths are the result of keeping a loaded gun and then not locking it up! Oh, you aren't going to sleep so soundly, you'll be able to hear him before he gets to your room then you can get your gun. Ok, that works for me. Second, if you get shot walking down the street, how is having a gun going to help? Okay, you hear shots, but none hit you and you can see the assailant shooting randomly down the middle of the street (hopefully someone would use their car first), and you in your training and ability to collect your nerves and with the knowledge of your weapon can accurately pick off said bad guy as he's moving, without striking another innocent bystander, that would be great. But can you DO that? Are you training for that? and if so, where the heck is your family life going??
Alright, actually, I am perfectly fine with owning a gun. I always will, maybe mostly because I'm required to own one. And nevertheless, I see nothing wrong with owning a gun. I've carried it into New York City. I take it when I go out. But I find I don't feel it is protection for me as much as maybe the Lord using me as protection for someone else. Maybe that's my occupation, maybe not. On the flip side, as much as I despise government, especially big government, I also see nothing wrong with banning assault-style weapons and restricting ammo and making it harder to get these items (though many shootings - Amish, Connecticut, several others- didn't occur with assault weapons, just a shotgun/rifle and perhaps a pistol.) It is a shame that people don't realize this will not help the problem. The BIGGEST issue is our (collective and individual) relationship with the Lord, even as a 'righteous' gun owner. Is HE your ultimate protector or not? Home invasions are extremely rare, even more so if yo don't deal with drug dealers. The majority of them are young people looking for money or something to pawn for their drug habit. The majority of violent crimes are criminal on criminal- they broke in because someone has been dealing drugs or someone wrong them...etc. Granted, I don't have stats, but I have experience. So make up your argument if you want, but if you live a life free of criminal activity, following the Lord, not hanging out with seedy people, your chances of being shot are virtually nil. "what about all the school shootings?!" Interestingly, allowing everyone to own their own AK47 still wouldn't have prevented any of them...And banning assault weapons wouldn't have prevented them either. It would have taken a complete gun ban and since the heart is 'desperate and deceitfully wicked", it would find a way.. It still isn't helping our young people out of the depressed, demon-controlled funk they are in, banning guns is not banning violent computer games or movies or helping parents know how to instruct their children wisely....
So what about David? I was reading about him and Saul and how Saul was actually pursuing him to kill him! And what did he do?? Several times he could have taken Saul's life, and didn't. I Sam 24:4 "The Lord said unto (David), Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you." Taken in context, we don't know if the Lord actually said that, but quite obviously, David had a choice and could end all the turmoil right then. And did not. And even what he DID, (corner of the robe) his heart smote him later for (v 5)- something else to consider. Suppose you DO have the chance to take a life. Do you fully realize the emotional consequences of such an act- even if it is legal? I Sam 26:8 "...God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice." David would not allow it. v10 "...
As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish..." (contrast that of course to Judges 4:21 "
But Jael...took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she...drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died.") The argument against all three of these examples is that they were not in active aggression. True. I Sam 17:45
45 "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand."
In conclusion, and I need to, there is much to do and I can't spend hours proofreading and re-typing this, there is a theme of David that we would do VERY well to follow and would help us with regards to even whether to own a gun or not. 1 Sam 22:10 "and he inquired of the Lord"; 23:2 "Therefore David inquired of the Lord.." 23:4 "..Then David inquired of the Lord again(!)"; 2 Sam 2:1, 5:19, 5:23 "And David inquired of the Lord.." And lastly, in 1 Sam 30:8 "and David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?" And this was even him asking about pursuing his wives kidnappers!! Heck yes I say go! Why even consider? That would be justified! But still, David inquired of the Lord.
And anyone who thinks that he could, or would shoot someone who entered their house, or stole something or even hurt someone in the house, would be wise to remember "David inquired of the Lord."
He is the ultimate Protector and source of wisdom.
What is gun control? Or rather what is the issue? The way I see it, it comes down to fear. Fear that the government will take away MY RIGHTS and that will result in a less happy, fulfilled life for me, (really? Guns provide happiness? They cost so much money, which ALSO brings happiness...) or one where I end up dead because I don't have one. Fear that someone will surely come into my house and kill all my family...fear that I will be shot while walking down the street! I know there are arguments already. Argue away. These are MY thoughts.
To play the devil's advocate for just a moment. Say someone did come into your house with a gun and demand stuff...how does you owning fifty guns keep this from happening? Unless you sleep with a loaded gun under your pillow, or a loaded shotgun above the door (but have you practiced this kind of quick draw with a homicidal person standing at the door?) This will not help at all. Gun deaths are the result of keeping a loaded gun and then not locking it up! Oh, you aren't going to sleep so soundly, you'll be able to hear him before he gets to your room then you can get your gun. Ok, that works for me. Second, if you get shot walking down the street, how is having a gun going to help? Okay, you hear shots, but none hit you and you can see the assailant shooting randomly down the middle of the street (hopefully someone would use their car first), and you in your training and ability to collect your nerves and with the knowledge of your weapon can accurately pick off said bad guy as he's moving, without striking another innocent bystander, that would be great. But can you DO that? Are you training for that? and if so, where the heck is your family life going??
Alright, actually, I am perfectly fine with owning a gun. I always will, maybe mostly because I'm required to own one. And nevertheless, I see nothing wrong with owning a gun. I've carried it into New York City. I take it when I go out. But I find I don't feel it is protection for me as much as maybe the Lord using me as protection for someone else. Maybe that's my occupation, maybe not. On the flip side, as much as I despise government, especially big government, I also see nothing wrong with banning assault-style weapons and restricting ammo and making it harder to get these items (though many shootings - Amish, Connecticut, several others- didn't occur with assault weapons, just a shotgun/rifle and perhaps a pistol.) It is a shame that people don't realize this will not help the problem. The BIGGEST issue is our (collective and individual) relationship with the Lord, even as a 'righteous' gun owner. Is HE your ultimate protector or not? Home invasions are extremely rare, even more so if yo don't deal with drug dealers. The majority of them are young people looking for money or something to pawn for their drug habit. The majority of violent crimes are criminal on criminal- they broke in because someone has been dealing drugs or someone wrong them...etc. Granted, I don't have stats, but I have experience. So make up your argument if you want, but if you live a life free of criminal activity, following the Lord, not hanging out with seedy people, your chances of being shot are virtually nil. "what about all the school shootings?!" Interestingly, allowing everyone to own their own AK47 still wouldn't have prevented any of them...And banning assault weapons wouldn't have prevented them either. It would have taken a complete gun ban and since the heart is 'desperate and deceitfully wicked", it would find a way.. It still isn't helping our young people out of the depressed, demon-controlled funk they are in, banning guns is not banning violent computer games or movies or helping parents know how to instruct their children wisely....
So what about David? I was reading about him and Saul and how Saul was actually pursuing him to kill him! And what did he do?? Several times he could have taken Saul's life, and didn't. I Sam 24:4 "The Lord said unto (David), Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you." Taken in context, we don't know if the Lord actually said that, but quite obviously, David had a choice and could end all the turmoil right then. And did not. And even what he DID, (corner of the robe) his heart smote him later for (v 5)- something else to consider. Suppose you DO have the chance to take a life. Do you fully realize the emotional consequences of such an act- even if it is legal? I Sam 26:8 "...God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice." David would not allow it. v10 "...
As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish..." (contrast that of course to Judges 4:21 "
But Jael...took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she...drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died.") The argument against all three of these examples is that they were not in active aggression. True. I Sam 17:45
45 "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand."
In conclusion, and I need to, there is much to do and I can't spend hours proofreading and re-typing this, there is a theme of David that we would do VERY well to follow and would help us with regards to even whether to own a gun or not. 1 Sam 22:10 "and he inquired of the Lord"; 23:2 "Therefore David inquired of the Lord.." 23:4 "..Then David inquired of the Lord again(!)"; 2 Sam 2:1, 5:19, 5:23 "And David inquired of the Lord.." And lastly, in 1 Sam 30:8 "and David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?" And this was even him asking about pursuing his wives kidnappers!! Heck yes I say go! Why even consider? That would be justified! But still, David inquired of the Lord.
And anyone who thinks that he could, or would shoot someone who entered their house, or stole something or even hurt someone in the house, would be wise to remember "David inquired of the Lord."
He is the ultimate Protector and source of wisdom.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
It's all over.
Its over. Finished. Good Riddance.
Fasting worked too! No, I don't mean for a socialist to be re-elected, I mean it worked in that I felt I had so much more time to actually get things done, which I did! Cut down a tree, a bush, trimmed a tree, raked leaves a billion times over, cleaned out the swimming pool in my basement after a hurricane...
I had meant to post blogs throughout the experience, but in the end, this was going to be too much of a distraction. About a hundred times I thought of a cool status or something to say on facebook and even wrote a few of them down for later...but now I don't remember the context of them and they don't even seem that meaningful. Boy, what does THAT tell me.
In all honesty, I didn't miss any of you. :-) Well, I mean, anymore than I already miss you. But in the way that even facebook can't fix. When you do without something, you realize how often you are tempted with it! And now I can see the unecessariness of it.
Having been back to Facebook for a whole week (or so), I'm already not sure its worth coming back, and haven't fully really. I already felt hooked into several political discussion- for what purpose? Kind of the same feeling I have with coming back to sugar. I had 2 cookies, and several bites of batter and I already feel super bleh... hmm. I used to be able to do 10- easy! What else could I give up that would completely change the way I feel- especially spiritually?
In that way, the fast did benefit me. For another thing, it kept my blood pressure low during the whole time...I didn't cultivate any enemies, and quite frankly, I feel more at peace about our political situation than I ever have, which has only really hit me since the election. No, I think we are worse off than ever. This Obamacare thing is more crap than people realize, but it's in God's hands, and I have been able to relinquish...ownership of the horrible state of the Nation. Its not a burden I can bear anyway. Granted, the night of, I couldn't be pried away from the screen. But then again, it was more about my fascination with the political science behind the numbers game that these politicians play. Its a mathematical formula really. These guys don't need to win our votes- they just need to make appear good and try to sway several thousand undecideds in certain counties in certain swing states and they got it made. Just think what could happen if all that campaign money went somewhere else besides to attack ads?? Yes, I am extremely disappointed that PA had nearly all democrat winners- despite only a handful of counties being blue- (I won't even touch why its basically only urban areas that vote democrat...theyaretheoneswhobenefitfromcoughgovernmenthandoutscough...or how certain areas had NO republican votes...how?? or why democrats don't want to prevent voter fraud....)
I'm sorry I couldn't share Gary Bauer's epic speech on the evils of many of the (current) democrats belief systems.
We finished watching Harry Potter. My final analysis in a word is dark. It started out for kids, but is certainly NOT for kids. Though I supposed by the time the 'fans' got around to watching the last movie, they would have been 8 years older, but that doesn't help future generations. I don't even find the movies that edifying for adults really (sorry if you are a fan :-). At least one pastor was able to draw analogies from the series One quote at the end of the last movie did stick out to me: "Words are our most powerful magic- the power to hurt or the power to heal. Don't pity the dead, pity the living- especially those living without love".
By the way America, its not too late to repent for your ideology and how you voted wrong,- but it is too late to avoid the consequences. Buckle yourselves in, here we go! God bless these Socialist States of America! At least we are done with all those darn campaign ads...
For a really good article on a response to this election, check it out here.
Fasting worked too! No, I don't mean for a socialist to be re-elected, I mean it worked in that I felt I had so much more time to actually get things done, which I did! Cut down a tree, a bush, trimmed a tree, raked leaves a billion times over, cleaned out the swimming pool in my basement after a hurricane...
I had meant to post blogs throughout the experience, but in the end, this was going to be too much of a distraction. About a hundred times I thought of a cool status or something to say on facebook and even wrote a few of them down for later...but now I don't remember the context of them and they don't even seem that meaningful. Boy, what does THAT tell me.
In all honesty, I didn't miss any of you. :-) Well, I mean, anymore than I already miss you. But in the way that even facebook can't fix. When you do without something, you realize how often you are tempted with it! And now I can see the unecessariness of it.
Having been back to Facebook for a whole week (or so), I'm already not sure its worth coming back, and haven't fully really. I already felt hooked into several political discussion- for what purpose? Kind of the same feeling I have with coming back to sugar. I had 2 cookies, and several bites of batter and I already feel super bleh... hmm. I used to be able to do 10- easy! What else could I give up that would completely change the way I feel- especially spiritually?
In that way, the fast did benefit me. For another thing, it kept my blood pressure low during the whole time...I didn't cultivate any enemies, and quite frankly, I feel more at peace about our political situation than I ever have, which has only really hit me since the election. No, I think we are worse off than ever. This Obamacare thing is more crap than people realize, but it's in God's hands, and I have been able to relinquish...ownership of the horrible state of the Nation. Its not a burden I can bear anyway. Granted, the night of, I couldn't be pried away from the screen. But then again, it was more about my fascination with the political science behind the numbers game that these politicians play. Its a mathematical formula really. These guys don't need to win our votes- they just need to make appear good and try to sway several thousand undecideds in certain counties in certain swing states and they got it made. Just think what could happen if all that campaign money went somewhere else besides to attack ads?? Yes, I am extremely disappointed that PA had nearly all democrat winners- despite only a handful of counties being blue- (I won't even touch why its basically only urban areas that vote democrat...theyaretheoneswhobenefitfromcoughgovernmenthandoutscough...or how certain areas had NO republican votes...how?? or why democrats don't want to prevent voter fraud....)
I'm sorry I couldn't share Gary Bauer's epic speech on the evils of many of the (current) democrats belief systems.
We finished watching Harry Potter. My final analysis in a word is dark. It started out for kids, but is certainly NOT for kids. Though I supposed by the time the 'fans' got around to watching the last movie, they would have been 8 years older, but that doesn't help future generations. I don't even find the movies that edifying for adults really (sorry if you are a fan :-). At least one pastor was able to draw analogies from the series One quote at the end of the last movie did stick out to me: "Words are our most powerful magic- the power to hurt or the power to heal. Don't pity the dead, pity the living- especially those living without love".
By the way America, its not too late to repent for your ideology and how you voted wrong,- but it is too late to avoid the consequences. Buckle yourselves in, here we go! God bless these Socialist States of America! At least we are done with all those darn campaign ads...
For a really good article on a response to this election, check it out here.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Give it a rest...
Republican vs Democrat.
Every four years, its a new battle for the ages, and it comes down to a date about 40 days from now. These deceptive emotion manipulators (candidates, media- its all interchangeable) pit brother against brother.
Makes me sick, honestly.
So who are you voting for? Ahh....who cares. It doesn't matter. Whoever will win, will win. Wait, so it's hopeless? We aren't changing each other's minds, that's for sure. I'm voting for the pro-life, pro-family party. You can vote for whoever you justify voting (the pro-peace, pro-humanitarian party I think is how most people (Nicolaitans?) justify the other party these days :-). But in the end, is either candidate really going to follow the partys' ideals? Are they really even going to follow the true will of the people? Most importantly, are they even going to follow Christ and HIS ideals?
Are we?
WAIT, so it IS hopeless??
No. There is one thing we can change- our heart. (Denominational caveat: you may not actually believe you can change your heart- for pity sakes let God do it then)
Last week in church, the message was on Revelations 2. In verse 4 God says "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first."
Of course, I was also encouraged by Revelations 2:6 "Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate" (and I couldn't help but interchange the word "Nicolaitans" with Democrats. Nicolaitans- destruction of people- were a sect who cast a stumbling block before the church of God by wrongfully using Christian liberty and committing fornication, so its not that much of a stretch! Okay, at least the liberal philosophy then.)
I was also challenged recently by a dear friend and brother: How much do I care about this election? Well, pretty darn much! How much? Am I going to fast and pray over it? hmmm...no, I was just going to post and re-post a bunch of items showing disgust through hilarity and extremes depicting the other guy's faults and hope that enough people also saw how awful he was. I was also probably going to look up a few featured articles in mainstream media sources (non-partisan of course) that intelligently point out the other candidate's faults to a tee in hopes of persuading the weak-minded and undecided that these are gospel truth as well. But I hadn't really thought of prayer and fasting. That's kind of...old school and antiquated... right?
Depends. What kind of "change" am I REALLY hoping for?? How much have I lost my true love and simply pursued something to hate (even if its the right hate)?
James 5:16b "The effectual (be operative-put forth power) fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." KJV
Mark 9:29: "So He (Jesus) said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." NKJV
Are we qualified to know and fight in the Spirit world and know what forces are at work and what effectual prayer accomplishes in the Spirit world if we don't even take up the weapons in the fight?
Ephesians 6:12 "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."NKJV
Major decisions and issues always seem to go hand in hand with prayer and fasting in the Bible, why shouldn't it today?
On September 27th, there will be 40 days until the election. Now, I do not feel called, or able to fast this time without food. However, what else can I 'fast' that I have relied on nearly as much as food?
Facebook.
Wow. When was the last day that I was not on facebook? No, it couldn't have been my honeymoon- three years ago? Whew. no. Was it my anniversary exactly a year ago? I can't remember. That's an issue.
Starting on September 27th, I will be fasting facebook and intentional election news for these 40 days and devoting more of my time to prayer for our government and for my own heart and relationship with the One Who IS in charge of everything. Feel free to join me if you dare- others in my family are doing fasts as well, ranging from a Daniel fast, (for the spiritually intense) to fasts of games, movies, sweets etc.
Matthew 18:20 : "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” And when God is there, things happen.
Do I think this will help the good guy win the election? No. Is there even a good guy running?
But my life won't be the same, and the Lord will reveal Himself to me and show me how much HE is in control, and that will make all the difference.
This will be hard....and who knows? Maybe I won't want to come back....
Every four years, its a new battle for the ages, and it comes down to a date about 40 days from now. These deceptive emotion manipulators (candidates, media- its all interchangeable) pit brother against brother.
Makes me sick, honestly.
So who are you voting for? Ahh....who cares. It doesn't matter. Whoever will win, will win. Wait, so it's hopeless? We aren't changing each other's minds, that's for sure. I'm voting for the pro-life, pro-family party. You can vote for whoever you justify voting (the pro-peace, pro-humanitarian party I think is how most people (Nicolaitans?) justify the other party these days :-). But in the end, is either candidate really going to follow the partys' ideals? Are they really even going to follow the true will of the people? Most importantly, are they even going to follow Christ and HIS ideals?
Are we?
WAIT, so it IS hopeless??
No. There is one thing we can change- our heart. (Denominational caveat: you may not actually believe you can change your heart- for pity sakes let God do it then)
Last week in church, the message was on Revelations 2. In verse 4 God says "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first."
Of course, I was also encouraged by Revelations 2:6 "Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate" (and I couldn't help but interchange the word "Nicolaitans" with Democrats. Nicolaitans- destruction of people- were a sect who cast a stumbling block before the church of God by wrongfully using Christian liberty and committing fornication, so its not that much of a stretch! Okay, at least the liberal philosophy then.)
I was also challenged recently by a dear friend and brother: How much do I care about this election? Well, pretty darn much! How much? Am I going to fast and pray over it? hmmm...no, I was just going to post and re-post a bunch of items showing disgust through hilarity and extremes depicting the other guy's faults and hope that enough people also saw how awful he was. I was also probably going to look up a few featured articles in mainstream media sources (non-partisan of course) that intelligently point out the other candidate's faults to a tee in hopes of persuading the weak-minded and undecided that these are gospel truth as well. But I hadn't really thought of prayer and fasting. That's kind of...old school and antiquated... right?
Depends. What kind of "change" am I REALLY hoping for?? How much have I lost my true love and simply pursued something to hate (even if its the right hate)?
James 5:16b "The effectual (be operative-put forth power) fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." KJV
Mark 9:29: "So He (Jesus) said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." NKJV
Are we qualified to know and fight in the Spirit world and know what forces are at work and what effectual prayer accomplishes in the Spirit world if we don't even take up the weapons in the fight?
Ephesians 6:12 "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."NKJV
Major decisions and issues always seem to go hand in hand with prayer and fasting in the Bible, why shouldn't it today?
On September 27th, there will be 40 days until the election. Now, I do not feel called, or able to fast this time without food. However, what else can I 'fast' that I have relied on nearly as much as food?
Facebook.
Wow. When was the last day that I was not on facebook? No, it couldn't have been my honeymoon- three years ago? Whew. no. Was it my anniversary exactly a year ago? I can't remember. That's an issue.
Starting on September 27th, I will be fasting facebook and intentional election news for these 40 days and devoting more of my time to prayer for our government and for my own heart and relationship with the One Who IS in charge of everything. Feel free to join me if you dare- others in my family are doing fasts as well, ranging from a Daniel fast, (for the spiritually intense) to fasts of games, movies, sweets etc.
Matthew 18:20 : "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” And when God is there, things happen.
Do I think this will help the good guy win the election? No. Is there even a good guy running?
But my life won't be the same, and the Lord will reveal Himself to me and show me how much HE is in control, and that will make all the difference.
This will be hard....and who knows? Maybe I won't want to come back....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)