ROGUE ONE REVIEW

I know a movie is good when it challenges me to want to become a better man.

Gareth Edwards and his team who made Rogue One deserve some serious accolades.  I have been a Star Wars fan my whole life.  This movie delivers.  I don't think there is anything in this film that I can say I didn't like.  

This movie is a lesson in what it takes to win the war against evil.  And that is sacrifice.  Plugged In mentions that "Rouge One, perhaps more than any other Star Wars movie to date, is a war movie." Rogue One shows us what it must have been like to be a rank and file Rebel against the evil galactic Empire.  Maybe we can't all be Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi.  But anyone who thinks he or she is not a person of any significance just needs to watch this movie and see that all they have to do is what Chirrut Imwe does.  He may not be a Jedi but he is in touch with the Force.  His hard work and simple faith makes him a man of courage who gets things done.  I change Chirrut's mantra to, "I am with Christ and Christ is with me."

Bodhi, the defecting Imperial pilot shows us that if we make the hard choices we can  rebel against an evil status quo.  But make no mistake.  When we make the hard choices to enter the war against evil it will cost us.  Like her father before her, Jyn Erso played by Felicity Jones, chooses to get involved and it costs her and her family everything.

This movie is is a lesson in faith and family and friendship.  It is a lesson in overcoming incredible odds and how "one man with a sharp stick can take the day."  If indeed the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil to win is for good men to do nothing then Rogue One exemplifies this truth. When someone in the Rebellion leadership fearfully says, "What chance do we have?"  Jyn responds with "What choice do we have?" for we all have to take a stand against evil when it raises its prideful banners of wrong.

The director used fresh ideas like when he gave us some amazing GoPro views from X Wings in battle.  The acting by the whole cast is superb.  K2-SO is the star of the movie.  Michael Giacchino does a brilliant job of the musical score, paying tribute to John Williams, the quintessential film composer, while composing excellent new themes and being an amazing emotional engineer with his placement of meaningful music at just the right time. John Williams, I am sure, is proud.

There are plenty of Easter Eggs for SW fans to find and let me just say that if the CGI is this good now, in ten years they will be able to make a Star Wars movie with the original cast.  Amazing, Industrial Light and Magic is.

Two Thumbs Way Up!  Favorite movie of the year.

'Nuff Said.

THE BATTLE

You didn't think that man was the only source of evil in the universe did you?  Or did you think that we are so smart (or depraved) that we came up with all this greed and pride and genocide and gossip and backbiting all on our own.

Well yes and no.

No one MADE us this way.  If you believe the Bible then you know that we were created good and we chose evil.  But who deceived us into thinking that independence from the Source of good and life was the better option? Who sold us the fanstastic plan to give God the finger and tell Him to get lost so we could begin turning a good world bad.

Well, I choose to also believe the Bible when it says that we aren't alone in this universe.  A writer named Jude said, "There are angels who did not keep their own designated place of power in heaven, but abandoned their proper dwelling place..."

Before we were created there were celestial beings of unimaginable power and beauty called Angels.  But Jude, under instruction from the Spirit of God, tells us that they rebelled.  No, they chose pride over service.  "Better to rule hell than bend the knee in heaven."

Jude goes on to say that, "these Fallen Angels He has kept in eternal chains under the thick gloom of utter darkness for the judgment of the great day."

Their attempted coup to oust God failed.  God threw them out of heaven and they are waiting for their certain sentence of doom in Hell.   Jesus told us that is why there is a Hell.  It was not created for humans but, "eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons." Matthew 25:41

Isaiah says, there will be a "day the Lord will punish the gods in the heavens and the proud rulers of the nations on earth. They will be rounded up and put in prison. They will be shut up in prison and will finally be punished. ( Isaiah 24:21-22 NLT)

The Amplified Bible puts it this way, "So it will happen in that day That the Lord will visit and punish the host fallen angels of heaven on high, And the kings of the earth on the earth. They will be gathered together As prisoners are gathered in a dungeon; They will be shut up in prison, And after many days they will be visited and punished." (Isaiah 24:21-22 AMP)

Justice is coming against those evil instigators and their human followers.

On the other hand Jesus leads his church in triumphant campaigns to defeat their evil.  And the Church, although full of flawed human beings, displays the power of the Risen Christ and, "through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God in all its countless aspects might now be made known revealing the mystery to the angelic rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."

The church of weak human who have been forgiven and freed by Christ now displays to these evil ones in the heavens that they are going down, that they are losing ground.

These passages remind us that "our struggle is not against mere flesh and blood, contending only with physical opponents, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly supernatural places. (Ephesians 6:12).

When you rescue someone who is in despair through the love you offer them.  When you help someone in addiction.  When you rescue a child prostitute.  When you tell someone that God loves them and they are loved no matter what, you are breaking down the gates of hell and rescuing someone from these evil rulers who seek our destruction.  They are on the losing side of history.

Paul said, "After that comes the end completion, when Jesus hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after He has made inoperative and abolished every ruler and every authority and power. For Christ must reign as King until He has put all His enemies under His feet." (1 Corinthians 15:24-25 AMP)

Peter wrote this, "For God did not even spare angels that sinned, but threw them into hell and sent them to pits of gloom to be kept there for judgment." (2 Peter 2:4)

So, for me, all these fantastic scriptures tell me that in this world that the war we are is for men's souls and for this planet and it is fought through prayer and practical love against an army that we cannot see.  We need not fear them because Jesus beat them on the cross.  Now they are limping.  They are broken.  Their gates have been kicked in by the Son of God and we are just running in and out of Hell to free the captives He died to free.

CS Lewis said that this is the in-between world.  You see heaven and you see hell when you look around the planet.  We are rebels against a dying regime of darkness.  And we choose heaven's love and light over hell's darkness.

Nuff said.

THE BATTLE

You didn't think that man was the only source of evil in the universe did you?  Or did you think that we are so smart (or depraved) that we came up with all this greed and pride and genocide and gossip and backbiting all on our own.

Well yes and no.

No one MADE us this way.  If you believe the Bible then you know that we were created good and we chose evil.  But who deceived us into thinking that independence from the Source of good and life was the better option? Who sold us the fanstastic plan to give God the finger and tell Him to get lost so we could begin turning a good world bad.

Well, I choose to also believe the Bible when it says that we aren't alone in this universe.  A writer named Jude said, "There are angels who did not keep their own designated place of power in heaven, but abandoned their proper dwelling place..."

Before we were created there were celestial beings of unimaginable power and beauty called Angels.  But Jude, under instruction from the Spirit of God, tells us that they rebelled.  No, they chose pride over service.  "Better to rule hell than bend the knee in heaven."

Jude goes on to say that, "these Fallen Angels He has kept in eternal chains under the thick gloom of utter darkness for the judgment of the great day."

Their attempted coup to oust God failed.  God threw them out of heaven and they are waiting for their certain sentence of doom in Hell.   Jesus told us that is why there is a Hell.  It was not created for humans but, "eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons." Matthew 25:41

Isaiah says, there will be a "day the Lord will punish the gods in the heavens and the proud rulers of the nations on earth. They will be rounded up and put in prison. They will be shut up in prison and will finally be punished. ( Isaiah 24:21-22 NLT)

The Amplified Bible puts it this way, "So it will happen in that day That the Lord will visit and punish the host fallen angels of heaven on high, And the kings of the earth on the earth. They will be gathered together As prisoners are gathered in a dungeon; They will be shut up in prison, And after many days they will be visited and punished." (Isaiah 24:21-22 AMP)

Justice is coming against those evil instigators and their human followers.

On the other hand Jesus leads his church in triumphant campaigns to defeat their evil.  And the Church, although full of flawed human beings, displays the power of the Risen Christ and, "through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God in all its countless aspects might now be made known revealing the mystery to the angelic rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."

The church of weak human who have been forgiven and freed by Christ now displays to these evil ones in the heavens that they are going down, that they are losing ground.

These passages remind us that "our struggle is not against mere flesh and blood, contending only with physical opponents, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly supernatural places. (Ephesians 6:12).

When you rescue someone who is in despair through the love you offer them.  When you help someone in addiction.  When you rescue a child prostitute.  When you tell someone that God loves them and they are loved no matter what, you are breaking down the gates of hell and rescuing someone from these evil rulers who seek our destruction.  They are on the losing side of history.

Paul said, "After that comes the end completion, when Jesus hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after He has made inoperative and abolished every ruler and every authority and power. For Christ must reign as King until He has put all His enemies under His feet." (1 Corinthians 15:24-25 AMP)

Peter wrote this, "For God did not even spare angels that sinned, but threw them into hell and sent them to pits of gloom to be kept there for judgment." (2 Peter 2:4)

So, for me, all these fantastic scriptures tell me that in this world the the war we are in for men's souls and for this planet is fought through prayer and practical love against an army that we cannot see.  We need not fear them because Jesus beat them on the cross.  Now they are limping.  They are broken.  Their gates have been kicked in by the Son of God and we are just running in and out of Hell to free the captives He died to free.

CS Lewis said that this is the in-between world.  You see heaven and you see hell when you look around the planet.  We are rebels against a dying regime of darkness.  And we choose heaven's love and light over hell's darkness.

Nuff said.

THE BATTLE

You didn't think that man was the only source of evil in the universe did you?  Or did you think that we are so smart (or depraved) that we came up with all this greed and pride and genocide and gossip and backbiting all on our own.

Well yes and no.

No one MADE us this way.  If you believe the Bible then you know that we were created good and we chose evil.  But who deceived us into thinking that independence from the Source of good and life was the better option? Who sold us the fanstastic plan to give God the finger and tell Him to get lost so we could begin turning a good world bad.

Well, I choose to also believe the Bible when it says that we aren't alone in this universe.  A writer named Jude said, "There are angels who did not keep their own designated place of power in heaven, but abandoned their proper dwelling place..."

Before we were created there were celestial beings of unimaginable power and beauty called Angels.  But Jude, under instruction from the Spirit of God, tells us that they rebelled.  No, they chose pride over service.  "Better to rule hell than bend the knee in heaven."

Jude goes on to say that, "these Fallen Angels He has kept in eternal chains under the thick gloom of utter darkness for the judgment of the great day."

Their attempted coup to oust God failed.  God threw them out of heaven and they are waiting for their certain sentence of doom in Hell.   Jesus told us that is why there is a Hell.  It was not created for humans but, "eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons." Matthew 25:41

Isaiah says, there will be a "day the Lord will punish the gods in the heavens and the proud rulers of the nations on earth. They will be rounded up and put in prison. They will be shut up in prison and will finally be punished. ( Isaiah 24:21-22 NLT)

The Amplified Bible puts it this way, "So it will happen in that day That the Lord will visit and punish the host fallen angels of heaven on high, And the kings of the earth on the earth. They will be gathered together As prisoners are gathered in a dungeon; They will be shut up in prison, And after many days they will be visited and punished." (Isaiah 24:21-22 AMP)

Justice is coming against those evil instigators and their human followers.

On the other hand Jesus leads his church in triumphant campaigns to defeat their evil.  And the Church, although full of flawed human beings, displays the power of the Risen Christ and, "through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God in all its countless aspects might now be made known revealing the mystery to the angelic rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."

The church of weak human who have been forgiven and freed by Christ now displays to these evil ones in the heavens that they are going down, that they are losing ground.

These passages remind us that "our struggle is not against mere flesh and blood, contending only with physical opponents, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly supernatural places. (Ephesians 6:12).

When you rescue someone who is in despair through the love you offer them.  When you help someone in addiction.  When you rescue a child prostitute.  When you tell someone that God loves them and they are loved no matter what, you are breaking down the gates of hell and rescuing someone from these evil rulers who seek our destruction.  But they are on the losing side of history.

Paul said, "After that comes the end completion, when Jesus hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after He has made inoperative and abolished every ruler and every authority and power. For Christ must reign as King until He has put all His enemies under His feet." (1 Corinthians 15:24-25 AMP)

Peter wrote this, "For God did not even spare angels that sinned, but threw them into hell and sent them to pits of gloom to be kept there for judgment." (2 Peter 2:4)

So, for me, all these fantastic scriptures tell me that in this world the the war we are in for men's souls and for this planet is fought through prayer and practical love against an army that we cannot see.  We need not fear them because Jesus beat them on the cross.  Now they are limping.  They are broken.  Their gates have been kicked in by the Son of God and we are just running in and out of Hell to free the captives He died to free.

CS Lewis said that this is the in-between world.  You see heaven and you see hell when you look around the planet.  We are rebels against a dying regime of darkness.  And we choose heaven's love and light over hell's darkness.

Nuff said.

THE BATTLE

You didn't think that man was the only source of evil in the universe did you?  Or did you think that we are so smart (or depraved) that we came up with all this greed and pride and genocide and gossip and backbiting all on our own.

Well yes and no.

No one MADE us this way.  If you believe the Bible then you know that we were created good and we chose evil.  But who deceived us into thinking that independence from the Source of good and life was the better option? Who sold us the fanstastic plan to give God the finger and tell Him to get lost so we could begin turning a good world bad.

Well, I choose to also believe the Bible when it says that we aren't alone in this universe.  A writer named Jude said, "There are angels who did not keep their own designated place of power in heaven, but abandoned their proper dwelling place..."

Before we were created there were celestial beings of unimaginable power and beauty called Angels.  But Jude, under instruction from the Spirit of God, tells us that they rebelled.  No, they chose pride over service.  "Better to rule hell than bend the knee in heaven."

Jude goes on to say that, "these Fallen Angels He has kept in eternal chains under the thick gloom of utter darkness for the judgment of the great day."

Their attempted coup to oust God failed.  God threw them out of heaven and they are waiting for their certain sentence of doom in Hell.   Jesus told us that is why there is a Hell.  It was not created for humans but, "eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons." Matthew 25:41

Isaiah says, there will be a "day the Lord will punish the gods in the heavens and the proud rulers of the nations on earth. They will be rounded up and put in prison. They will be shut up in prison and will finally be punished. ( Isaiah 24:21-22 NLT)

The Amplified Bible puts it this way, "So it will happen in that day That the Lord will visit and punish the host fallen angels of heaven on high, And the kings of the earth on the earth. They will be gathered together As prisoners are gathered in a dungeon; They will be shut up in prison, And after many days they will be visited and punished." (Isaiah 24:21-22 AMP)

Justice is coming against those evil instigators and their human followers.

On the other hand Jesus leads his church in triumphant campaigns to defeat their evil.  And the Church, although full of flawed human beings, displays the power of the Risen Christ and, "through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God in all its countless aspects might now be made known revealing the mystery to the angelic rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."

The church of weak human who have been forgiven and freed by Christ now displays to these evil ones in the heavens that they are going down, that they are losing ground.

These passages remind us that "our struggle is not against mere flesh and blood, contending only with physical opponents, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly supernatural places. (Ephesians 6:12).

When you rescue someone who is in despair through the love you offer them.  When you help someone in addiction.  When you rescue a child prostitute.  When you tell someone that God loves them and they are loved no matter what you are breaking down the gates of hell and rescuing someone from these evil rulers who seek our destruction.  But they are on the losing side of history.

Paul said, "After that comes the end completion, when Jesus hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after He has made inoperative and abolished every ruler and every authority and power. For Christ must reign as King until He has put all His enemies under His feet." (1 Corinthians 15:24-25 AMP)

Peter wrote this, "For God did not even spare angels that sinned, but threw them into hell and sent them to pits of gloom to be kept there for judgment." (2 Peter 2:4)

So, for me, all these fantastic scriptures tell me that in this world the the war we are in for men's souls and for this planet is fought through prayer and practical love against an army that we cannot see.  We need not fear them because Jesus beat them on the cross.  Now they are limping.  They are broken.  Their gates have been kicked in by the Son of God and we are just running in and out of Hell to free the captives He died to free.

CS Lewis said that this is the in-between world.  You see heaven and you see hell when you look around the planet.  We are rebels against a dying regime of darkness.  And we choose heaven's love and light over hell's darkness.

Nuff said.

Star Trek Beyond Movie Review

There is something to be said for the odd movie that comes out and totally allows us to escape the dreary and Debbie Downer news cycle.  Thus breaks through the sunny optimism of a rousing Sci Fi adventure called Star Trek Beyond.

I didn't go into this movie with high hopes so I was pleasantly surprised by its warp speed enthusiasm and lightheartedness.  As opposed to Zac Snyder's apparent lack of joy that seeps through his remakes, director Justin Lin's easy going and hearty optimism draws us into a gravitational slipstream of good old fashioned fun in space.

Growing up with Star Trek I can say that I also appreciated the tributes that Star Trek beyond paid to its predecessors.  I love the way that we finally got to see this new Enterprise is some slow, sweeping shots as the camera lingers on the ship's details.  Yorktown, the massive Federation base is incredibly cool and was a pretty nifty bit of design work by the artists and VFX Artists who put in countless hours to make the magic come to life. I dare you to stay for the first section of closing credits and see their amazing work on the nebula.

Iris Elba is well on his way to being ones of those versatile guys who can be a great villain and a great on screen hero.  In this one he was a great baddie.  Bones is my favorite in this one and Captain Kirk is solid and we get to see him use his awesome motorcycle skills which is one of those things that continues to be an earmark of this new Star Trek Genre.  There could have been a little more development of the up and down romance between Spock and Uhura but that being said there were sweet moments.  It was nice to see Spock smile.   Michael Giacchino, as always did a great job of scoring the picture and his music soars with the enterprise.

I personally go to movies to enjoy the escape and with the salutes to Star Trek II and the humor of Star Trek IV and the profound talents of the cast and amazing crew and VFX artists I would say that his Star Trek was a real trek treat.

Nuff Said.
 

Isaiah's Thanks

ISAIAH 12

1  On the day when Jesus puts this earth back together, whole and healed and free of sin's power, we will sing:

"I will give thank to You, O LORD my God!  For although sin made you angry at us, Your anger was turned onto the Cross.  And now Your anger has turned away and instead You bring comfort to people.

2  Look at my God!  He is my hero!  I will trust in Him and not be afraid for He will never let me down.  I sing about Him for His Spirit has given me superhuman strength!  I sing about Him because He has rescued me from hell and death!  I trust Him because He has never failed me.

3  With joy I come to the waterfall and drink cold, clean, life-giving spiritual water that satisfies.

On the day when my faith is made sight I will say, "Thanks to my God!  I call on His name in prayer knowing that He hears me.  

I will tell the world about the things He has done!  The earth will see His salvation and we will make sure that the Name of Christ is exalted and lifted high for all to see. 

Sing with me a song about the Lord, for He has done awesome and excellent and even glorious things.  

If you are in Christ You are a denizen of Heaven.  And right in the middle of Your life, right now, there is the Holy God of Heaven living in You.

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: The Dawn of Justice

Batman V Superman: The Dawn of Justice could very well have been aptly named the Dusk of Justice as Zack Snyder brings us yet another dreary but artful superhero slam fest.  

Somehow the powers that be in the DC Superhero universe decided that the rest of the Superheroes would go down the same dark highway that Christopher Nolan put Batman on.  The problem is that Superman was never supposed to go down that road.  He's the eternal boy scout, the farm boy infused with the Kent's selfless morals and a joy that Zack Snyder knows nothing of.  In this latest installment Martha Kent tells Clark he can choose to be the earth's hero or choose not to.  This is not how the Kents raised Clark.  They taught him to be selfless and use his power to help all men regardless of their adoration or disdain of him.

Zack is a good director.  He keeps things moving even when there is a slow build up to the action scenes.  He is an amazing visual artist.  He seems to have some semblance of a faith and there is a respect for God in some of what he does.

These DC Movies just don't have the same tone as the Marvel movies where Spidey and Captain America are able to have a psuedo-realism that manages to maintain what I can only describe as a sense of superhero joy and a lightheartedness.  Zack himself said that his movies are: "transcendent of (Marvel) movies in a way, because they're Batman and Superman.  They're not just like, the flavour of the week Ant Man."  So apparently Zack is getting what he wants.  Almost an anti-Marvel tone to the DC movies.  This can be seen in the body count that Batman alone leaves in his wake.


Disturbing.

But I think a line from this new Batman V Superman movie by Perry White, played by Laurence Fishburne, sums it up.  "It's not 1938."  Superman, in these last two movies is still a good man, he still has Jonathan Kent's morals in his heart, but he is the Superman of 2016, not the Superman of 1938. 

We tend to wish for former days when things were simpler.  But I think I am beginning to understand Zack Snyder.  Zack Snyder and his screenwriters Chris Terrio and David Goyer seem to be a product of the Graphic Novel Era such as Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, where I am a product of good old fashioned comics.  Comics were light hearted in a world where it wasn't New York it was Metropolis and it wasn't Chicago it was Central City and the bad guys were Gorilla Grodd, and Lex Luthor in purple and green tights firing their death ray from a giant robot. Where Graphic Novels wanted to put these heroes in a world where drug dealers and human traffickers were the bad guys.  

So I get it.  Zack Snyder wants Superman and Batman and Wonder Woman to be the complicated champions of good in a dark world.  There's nothing wrong with that.  This movie does address the question of what would happen if there were really Superheroes clashing with Super Villains in real cities.  Face it.  You would be stupid to live in a major city where there were real Superheroes.  Talk about a risky place to live.    

But while I long for the old "feel" of Superman (I'd like to see a Superman film that feels like Captain America: The Winter Soldier  set in 1938) I do realize that Superman made his debut when the world needed him.  Hitler had just taken over Austria and the world was still recovering from the Great Depression.  Things were so bad that Superman's poor creators Jerry and Joe had to draw him on butcher paper.  But in the middle of all that Superman was a symbol of hope and that's why the world fell in love with him.  

In this new movie Lois reminds Clark that his "S" shield means hope.  In his despair Superman tells Lois that he doesn't think anyone can remain good in this world.  However, when it comes down to it, Superman shows us that there is still hope and he shows us what a true hero is and what a true hero does.  

The movie is long but moves along at an unboring pace.  Zack could have cut one of Batman's dream sequences down a bit, although I think the scene is a foretelling of a future event.   

The haters can say what they want but I think Ben Affleck did a good job of playing Bruce Wayne and Batman.  Henry still makes a good Superman.  Amy Adam's Lois is tough and human and a good reporter.  Gal Gadot, an Israeli model turned actor, is a good Wonder Woman and I look forward to her movie next year.  Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor is a creepy, disturbing and  deranged "mad scientist" and he does a great job.  Funny how life imitates art.  In 1988 Lex Luthor, a deranged. red-haired billionaire was running for president in the comics.  But I digress.
I do wish they would clean up Perry White's mouth a bit. Laurence Fishburne plays a grumpy, jaded, but still good hearted editor of the Daily Planet. 

Hans Zimmer's music is good but just like last time, a little bombastic.  Superman and Batman's themes are good but giving Wonder Woman a screaming electric guitar theme just didn't fit the sound of the rest of the film and was out of place.

All in all I was surprised by how much I liked the film.  I went in with the expectation that it was gonna stink and it sure didn't.

Good job, Zack. 

'Nuff Said.          

RISEN - MOVIE REVIEW

I have seen a who lot of Jesus Movies in my 47 years of life.  There is some good stuff in a lot of them and there is some real cheese in some of them too.  The most gritty and realistic one, was of course, 2004's controversial movie The Passion of the Christ.

Risen is a haunting and unique movie in the Jesus film genre.  This is the most unique Jesus movie I have ever seen.  For one, you don't have to endure the torture and crucifixion of Jesus; although you have to endure the after effects of the Roman brutality. But writer and director Kevin Reynolds instead takes us inside the life of Roman Commander Clavius, excellently played by Joseph Fiennes. Clavius who works for Pilate has to clean up the political mess that Pilate is involved in with Caiaphas, the leader of the Pharisees.

When Jesus' body goes missing out of the tomb, Clavius is tasked with shutting down this whole Resurrection rumour by producing the corpse of Jesus.  Supposedly the body was stolen by Jesus' followers who are were to stage a resurrection.

The writer and director, Kevin Reynolds, who directed Robin Hood, Water World and The Count of Monte Cristo, along with other big Hollywood films, knows what he is doing.  The movie is tight, suspenseful, beautifully filmed and has some twists and turns that make the subject material fresh and insightful.  The movie doesn't resort to cheesy cliches and cheap stunts to get your attention at all. Instead the movie is very human.  It shows the struggle between faith and living in this world of pain that jades us.

Cliff Curtis is now my favorite onscreen Jesus next to Jim Caviezel.  He makes Jesus both tough and gentle and on not a waif-of-a-man that you could knock over with a sneeze.   The Disciples are well casted and their humanity is welcome.  There is more humour in a biblical film than I have ever seen before and the timing and tastefulness of this very real, human humour was well placed.  The movie's score by Roque Banos is excellent and the tasteful and haunting music paints the movie with even more deep colours.

This is an action filled, mysterious, well-written, well acted and tautly directed, faith-building, resurrection affirming film.

Expect Him to Show Up and Do Great Things

The Lord is my Light and my Salvation—Whom shall I fear?   God is my safe place!  My refuge and fortress.  I will dread no man!

When evil came against me to devour me, the enemy stumbled and fell.  Even when an army surrounds me, my heart will not fear.

Though a war break out against the saints, even in this situation I am confident.  

For I have asked one thing of God.  There is only one thing I want.  I want to live in the house of the LORD forever.  I want to be in His presence all the days of my life.  I want to see Him with my own eyes and look upon the wonders of Heaven and witness the majesty of the LORD.

For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter.  In the secret place He has set aside to protect His children, I am safe.  He has a house made of granite that I will live in all the days of my life.  I am safe in this indestructible house on the Rock. 

My vision extends beyond the trouble.  I see above my enemy's heads.  I see God the King in charge of who seems to be in charge.  I will sing of Him!  I will sing of Him and be glad that He is the King of kings.  There is nothing to dread. 

Hear my prayer, O Lord my God.  Be gracious and compassionate to Your people and answer our cries.  You told us to seek Your face in prayer and that our greatest need was Your presence.  The Deep in me responded to Your call for me to go deeper and I said, "Indeed, Lord, I will seek Your face."

Please do not hide Your face from me,  I know that I am undeserving on my own but I ask for You to be my help.  To make up for my weakness.

Do not abandon me and leave me on my own.  I am nothing without You, God of my salvation!

Even when some parents abandon their own children I know that You will have adopted me and will never abandon me.

Teach me to be like You.  Never to abandon someone.  Teach me Your ways, Lord.  Help me walk a level path.  Some days I walk through dangerous territory.  Do not give up on me.  Do not let my enemies triumph over me.  They will even conjure up false witnesses against me and try to take me down.  Do not give me up to them, Lord.  Be merciful to me in because of these violent, bloodthirsty foes.  I cast my self at your feet.

If it wasn't for You and Your goodness and kindness that You have shown me over the years I would have despaired.  But I believe in You.

So my brothers and sisters that live in this dark world with me.  Wait for the Lord.  Be confident in Him.  Be strong and let your heart take courage.  Expect Him to show up and do great things. 

For He will.

You Are the Path I Walk and My Destination

Prove to my enemies that I am not like them.  That I walk my talk and live the life.  I have trusted and relied on You.  I am confident in You, LORD.  You are my Rock.  I am on solid ground. I will not slip and fall.

Examine my heart, O LORD.  Keep me humble and vigilant.   Test my heart and mind.  Let my mind and heart be fixed on You.

Fixing my eyes on You isn't hard when I think about You and how kind and good You are.  You are the path I walk and You are my destination.

I will not sit with deceitful and unethical people.  I will not live a worthless life like so many.  I will not seek friendship with pretender and self-righteous hypocrites.  I have always been sickened by evil.  I will not take part in it.  

I will wash my hands in innocence when I come to You.  Cleanse me of all sin and make me new. Help me maintain a stainless soul.  When I come to You in prayer let me come with a sincere heart and not a heart of hypocrisy that longs for human recognition.  All that matters is that You hear my prayer.  It does not matter what man thinks of me.

From the place of forgiveness I will proclaim in public thanksgiving that I am free because of all the work that You did for me.  I will declare Your wonders out loud, in public for all the hear. 

O Lord, I love being in Your living room, the place where Your glory dwells.  There is no other place I want to be.  You are my fortress.  Keep me here.  Do not let me be pulled down into sin.  Do not sweep my soul away with sinners.  Keep me set apart from a life of bloodshed.  Please keep me from falling into the traps of the men with wicked schemes of getting rich. 

I want to walk like You.  I want to be a man of integrity.  I want you to constantly redeem me from the pit.  I'm asking Youto be merciful to me, a sinner.  Be gracious to me. 

I feel like I am standing on level ground.    From this stance of freedom and grace I will bless Your Name in the Congregation.

PSALM 26

We Trust the Trustworthy God

January 25, 2016 - Psalm 25

In You alone, do I put my trust. I trust in You the trustworthy God of Heaven who has never let us down.  I will not be put to shame. Do not let my enemies triumph over us. I believe that those who hope in You will never be put to shame but instead shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.

Show me Your ways, Lord God and teach me Your paths. Guide me in truth and help me avoid the path of the liars. You are my God and Saviour and high tower. My hope is in You! Show me Your Ways. Guide me in truth all of my days! My hope is in You!!!

Remember, Lord, Your Love and mercy to me a sinner. I am undone in Your presence and I long for your merciful touch. Do not remember my sins and my rebellious ways. Forgive me and be gracious to me. Remember that I am mere mortal dust without You. Bring me life.

I know that You are Good and Upright and I long to be like You in these ways. Instruct this sinner who prays to You. Teach me Your ways, LORD God. I humble myself before You and ask You guide me to the right path. All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful towards those who keep the covenant with Him.

For the sake of Your great Name, Lord, forgive my sin, though it is great. 

Who then will take heed and fear the LORD? I will. Instruct us in the ways that we should choose. In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. You are my Hope that one day we will live in prosperity and our children will inherit this land.

The LORD confides in those who fear Him and are humble before Him. He makes His ways known to them. Therefore, my eyes are ever on Him. Only He can help me navigate this world and avoid the traps that are set for me.

Turn Your face towards me, LORD and be gracious to me, Your servant, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the burdens of my heart, O King of Kings. I cannot keep up with the people that You have given me charge to lead. There are too many needs and too much to do. If there were two of me I would still not be able to keep up with the needs of the many. I know that I am not alone in this, but today I feel like I am.

Please relieve the troubles of my heart and let me rest in You. Free me from this anguish. Take my burdens from me. Most of all take away my sins. Cleanse me afresh. Wipe away my stains by Your atonement, Lord Christ. Give me a pure heart.

See how many of our enemies are upon us and how fiercely they hate Your people. Guard us and rescue us! Do not let Your people be put to shame any longer for we take refuge in You. My integrity and uprightness protect us because our hope is in You. And in You alone. Deliver Your people from the hand of ISIS and others who would kill them.

Bring peace to Your people, O LORD!

The Prayer of Jesus from the Cross

January 22 2015  -Psalm 22

My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?  Why have you left me on this cross?  You are so far from helping me.  You do not hear my cry for help.  

You are my Father and I have called out to You by day, but You didn’t answer.  And by night, I find no rest for my eyes and no quiet for my soul.

But You are Holy and enthroned in the Holy place where the praises of Your people are heard.  You are high above us.  And I know You know what You are doing.

For so much longer than I our fathers have trusted, leaned one, relied on and were confident in You.  They trusted You in the darkest of times and either here or there with You, You rescued them.

They cried out to You and were delivered; they trust in You and they were never disappointed or ashamed.

But here I am on this cross, dying.  Treated as a worm, insignificant and powerless, not treated with dignity as a man should be.  I am the scorn of these men and despised by these people I created.  All who see me laugh at me and mock me.  The openly insult me, they shake their head, saying, “He said He was the Son of God.  He committed Himself to his ‘Father’ in heaven and trusted Him.  Let His Father save Him now.  If He is loved by God then let God save Him.”

Yet I know, Father You are He who pulled me out of Mary’s womb, You made me trust in You when on my mother’s breasts.  I was in Your arms at my birth.  Since I was a newborn You have been my God.   Do not stay far away, for trouble is near me and there is no one else to help.

Many enemies surround me like they are vicious herd of bulls.  They roar at me like a hungry lion.

My life is poured out and ebbing away, soaking into the earth.  My bones are all out of joint and my heart melts like wax by the heat of the anguish within me.  My strength is dried up like a piece of broken, jagged clay and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.  

You have laid me in the dust of death.

This pack of dogs has surrounded me and this brutal gang of thugs has encircled me.  

They have pierced my hands and feet.  I can feel the ache of each of my bones.

The crowd just stares.

They are so callous as they watch me die that they even gamble for my clothes.  

But I know that You are still there. You are my Help.  Come quickly, Lord to assist Your Son.  Rescue me from this death by their sword.  The executioner thinks he has the ultimate power over me but with You by y side I know that he does not.  Save me from the lion’s mouth.  Save me from the horns of the wild oxen.  You will hear my cry and deliver me from death.  I will tell Your Name to my countrymen!  I will praise You in the midst of an unbelieving crowd.  

You who fear the Lord with awe-inspired reverence, praise Him!  All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him.  Submit Your lives to this Great King in wonder, all you children of Israel.

For He has not despised nor detested the suffering of the afflicted.  No has He hidden his Face from the tortured.  But when I cry to Him for help He hears with heard of compassion.  

My praise will be about You!  When I am resurrected I will celebrate in the House of my God.  I will pay my vows which were made in the time of trouble before those who reverently fear my God.  

Those starving now will eat and be satisfied.  Those who do not give up and who diligently seek Him and require Him as their greatest need in life will be the ones staniding on their feet praising the LORD.  

May your hearts live forever!  You will celebrate with people all over the earth as we all remember to turn to the Lord.  All the families of all the nations will bow down and worship before You, For the kingship and the kingdom are the Lord’s and He rules over the nations.

All the one who prosper in the Lord will will eat at a lavish banquet and and worship Him!  All those who go down to the dead now will be raised and will bow before Him, even he who cannot keep his soul alive right now.  Posterity will serve Him and the resurrected one will tell of the Lord to the next generation.

And when the next generation heard of all that God has done they will come and declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born—that God has done it.

And that it is finished!

Some Trust in Their Army - We Trust in God

May the LORD answer us in the day of trouble.  May the Name of the God of Jacob secure us on the high ground, the Rock Fortress where we will be defended in the battles that face us this day.  

May our Lord God send us help from Heaven and support us with His might and His angels and strengthen us with His Spirit and angelic power.

May You remember our offerings, as small as they are and accept our sacrifices of worship.  May You grant us our heart’s desire to see the Kingdom of God spread to where it has not yet taken hold.  May our plans to conquer the darkness succeed.

We will sing joyously over the victory of Your Light over the darkness.  We set up the banners that proclaim “Our God is great!”, “King of kings!”, “Jesus is LORD!”    

Hear our prayers, O Lord and free the captive!   Hear our prayers for the evil ones to fail in their plans to destroy lives and enslave them.  

I know that the LORD saves His Anointed One!  You have answered Your Son’s prayers for the Kingdom to come and Your will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven!  You have answered with the saving power of Your right hand!

Some trust in their armies and tanks and planes and ships and drones and money but we trust in the Name of the LORD our God!

Some trust in their elected officials, some in their political hopefuls. Donald Trump trusts in himself.

All those puny men will bow down and fall before the LORD.  But we who bow now will be raised to new life, raised to our feet to stand before our dance before our King!

O LORD God, save Your leaders and answer Your army in the day that we call You!

AMEN

The Brilliance Behind the Brilliance of the Sun

The heavens tell the story of their Creator.  They express His glory in vivid detail.  The vast expanse of the universe declares the artistry of His hands.

Morning by morning, night after night the knowledge of the LORD is revealed. The stars do not speak audibly but in their shining silence they proclaim His might so loud that there is nowhere where their voice is not heard.  Their words heard and understood by every tongue and tribe and people and nation.

The solar system is a house for the sun who rises like a man crawling out of bed every morning.  Then we watch it race across the sky like an olympic runner on his course.  It rise from one end of the heavens to the other and nothing can escape its light and heat.  

Then God took the unspoken language and wisdom of the universe and wrote it down in His Word.  He took the brilliance behind the brilliance of the Sun and wrote it down for us.  The Bible is flawless in its ability to restore and refresh my soul.  The written law of God is reliable and trustworthy and takes the simple man and makes him wise.  

The precepts of God are totally right and bring joy to the heart.

The commandments of the LORD are pure and bring light to dark eyes.

The fear and respect and reverence for the LORD is clean and will endure forever.  

The judgements of the LORD are true and perfectly right.  

His words written down for us are more valuable than the purest gold.  His words are sweeter than the honey from the honeycomb.  

By these written words I am warned to stay away from the traps that are set for me.  I am reminded of what is right.  I am illuminated by them.  I am instructed by them.

And if I follow them there will be great reward.

Who can understand what he is really like deep inside the soul?  This word has shown me what I am like and now I can come to You for forgiveness and an acquittal of even my unconscious and unintended faults.  Please, LORD, keep me from the presumtuous, deliberate and willful sins.  Let them not control me and rule me.  Make me blameless and complete in You.  I want to be free.

Let the words of my heart and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You and may my mind and words please You.  

You, O LORD, are my King and Master.  You are my firm and immovable Rock and my Redeemer.

AMEN - Psalm 19

The Character of God's Children - PSALM 15

O LORD my God.  Am I welcome in Your house?  May I come and sit with You where You live and get to know You?  May I know You today better than I knew You yesterday.  

The ones who are welcome in Your house are the ones who live like You, Jesus.  The ones who walk the talk with integrity and strength of Character and work out a life of doing what is right.  The people who are truly Your children and who belong to Your family are the ones who have hearts that are true and speak the truth.  Let my heart be true.  Let my heart be undivided.  Let it be aiming for You more than anything else.

Let Your heart in me be the source of my words.  That my tongue wouldn’t slander.  Let Your heart in me be the source of my gestures and what I do with my hands that I would never do evil against my neighbour or speak evil against my neighbour.

The people who don’t want You aren’t welcome in Your house and family because they hate You.  But the ones who honour You and fear You and obediently worship You with awe-inspired reverence and respect are the ones who are Your children.  They see You with eyes of wonder and they gladly bow before the King of Kings.    

The ones who love You keep their word even when it hurts and do not flake out for their own benefit.  They even lend their money interest free to a family member and would never take a bribe to bear false witness against someone who is innocent.  For money is not the god of Your children.  You alone are God and King.

The people who live with this DNA of their Father in Heaven will never be shaken because they build their lives on The Rock.  

Let us see You for the awesome and glorious Life Giving King that You are.  Let us be people who prove our family bloodline by our actions.

The One Who Ignores God

January 14 2015 - Psalm 14

If you ignore things that are obvious fact you can become ignorant of them and you can become darkened in your thinking.  God is real.  The truth of His existence is like the existence of oxygen in that He is invisible but there. He is not measureable in density but He is verifiable in evidence.  The magnificent world that He has made tells of His greatness.  From the ant to the eagle to the mountain to the clouds to the stars there stretches a masterpiece of his creativity.  

So when David writes of the person who has ignored the spiritual spiritual source of this universe he describes such a person as a fool.  He says, the spiritually ignorant fool has said in his heart, “there is no God.”   David goes on to say that the ones who ignore their Creator become corrupt and have committed themselves to repulsive and unspeakable deeds.  Actually, the desire to do whatever we want to do is the reason we kill God.  Then no one can tell us what to do.  In his letter to the Roman church Paul echoes David’s words that of the fools who ignore God there is none who do good.  

Verse 2 says, “The LORD has looke down from heaven to see if there are any who act wisely and live to seek Him, longing for His wisdom and guidance.  David concludes that God can’t really find anyone who cares about what is doing right.  Together the people of this Earth have all become corrupt to the point where there is no one who does good on his own anymore.  We have all gone dark without Him.  We have all become ignorant of Him and His nature.  

David goes on to say that we have all become like dogs in this dog eat dog world.  We devour each other as easily as we devour bread.  I see that kind of man in the mirror.  Someone who one minute says he wants to be like Jesus and the next I am devouring a brother in condemnation and in gossip with a dog’s attitude.  I do not call on God on my own.  If it wasn’t for His Spirit’s calling to me I would just ignore Him and not talk to Him or listen to Him.  I act like, “I got this” when I don’t.

But David says there is a remnant of people that want more than this world.  They may have even tried the world’s pleasures and found them to be wanting.  The sin around them no longer tastes good.  It is slop.  And when these people see the corruption around them they tremble with fear because they know God is holy and that this challenge to Him will not end up well for the challengers.  But David says that God will be with those who seek Him.  The ones who seek Him will find what they look for and He will protect them and save them.  David says, God is with the consistently righteous generation.  That would be the people who seriously want Him and they demonstrate it by being consistent in their pursuit of Him.  That is a good point because we seem to think we can fool God and go to church but never really want Him or ever really change.  That isn’t a consistent pursuit of Him.  That is religion.  

David warns that evildoers who shamefully plan against the poor will lose to the poor because they are safe in God and they will eventually be the ones who rule over them.  The LORD is the poor man’s refuge where money is the rich man’s refuge.

David longs for that day when he says, Oh, that the salvation of God’s people would come soon.  He wants that day of justice to come where the Lord will release the captives and all who belong to Him will be glad when freedom hits the streets and joy is the air we breathe.

But that will come for those who do not ignore their Creator.  The fool will not be happy on that day.  

PSALM 13 for JANUARY 13th

Dear Lord

This is a crazy world.  I thank You for still being in charge of history.  Lord God, come and fix this mess. I pray for wisdom as I navigate it.  Lead me.  Help me see things right.  Help me be like Christ in my speech and reaction and vision.  I pray for forthrightness and yet control over my tongue.  I do look at the world and ask for You to return to end the suffering.

1 How long, O Lord?  Will you forget us forever?  Because it feels like You aren’t ever going to come back.  It messes that there is nothing but darkness.  I know that we are not looking hard enough for there are glimpses of You in the mist.  Help Your people to look for You in the darkness and notice that candle that is burning off in the distance.  2  My soul speaks to me in desperation and carries sorrow every day.  I ask myself how long will these enemies of darkness prevail against those who are good?  They seem to have the upper hand.  Their triumph over Your people seems like it is everywhere.  3 Consider Your people, dear Lord.  Help us.  Give light to our darkened vision or we will lose hope and languish.  We will give up if You do not give a light at the end of the tunnel to us.  4  If this keeps up the enemy may even think that they have won the day.  I do not want the armies of darkness to overcome the soldiers of light.

5 But I know that ultimately they will not win!  I know they will lose!  I know they will be triumphed over by Your plan.  Even in the midst of darkness I know that Your plans will succeed.  For they are mortal and created beings who will be ruled over by their Creator.  There may be battles lost and a present darkness lingering over our planet but I have trusted and relied on and been confident in Your lovingkindness and Your faithfulness.  My heart still rejoices and delights in your salvation!  6  So I will sing to You, Lord because You have dealt with me in such amazing grace!  

Amen