-in this edition of The Voice of One, a slimy movie producer pushes anti-Christian themes, a news commentator spews stupidity, a new translation of the Bible panders to the politically correct, and we see a group of awesome people doing an incredible great work amongst a noble and proud people. Read on!
So there is a bit of disappointment in my life right now. I have really been looking forward to seeing the new movie “Paul” which opens today nationwide. I figured I would grab Jordan and we’d rush off to the theatre to see what promises to be a very funny movie.
But I will not be seeing this movie after all. In it, two guys traveling across the desert happen upon an alien who has escaped from Area 51. Chased by the evil FBI, they help the alien return home. Lots of funny stuff, according to the ads. But apparently this movie has a very strong anti-Christian theme. A review I read says that one of the characters is a Christian. But when zapped by a vision that refutes her faith and dogma, she recants her faith and the party starts. Kinda sorta.
Oh, give me a break! A fake Christian sees fake, made up data from a fake, made up cartoon character and so she has a fake recantation of her fake faith. No biggie, I guess but you and I both know that those who hate the church will cheer. And I’m supposed to spend my money to help this?
Here’s what I think. The producers of this fine piece of work are cowards. Sissies. Wusses. Chicken! So they attack Christianity. What’s the church going to do about it? Nothing!
My challenge to them is this: how about you produce a movie doing a similar number on Islam! Yes! There’s the ticket!!
What? You say you can’t? Why not? Are you cowards? Sissies? Wusses? Are you chicken? Of course you are! You know what they’d do. As I think about what they’d do to you, I recall the theme of an old, old movie: “Now, that’s entertainment!” (let the hate mail begin!)
It has become very vogue to trash anything smacking of Christianity. MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell spewed this week when another commentator referenced the book of Revelation when talking about the Japanese situation. O’Donnell said the book of Revelation is a work of fiction describing how a truly vicious God would bring about the end of the world. No half smart religious person actually believes the book of Revelation, O’Donnell ranted. They, the enlightened, are certain their God would never turn into a malicious torturer and mass murderer beyond Hitler’s wildest dream.
Wow. To showcase such Biblical ignorance and stupidity on national television is distressing, really. How embarrassing! O’Donnell has no idea what Revelation is about. None. Zero. Zip. Nada. But sad to say less than knowledgeable people might fall for it.
There’s a lot more anti-God sludge forging its own tsunami across the theological landscape. It seems the new 2011 version of the NIV bible translation has removed most sexist language (he is them, fishers of men has become fishers of people, and so forth) although God is still referred to in the masculine tense. That’s all fine and well to make the Bible politically correct, I guess. But did you know they took away Mary’s virginity? She is no longer a virgin, but a young woman. The translators will say that technically the original word is young woman. Technically, perhaps. But it also means virgin, and in this application it has for thousands of years.
John the Apostle said in his Epistle that there are many anti-Christs, and you can tell who they are because they are supposed to be Christians, but deny Christ and lead folks astray.
There is a tsunami of blasphemy and heresy sweeping the churches in a big way. Since the fall of Rome, according to one view of Revelations that I think is pretty good, Satan’s power has been abridged and cut back. This was graphically illustrated in Revelation by the vision of the thousand years. But I fear that thousand year stretch is over. We have entered the time when “Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves.” (Rev 20:7b-9)
We are living and breathing Armageddon here and now. It is everywhere around you. You can’t even go to the movies and escape! All we can do is follow the advice of Paul and put on the full armor of faith (see Ephesians 6).
So, back about the movie. Yes, they have every right in the world to make it. But I have every right in the world not to watch it. I will spend my money elsewhere and if you were thinking about seeing this movie, I urge you to do the same. And that's too bad. It does look funny.
In other news,
Who could not be anything but impressed with the awesome Japanese people, who have shown what they are really made of? In the wake of the terrible earthquake and tsunami we notice there has been no looting, no riots, no fighting as folks scramble for survival. No mobs at places were commodities are handed out, but instead orderly lines. We cannot help but remember the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and that awful mess and all that nastiness. Every time back in the day when I covered a tornado I noticed that either National Guards or law enforcement was posted to keep out looters. Doesn’t that make you feel ashamed, America?
Japan is not a Christian nation as such, yet they embody Christian principles in a way we Americans will never achieve.
I want you to go online to the website of the Mustard Seed Global Fellowship (http:://www.msgf.com). You will find some Ozark Christian College folks doing a great job in planting churches in Japan, and right now they are working at bringing relief to this great land and this great people. Click on the link to the churches, and click on that link to hear sermons. It’s very interesting! Carolyn and I threw a few shekels their way. You might ponder the same!
This is The Voice of One.
Isaiah 40:3
