(A child loving their father, A Man Loving his Creator God)
So, we went to opening night of Kirk Cameron's movie Unstoppable. First off, the movie contained a lot special effects that were very professional and more real to life than any movie I have seen in the past describing "events" in the Bible. On the other hand, the people I went with were all Bible believing Christians and we all agreed that the theology portrayed was a bit off. We all left kinda scratching our heads. Now, why would I put out a critic of a Christian movie? I back and support all Christians who put the Gospel out there in a sincere manner. We were so moved by Cameron's first movie, Monumental, that we took a family pilgrimage to Plymouth just to see it! However, Unstoppable, with all it's special effects, left a gaping hole at the end of it. The message conveyed was that bad things happen to good people and we have to trust God had a plan and he will use it for good. This in and of itself is not entirely off base, but it continued to say that every bad thing that happens to good people is really just a good seed the Lord will use. Almost like God intended for the bad thing to happen just so He would be glorified. We rarely, if ever, see any bad thing happen to a good person specifically for the glory of God, and even then, when we do in the Gospel of John, God the Father is glorified in healing, not death or sickness.
John 9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
This one man was born blind for the glory of God to be revealed in his HEALING. He was a seed planted so the Gospel of God- healing and health- would be spread far and wide.
"Unstoppable" was made mostly for Christians, ie, the narrator calls his friends "good people," and tries to explain why a young boy died a long and drawn out death when parents were devote Christians and loved God.
The narrator was not able to give scripture references so his reasoning is not Biblically sound. Anyone in the Bible who truly loved God and was in the will of God was saved somehow, except for martyrs. Now, if they are saying this young boy was martyr for Christ, that he and his family stood for the Gospel and some outside source killed them for their faith, that would be a movie right there.
Instead, when talking about sickness, like cancer, we need to see that there are other, perhaps evil forces (sin and sickness go hand in hand as we just read in John 9- "who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?), that are at play.
But when talking about the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, those who follow him always seem to find a way out. Examples:
Job, Daniel in the lion den, Shadrach Meshach and Abednego were saved in the firey furnance, the Isrealites were led out of Egypt an into the Promised Land. I could go on and on. They all had a common denominator: They LOVED GOD WITH ALL THEIR HEARTS
I have found recently that there is nothing more powerful than the first Commandment. “Love God.”
It isn't hard to love God. God is love and to love God is to Love loving God, Jesus, everyone. For faith works by “Love”. all things work together for good for those who "Love God"
If you want to talk to God you have to first Love him.
The movie stated their purpose was to answer the question,”Why do bad things happen to
good people, or anyone.” The movie never
answered the question.
Jesus said bad things happen to people because of their own sin or the sin of others. The movie doesn't mention Jesus talking about “Go and sin no more so the sickness doesn't come back.”
Jesus said bad things happen to people because of their own sin or the sin of others. The movie doesn't mention Jesus talking about “Go and sin no more so the sickness doesn't come back.”
The movie didn't mention Jesus, being a hero, coming and rescuing, saving, (Savior), people like a fireman. Jesus coming and healing a problem, situation or brokenness.
Get everyhing and everyone out of your heart that exalts itself above God. 2 Corinthians 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
You have to think with every thought “I love God” "I love Jesus," to be healed, saved, broken hearts healed, mended, fear vanquishes in the presence of Loving God.
So Love God, stay connected to the vine,
for you are just a branch and you are lost without being connected to God through
Loving him. Peoplewho ask people to do
things for them but do not love the person with God's love whom they
are asking a favor of: are just “using others”. You can not use God, or manipulate him. There is nothing you can do; going to church,
tithing, singing in the choir, teaching Sunday school, feeding the poor. None of that will get God to “answer” your
prayers. Only “loving” God will be your
faith and your faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains.. Just think:
I Love God!
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Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, [neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 John 4: 16 God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Faith in Action
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Hebrews 11:33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.
Galatians 2:16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
1 Corinthians 13:8 Love never fails.
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy
Matthew 17:14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him.15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. [ ” 21 Freedom in Christ
Galentians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.
2 Corinthians 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
2 Corinthians 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
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