TWISTED PERCEPTIONS

Please do not waste your money going to see the movie Noah nor even consider it when it comes out on DVD. You are wasting your time and it frankly hurts the heart. The writer/director of this movie has taken a sacred part of our human history and twisted it into his own humanistic purposes. Going into seeing this movie, I was going to keep an open mind. It is obvious that the story of Noah would be embellished. The bible gives us the basics of the story allowing for anyone to take it and fill in the gaps. I read a fictional book based on the book of Noah that I thought was very good in that it filled in the gaps but stuck to the main guts of the story in the bible. This was not done in this movie. The only truthfulness within it is the names of Noah and his sons. Let me share with you just a few of the twisted parts of this movie so I can get it off my chest. Yes, this interpretation of the story of Noah made me angry. I was very tempted to get up in the movie and walk out. In the beginning of the story, Noah is characterized as a protective father and husband but his character becomes twisted with what he perceives is God’s purpose for the flood, to kill all humankind. He gets all this from his dreams which is the movie’s way of saying how Noah got the message to build the ark. Wrong, wrong, all wrong. God gave Noah specific instructions on how to build the ark. This did not come in a dream. So, because Noah is interpreting a dream, he becomes this madman who is obsessed with the fact that he must ensure his family does not survive. They are only on the ark to protect the animals who are to survive. When his adopted daughter who is the wife of Shem becomes pregnant, he says if it is a boy he will let it live but he will be the last man to live but if it is a girl he will kill it immediately. Well, guess what? She has not one girl but twin girls. This actually alleviates the problem of the other two sons who don’t seem to have wives with them as the true biblical account states. Throw in these “rock” people who are supposedly fallen angels who are there to protect humankind and it becomes a total joke. To make matters worse, after the floods dry up and they leave the ark, Noah becomes a drunk, living isolated from his family. It doesn’t end with the promise that God made to Noah to never flood the earth again but to bless him and his family making them fruitful. The director threw in a spectrum of color like a rainbow at the end just to twist it all in. His interpretation obviously came from his atheistic viewpoint.  I am disgusted and sick by it all and ask you to please not waste your time but ban this movie altogether. Read your bible and don’t forget that the truth is only in the bible and we must be very wary of any other sources.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 345

My daughter and I went to see the new Disney movie, Frozen last weekend. It had a great message about fear and how love conquers fear. I am not going to do a spoiler on this so no worries if you haven’t gone to see it yet.

Have you ever wondered how another person can be so fearless while you are shaking in your boots? It is a part of who God made us to be. Some of us will have lots of fears and some of us will be fearless. Some of us will have problems with anger and some of us have no problem letting our anger out. Some of us will feel worthless for no reason and others will think they walk on water. God made us each in a unique way but in this uniqueness is a place for God to come in and take those troublesome parts of us and make them into something beautiful. His love will conquer our fears. His love will conquer our anger issues. His love will make you feel worthy. His love can do all this and more for the inner parts of you that only He can see.

He has helped me overcome my low-self esteem, my feelings of being unloved, my fears of what others think of me, my fears of being assertive with my feelings. He continues to work on the inner parts of me, refining me and weeding out those trouble areas in the inner garden of my soul. Don’t wait for some unknown to come and help you with “your stuff”. Don’t think you can do it all by yourself. Allow God to work within you by being in his Word. Through His Word I have learned so much but I have also taken it and applied it to my life. Let His Word become a part of who you are.

Psalm 97:11 Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 289

I recently watched this movie on Netflix called In the Blink of an Eye. It was basically about a man who lives through the same morning until he gets it and accepts Jesus. In these mornings, his wife who has accepted Christ just the day before and has yet to tell her husband along with his friend and his wife disappear. They are on a yacht out in the middle of nowhere and these three are the only ones who disappear and they cannot get a hold of anyone on the radio but some cryptic sounding background of fearful people crying out. The rapture has happened but for this man God makes him live the morning over and over again until he finally realizes what is happening and accepts Christ. This movie is a message about God's persistence and patience. He has in other ways tried to guide us to him and he keeps on trying. Even though God already knows the outcome for each of us, I am betting he still is thrilled by every moment when it happens, when someone accepts Jesus into his heart. This movie and reminder of how God is persistent and patient was much needed as I am struggling with my stomach having issues. I don't know if it is because of the new way of eating or if I am fighting something off but I knew that Satan was trying to make my thinking go downhill to the point of giving up but I prayed and knew that God was telling me to be persistent and patient and all would be well.

Philippians 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challege-Day 272

We watched a movie called “Killing Season” last evening with Robert DeNiro and John Travolta.  At first, I thought it was going to be another vengeance-themed movie but it ended up having some depth and a good message about forgiveness. The basis of the story is about an American soldier who during the Bosnian War shot execution-style, along with his squad, prisoners they had captured who had done horrible things to women, men and children. 20 years later, this soldier is now in the mountains living the life of a recluse, avoiding his family. The man he shot survived and came back to seek vengeance but what he really wanted was a confession from the soldier that shot him. In the end, the confession comes and a beautiful thing happens, there is forgiveness. The vengeful man returns to his life with a smile on his face and the soldier goes to meet the grandson he has not yet met. Bitterness and shame will put up a wall that will keep you from living the life God intended with love and peace. But with forgiveness, our bitterness or shame will be washed clean and we can go out with peace in our hearts and be able to love as God love’s us.

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 215 & 216

My daughter and I watched the movie The Great and Powerful Oz which ended up having a good message for all. Oz is plagued with confidence in himself. He doesn’t think he measures up enough to be with the woman he loves. He does dream of being great and that is what drives him. He chooses to forgo love for a dream of greatness. Fortunately, for him a tornado takes him from Kansas to the land of Oz. His journey in Oz will finally lead him to the truth that it isn’t about being great but about being good.

I am sure many people have this type of battle going on within them. The truth is when we accept Christ into our heart and the Holy Spirit dwells within us we have what we need to be good and to do good. Goodness is a fruit that is given to us by the Lord. This is fruit we can take and eat and let it nourish our souls. We were made in His image and he is a God full of goodness and mercy. We have the power within us to be good.  All things are possible with God.

Psalm 119:68 You are good, and what you do is good.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 274

I have heard this phrase lately in a couple of places, "emontional constipated". I heard it again last evening while watching a movie called A Little Bit of Heaven. The movie was about a young woman who is not interested in being in a "love" relationship. She ends up getting diagnosed with colon cancer and her diagnosis is not good. She ends up falling for her doctor and finally admits that she loves him.  She is now not afraid to love and from there shares her feelings with all her loved ones including the very "emotionally constipated" father. In the end, she wraps everything up in her life with love and all her loved ones are there with her when she dies. Definitely need a box of Kleenex when watching this movie. It was the greatest reminder that in our lives it is not about the things we accumulate, the accomplishments and successes we make but about how we loved. There is a new song on the radio I have heard lately with the words, "I wanna live like there's no tomorrow Lord, like I'm on borrowed time. It's good to be alive." We have all seen these kinds of movies or real-life stories in which a person is dying but that is when they are truly living. Living without fear, without worry but just loving every moment and every person. I want to live out the words in this song and live like there's no tomorrow.

 Colosians 3: 12-14 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 242

We watched the movie Big Miracle last evening. It is about a mother and father gray whale trapped with their baby whale in the ice in Alaska. It was so fun to watch the excitement of my daughter as we watched and they came to the point where the whales lived or died. She cheered and was bouncing up and down when the whales came up out of the water free from the ice. I can imagine God cheering and bouncing up and down with excitement when another lost soul is freed from the bondage of sin when they accept Jesus. Unfortunately, the movie also showed how not all are saved. The baby whale does not make it. It is the saddest moment in the movie and it is the saddest thing for God to see a soul lost forever to Satan. The truth is just as the whales made the choice to stay with their baby until the end and than chose to follow the ice holes cut all the way to the ice wall that needed to be broken through. We also have to make a choice. As the people were waiting for the whales to make the move to the go through the ice holes, we started shouting out words of encouragement, prayer and hope.  We have to do that with the lost who are around us encouraging them, praying for them and giving them hope through Jesus Christ. Thank you Lord for this inspiring movie and the message that can be see from it. My prayer is for the lost all over the world but especially for the lost within my own circle that you would help me to be an encourager and a witness of your love and hope. Amen.

Romans 8:21 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into glorious freedom of the children of God.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 68

Courage: Quaility of mind that enables one to face danger or fear with resolution. My husband and I watched the movie Courageous last evening. It is one of those movies, that EVERYONE needs to watch. It is definitely a tear-jerker so have your box of Kleenex ready but suprisingly it had lot of humourous moments and had a lot to say about the word 'courage'. I am not going to give away the plot of the movie but you are in for something good. We are all tending to just survive our day to day lives and it's time to stop and look at what we are doing or not doing and re-evaluate what is truly important. There is so much more study I want to do on this word and, of course, it will ultimately come out on a scrapbook layout so I can really get it to stick within me and have a wonderful reminder that we humans SO need. I would love for you to join me on studying this topic and hope you can come to a crop sometime to get it faithbooked.
1Corinthians 16:13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 38

Happy New Year! This last month I have been wearing my letter "P" pin and have been focusing on a couple of "P" words in particular. Preparation, purpose and prayer but another one came to me that is a big part of who God is. That word is 'persistent'.

My hubbie and I watched a very good and funny movie about love. The central theme was the idea that we should be persistent and fight for our soul mate. God's soul mate is each and everyone of us. He's God he can have more than one soul mate!!! God is the ultimate in persistent! He never gives up on us and continues to find ways to guide us back to Him. Jesus used analogy alot in his teachings so I have tried to take that example of His and make up my own analogies using my own life experience and our own culture. This movie about soul mates and fighting for each other is a great analogy to how God fights for us. The movie is called Crazy Stupid Love but this kind of love is the kind of love we need to see more of in this world. So I am praising God for his crazy stupid love for me and you and praying that I can be like a mirror reflecting that love back out into this world to all those around me.
Psalm 119:8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 10

We watched the movie Super 8 last night and WOW! was that intense. The movie was very well made and directed with most of the cast being teenagers. It is well worth watching because of the messages within the movie which are truths in the bible one being that we are forgiven and we need to be forgiving to each other. I am thankful to God for the reminders like this we can find in entertaining movies and in all kinds of situations around us. The more open we are to seeing God all around us the more we do see Him.

From the Lord's Prayer: Matthew 6:12 ... and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.