It appears that real Christians have a political choice to make in regard to whether or not they can remain in the Democratic party and remain true to their faith.
The old and worn out idea that you don't only make decisions based upon single issued is far past legitimate, and the Democrats spit in the eye of Jesus Christ and his people by legislating against the very specific things He is and his people believe in.
Abortion is the most obvious, but the implementation of Obamacare has in it the proven death panels for adults and ongoing murder via abortion for those living babies still in the womb of their mothers.
Only now they're taking the health care mandate and forcing Christians who oppose it to include it in their insurance coverage.
Lastly, now the Democrats are moving to include homosexual marriage - an abomination to Jesus and man - as part of their official party platform.
There are many more evils being adopted by Obama and the Democrats, but this is enough to cause any true Christian who sincerely follows their faith in Jesus Christ to abandon the Democrats, as it's becoming the party of evil and hatred, trying to suppress the voices and rights of those in opposition to it.
In the end, no Christian should remain a part of this murderous political party which thumbs its nose at the creator of the universe and the Savior of those that believe in Jesus Christ.
It's far past time to make excuses and depart this horrid political entity that is finally going public and out into the open with its true beliefs and agenda. There is absolutely nothing Christian about them.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
After many rumors and much speculation, Peter Jackson announced "The Hobbit" which was originally scheduled to be a two-part series, will now be a trilogy.
Jackson said, "It is only at the end of a shoot that you finally get the chance to sit down and have a look at the film you have made," the Oscar-winning filmmaker wrote on his Facebook page this morning. "Recently Fran [Walsh], Phil [co-screenwriter Philippa Boyens] and I did just this when we watched for the first time an early cut of the first movie—and a large chunk of the second."
Jackson added: "We were really pleased with the way the story was coming together, in particular, the strength of the characters and the cast who have brought them to life. All of which gave rise to a simple question: Do we take this chance to tell more of the tale? And the answer from our perspective as the filmmakers, and as fans, was an unreserved 'yes.'"
Jackson said the impetus behind the decision was that in order to fulfill his vision for the Tolkien story, he felt an additional film needed to be added.
"We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance. The richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, allows us to tell the full story of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and the part he played in the sometimes dangerous, but at all times exciting, history of Middle-earth."
Jackson finished off his announcement saying this: "So, without further ado…I'd like to announce that two films will become three. It has been an unexpected journey indeed, and in the words of Professor Tolkien himself, "'a tale that grew in the telling.'"
Some fans of the Christ-inspired tale have been concerned over whether or not the story will be watered down because of the lack of material in comparison to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
From my point of view I don't think so, as shown be the first series, in the capable hands of Peter Jackson the extraordinary story should be in good hands.
Jackson appears to be saying he's going to use this to explore the characters much deeper than he could have without the third installment.
I, for one, welcome the news, and can't wait until the prequel begins.
Jackson said, "It is only at the end of a shoot that you finally get the chance to sit down and have a look at the film you have made," the Oscar-winning filmmaker wrote on his Facebook page this morning. "Recently Fran [Walsh], Phil [co-screenwriter Philippa Boyens] and I did just this when we watched for the first time an early cut of the first movie—and a large chunk of the second."
Jackson added: "We were really pleased with the way the story was coming together, in particular, the strength of the characters and the cast who have brought them to life. All of which gave rise to a simple question: Do we take this chance to tell more of the tale? And the answer from our perspective as the filmmakers, and as fans, was an unreserved 'yes.'"
Jackson said the impetus behind the decision was that in order to fulfill his vision for the Tolkien story, he felt an additional film needed to be added.
"We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance. The richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, allows us to tell the full story of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and the part he played in the sometimes dangerous, but at all times exciting, history of Middle-earth."
Jackson finished off his announcement saying this: "So, without further ado…I'd like to announce that two films will become three. It has been an unexpected journey indeed, and in the words of Professor Tolkien himself, "'a tale that grew in the telling.'"
Some fans of the Christ-inspired tale have been concerned over whether or not the story will be watered down because of the lack of material in comparison to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
From my point of view I don't think so, as shown be the first series, in the capable hands of Peter Jackson the extraordinary story should be in good hands.
Jackson appears to be saying he's going to use this to explore the characters much deeper than he could have without the third installment.
I, for one, welcome the news, and can't wait until the prequel begins.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
John Huss was one of the principle Christian leaders responsible for helping to ignite the reformation, as he was a proponent of John Wycliffe, who is largely credited with kindling the flame which let to the sweeping changes in Christendom.
As a Catholic priest he attempted to reform the Medieval church, attempting to engender a discourse over the writings and assertions of Wycliffe, even though he didn't necessarily agree with everything Wycliffe wrote. He was adamant that they weren't to be cast off as casually as they had been by Catholic leaders.
Those believing in the teachings of Huss were called Hussites in that day, and later on those that were called the Moravian Church by outsiders considered themselves spiritual heirs of Huss.
Among other things, Huss battled against the assertion by Catholic clergy that they were the only ones making up the church. Huss and Wycliffe both blasted this as a falsehood. That easily can be seen as a precursor to one of the main themes of the reformation: the priesthood of all believers.
The priesthood of all believers refers to more than that of course, but to be even considered a priesthood, ordinary believers first had to be recognized as officially part of the church.
Huss also spoke against the immorality of Catholic leaders and their love for money by charging for the services offered by priests, such as "confession, for mass, for the sacrament, for indulgences, for churching a woman, for a blessing, for burials, for funeral services and prayers," said Huss, according to Macek, 16.
Below is a film biography of Huss and his battle against the excesses and immorality of the Catholic church leaders of his day.
Huss, who is also called Jan Huss outside the West, was burned at the stake on July 6, 1415.
Huss and Wycliffe are two of the major influences on Martin Luther who is largely credited with sparking the reformation.
Biography of John Huss
As a Catholic priest he attempted to reform the Medieval church, attempting to engender a discourse over the writings and assertions of Wycliffe, even though he didn't necessarily agree with everything Wycliffe wrote. He was adamant that they weren't to be cast off as casually as they had been by Catholic leaders.
Those believing in the teachings of Huss were called Hussites in that day, and later on those that were called the Moravian Church by outsiders considered themselves spiritual heirs of Huss.
Among other things, Huss battled against the assertion by Catholic clergy that they were the only ones making up the church. Huss and Wycliffe both blasted this as a falsehood. That easily can be seen as a precursor to one of the main themes of the reformation: the priesthood of all believers.
The priesthood of all believers refers to more than that of course, but to be even considered a priesthood, ordinary believers first had to be recognized as officially part of the church.
Huss also spoke against the immorality of Catholic leaders and their love for money by charging for the services offered by priests, such as "confession, for mass, for the sacrament, for indulgences, for churching a woman, for a blessing, for burials, for funeral services and prayers," said Huss, according to Macek, 16.
Below is a film biography of Huss and his battle against the excesses and immorality of the Catholic church leaders of his day.
Huss, who is also called Jan Huss outside the West, was burned at the stake on July 6, 1415.
Huss and Wycliffe are two of the major influences on Martin Luther who is largely credited with sparking the reformation.
Biography of John Huss
The Bible is by far the most important and popular book in the history of the world, and for centuries there was a battle waging over its translation and use.
Leaders in the Catholic Church didn't want the scriptures in the hands of the common people, especially in a language they could understand it in.
Reformers like Wycliffe, Tyndale and Cranmer battled to get it into the hands of the people, which threatened the Catholic hierarchy which rightly knew it was a threat to their authority; time has proven that to be exactly right.
Accompanying the battle for the Bible was the question of ultimate authority itself: would it be the Bible or men? While the Holy Scriptures are winning out, this battle continues on to this day.
Here are several videos on the history of the battle for the Bible to be released in languages people understood, as well as the resultant battle for where ultimate authority truly lies. The two go together.
There were other issues being fought over, but all of them stemmed from these two.
It was so intense that many people were martyred over it.
Battle For The Bible - The English Bible - Wycliffe, Tyndale,
Cranmer
The Forbidden Book - History of The English Bible
A Lamp In The Dark: Untold history of Bible ~ Full Film
Leaders in the Catholic Church didn't want the scriptures in the hands of the common people, especially in a language they could understand it in.
Reformers like Wycliffe, Tyndale and Cranmer battled to get it into the hands of the people, which threatened the Catholic hierarchy which rightly knew it was a threat to their authority; time has proven that to be exactly right.
Accompanying the battle for the Bible was the question of ultimate authority itself: would it be the Bible or men? While the Holy Scriptures are winning out, this battle continues on to this day.
Here are several videos on the history of the battle for the Bible to be released in languages people understood, as well as the resultant battle for where ultimate authority truly lies. The two go together.
There were other issues being fought over, but all of them stemmed from these two.
It was so intense that many people were martyred over it.
Battle For The Bible - The English Bible - Wycliffe, Tyndale,
Cranmer
The Forbidden Book - History of The English Bible
A Lamp In The Dark: Untold history of Bible ~ Full Film
Johny Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" is one of the most beloved books in Christian and secular literature, and has been translated into over 200 languages while never going out of print since it was first introduced and published in 1678.
The amazing allegory of a Christian on his journey through his walk with the Lord continues to be popular to this day, as it points to many of the challenges and obstacles faced by Christians of all generations; the reason why it has never went out of print.
In other words it's a timeless book, speaking of eternal things all of us who know Christ always will relate to.
A little after the introduction of Pilgrim's Progress and the focus on Christian, a second part of the journey was released, this time with the wife of Christian: Christiana, and their sons. A maiden named Mercy was also included in the family journey.
Rather than get into the story, we've included three films made based upon the epic journeys of Christian and Christiana. One of them is the classic version of the story.
There is also a biography of the famous author John Bunyan to learn from and be inspired by.
John Bunyan - biography
Pilgrim's Progress (Classic Version)
Pilgrim's Progress (UK: 2 hours)
Cristiana's Journey: Pilgrim's Progress, Book 2
The amazing allegory of a Christian on his journey through his walk with the Lord continues to be popular to this day, as it points to many of the challenges and obstacles faced by Christians of all generations; the reason why it has never went out of print.
In other words it's a timeless book, speaking of eternal things all of us who know Christ always will relate to.
A little after the introduction of Pilgrim's Progress and the focus on Christian, a second part of the journey was released, this time with the wife of Christian: Christiana, and their sons. A maiden named Mercy was also included in the family journey.
Rather than get into the story, we've included three films made based upon the epic journeys of Christian and Christiana. One of them is the classic version of the story.
There is also a biography of the famous author John Bunyan to learn from and be inspired by.
John Bunyan - biography
Pilgrim's Progress (Classic Version)
Pilgrim's Progress (UK: 2 hours)
Cristiana's Journey: Pilgrim's Progress, Book 2
John Wycliffe played an enormous pre-reformation role in preparation for a much-needed change in Christianity and the corrupt church of the day.
One of his major contributions was the introduction of the bible in the vernacular of the common people, something strongly opposed by Catholic leaders.
While he wasn't the first, he was probably the loudest and most effective opponent of the church as the final authority, rather than the Word of God. That didn't go over too well for him over the years, as you might well suspect.
As a matter of fact, after his death he was condemned as a heretic by the Catholic leaders at the Council of Constance, whom had his bones dug up and burned and then cast into a river.
Later he sent out two preachers at a time declaring many of the truths he held so dear. These itinerant preachers were eventually known as the Lollards.
One of his major attacks on the Catholic Church, of which he was part, was concerning ecclesiocracy. That is much different than theocracy, in which the principles of Jesus Christ influence the role, influence parameters of governments in the world. Ecclesiocracy was the rule of the clergy over the kings of the world, and thus, the governments and people. That has always been outside the call of God as far as spiritual leaders go, and Wycliffe attacked it with a vengeance.
That's not to say kings and government leaders aren't ministers of God, but that's only in regard to bearing the sword, as Paul says in Romans, not as being over the church of Jesus Christ in any way.
In other words, governmental leaders have an important but defined role by God, while ministers of the gospel have an entirely different one.
The church of Jesus Christ and its leaders are to influence the direction of government leaders, not be over them. Neither are governments to have any sway over the churches. They are completely different entities under God with different purposes and roles to play.
Wycliffe saw that and preached it throughout his life.
There is much more to the story of course, which is why I have included these two videos on the life of Wycliffe and how he and the Lollards influenced history.
John Wycliffe - Biography
The Life and Ministry of John Wycliffe
The Life and Ministry of John Wycliffe
One of his major contributions was the introduction of the bible in the vernacular of the common people, something strongly opposed by Catholic leaders.
While he wasn't the first, he was probably the loudest and most effective opponent of the church as the final authority, rather than the Word of God. That didn't go over too well for him over the years, as you might well suspect.
As a matter of fact, after his death he was condemned as a heretic by the Catholic leaders at the Council of Constance, whom had his bones dug up and burned and then cast into a river.
Later he sent out two preachers at a time declaring many of the truths he held so dear. These itinerant preachers were eventually known as the Lollards.
One of his major attacks on the Catholic Church, of which he was part, was concerning ecclesiocracy. That is much different than theocracy, in which the principles of Jesus Christ influence the role, influence parameters of governments in the world. Ecclesiocracy was the rule of the clergy over the kings of the world, and thus, the governments and people. That has always been outside the call of God as far as spiritual leaders go, and Wycliffe attacked it with a vengeance.
That's not to say kings and government leaders aren't ministers of God, but that's only in regard to bearing the sword, as Paul says in Romans, not as being over the church of Jesus Christ in any way.
In other words, governmental leaders have an important but defined role by God, while ministers of the gospel have an entirely different one.
The church of Jesus Christ and its leaders are to influence the direction of government leaders, not be over them. Neither are governments to have any sway over the churches. They are completely different entities under God with different purposes and roles to play.
Wycliffe saw that and preached it throughout his life.
There is much more to the story of course, which is why I have included these two videos on the life of Wycliffe and how he and the Lollards influenced history.
John Wycliffe - Biography
The Life and Ministry of John Wycliffe
The Life and Ministry of John Wycliffe
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Have you ever thought of the way the eternal, invisible things of Jesus Christ are best communicated for the purpose of being understood and seen by the hearer, reader or viewer?
Even though the Holy Scriptures are communicated in words, those words are full of imagery, types and shadows, and things that go beyond what is simply intellectually understood alone.
This is one of the reasons the religious leaders of Jesus' day knew the letter of the law but could at the same time influence the government of that day to unjustly crucify Jesus Christ; even when all the parties involved knew he was innocent of the charges placed against Him.
Jesus Christ entails all of what God ever wants to say and reveal to
man, and encompasses much that can only be understood through revelation and experience.
Simply knowing the scriptures intellectually is far from being enough to understand and take in all that God has revealed to us in Christ, which of course won't contradict the scriptures in any way.
In my experience, revelation and view of Jesus Christ, I've seen that there needs to be a much more comprehensive revelation of Christ that helps to shed light on who He is and what He is doing in His people. It also references what He expects of His people, and why they are a people in the first place.
This all has to do with the eternal purpose of God, which existed before the creation of man, and stands outside of sin and the need for redemption - as important as understanding those things are.
The finality of God's eternal purpose is to have a mankind built in the image of Jesus Christ Himself. It is nothing less than that, and entails much with it.
All of that is important because communicating that reality and all that it entails is vitally important, and we need another side of the makeup of man to do that. And that's referring to the creative side, where Christ and who he is, what he wants, and what he expects of us, is expressed in a way different than simply the letter of the word, but also in the spirit of the word.
Contemplate the immense variety of the elements of the visible and invisible realms that are used to reveal something of Jesus Christ to His people. It boggles the mind what is available, and we've barely scratched the surface of all that is involved with that.
For example, you have various colors meaning certain things in the Bible, as well as numbers, rocks, mountains, rivers, trees, stars, moon, and a host of other interesting - but in some cases - baffling images.
Add to that the invisible things of heaven which interact with the things of the visible creation, and it adds even more to the extraordinary number of things used to reveal the amazing Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Okay. So what is the point of all of this? It's that we need to grab hold of the creative side of our humanity and allow the Holy Spirit to use it to uncover and express an entire other side of Jesus Christ that few people know, because few people have seen or experienced it. After all, you can't give what you don't have. You can only give what you have.
That's not to say there aren't teachings about all these things out there. But that's not what I'm talking about. We don't need more teachings about it, we need more ways to take what's already been said and weave it together in ways that will help the followers of Jesus Christ to see Him in a different light.
We need to see writers inspired to write about the Lord Jesus Christ in ways that tell a story using many of the tools used by the Holy Spirit in the Bible.
A few people have done this, but other than Bunyan, C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Gene Edwards, and a few others, there has been little in the way of literature that has been produced to show us the majestic things of Jesus Christ expressed in creative but understandable ways which help us to reveal and know Him better.
There has been a quiet move in the speculative fiction Christian realm that has started to take hold, but it's in its infancy, and some of the more well-known writers in Christian fiction in general tend to wallow in the end-times stuff that has been regurgitated over and over again.
We need Christian fiction with some bite to it; something that people can use today, not created for the purpose of selling books because of the popular prophecy genre. Other than telling a decent yarn, there isn't much there to help believers in Jesus Christ where they are today.
Also important is the creation of video stories. But that must start with understanding a lot of the symbolism of the Bible, using that as a launching pad to create from the hidden, but invaluable characteristics of God revealed in His visible and invisible creations, i.e. heaven and earth.
Some good examples of this are a few books written by Gene Edwards. One named "The Day I Was Crucified," deals with the Lord going to the cross from the perspective of the heavenly realm, and what some of the things were that were ended and brought in with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Others written in a similar style include "Christ Before Creation," "The Beginning," "The Birth," and "The Divine Romance," among others.
Christ Before Creation: Introducing Christ and the Unseen Realm
The Beginning
The Birth
The Divine Romance (Inspirational)
These are important because they open a door to a different way of writing about the things of Christ than most people are used to, drawing upon the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Spirit to express them in a much more creative and unique way than most Christians have experienced.
I would recommend getting hold of these books and others like them written by Edwards in order to get a feel for the writing style and so you can grow from there into your own.
Even if you're a published author, especially in the Christian fiction segment, it's worth reading the books of Edwards to see how he is able to take disparate themes and things about Christ and turn them into a compelling story that helps believers see their Christ from a different perspective.
As for storytelling, I believe we must go beyond the way we tell stories about Christ and Christianity, and bring it powerfully into the realm of fiction, where creative believers can, along with the help of the Holy Spirit, show forth Christ in ways and depths we have yet to see.
It's the story that helps bring these things to pass. I'm not talking about new revelation, I'm talking about new ways to communicate and explore that revelation through the telling of stories that intertwine disparate elements and make sense out of them in fictional worlds, fictional characters, and stories that are compelling to read.
The number of stories told can be endless, and we need to go beyond only the ways of everyday life all of us know and be taken to places and people that in the light of Christ are involved with all sorts of amazing journeys and experiences which help to show forth the great depth, width, height and length of the Lord Jesus Christ we serve.
That will be done when we go beyond the letter into the reality and then face the challenge of creatively expressing that in the spoken word, pen, photos and video.
But it all begins with a great story, and great stories of the Lord will only help if we steep ourselves in Biblical imagery so we can draw upon it to creatively make worlds, universes and characters which people learn to love and readily identify as one of the Lord's, while also expressing something of the purpose and nature of the Lord in all their fantastic escapades they participate in.
Anyone Out There?
Having said all this, are we at stage zero waiting for someone to take the first step in our generation, or has it already begun?
In fact it already has begun in the Christian fantasy and science fiction genres, with my favorite publishing house being Marcher Lord Press.
With all the depths of Jesus Christ there is, there is a crying need for the people of God to step forth and bring wholesome and quality speculative fiction to the marketplace in a way that reveals something of who Jesus Christ is and what He is after.
Creative people need to rise and reveal Jesus Christ from the side of the symbolic, types, shadows, and ultimately, into the reality of who He is, using the specific creative tools of the trade.
Once this grows and expands, we'll then start to see movies and shows made from Christian fantasy and science fiction source material that sorely lacks at this time.
Other Creative Elements to Consider
Besides the type of fictional writing mentioned above, including the quasi-fictional writing of Gene Edwards, which wraps a story around the truth of the events that happened in the scriptures, there are other areas of creativity and importance that need to be explored.
For example, we're in the midst of some extraordinary events over the last century or so which includes the formation of the Federal Reserve, Keynesian economics, entitlements, socialism, fascism, and a number of other ideas that have made an amazing impact on the world, and by extension, the Christians living in it.
We need more people to develop a world view involving these types of things and weave them into amazing stories. These types of stories can have a terrific impact on those reading them, while at the same time being instructive while spinning a great yard.
Again, the stories must come first before the art and video, as the full impact is never felt unless it has a story, great characters, and a powerful lesson or lessons to be learnt in the face of powers pressing in upon us.
This article is a call for Christians to rethink where we've been creatively and delve into the many sided wisdom of God, one that is the very creative, which can be expressed in a myriad of ways.
Not only that, but to develop the art of drawing from the scriptures many of the symbols and shadows that express the underlying reality of Jesus Christ.
Finally, and probably most important, is the quest to know this other realm so often mentioned in the Holy Scriptures: a placed filled and permeated with the person of Jesus Christ. So much so, that we are exhorted to pray that His kingdom will come and will be done as earth in the same way it is in heaven. That demands creative people to search out and explore this invisible realm where everything is as it should be, and how we can mine the treasures from there and reveal them in our creative works.
All that we should do can be nothing less than that, and hopefully a growing number of people will heed this holy call and become part of those that follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
Even though the Holy Scriptures are communicated in words, those words are full of imagery, types and shadows, and things that go beyond what is simply intellectually understood alone.
This is one of the reasons the religious leaders of Jesus' day knew the letter of the law but could at the same time influence the government of that day to unjustly crucify Jesus Christ; even when all the parties involved knew he was innocent of the charges placed against Him.
Jesus Christ entails all of what God ever wants to say and reveal to
man, and encompasses much that can only be understood through revelation and experience.
Simply knowing the scriptures intellectually is far from being enough to understand and take in all that God has revealed to us in Christ, which of course won't contradict the scriptures in any way.
In my experience, revelation and view of Jesus Christ, I've seen that there needs to be a much more comprehensive revelation of Christ that helps to shed light on who He is and what He is doing in His people. It also references what He expects of His people, and why they are a people in the first place.
This all has to do with the eternal purpose of God, which existed before the creation of man, and stands outside of sin and the need for redemption - as important as understanding those things are.
The finality of God's eternal purpose is to have a mankind built in the image of Jesus Christ Himself. It is nothing less than that, and entails much with it.
All of that is important because communicating that reality and all that it entails is vitally important, and we need another side of the makeup of man to do that. And that's referring to the creative side, where Christ and who he is, what he wants, and what he expects of us, is expressed in a way different than simply the letter of the word, but also in the spirit of the word.
Contemplate the immense variety of the elements of the visible and invisible realms that are used to reveal something of Jesus Christ to His people. It boggles the mind what is available, and we've barely scratched the surface of all that is involved with that.
For example, you have various colors meaning certain things in the Bible, as well as numbers, rocks, mountains, rivers, trees, stars, moon, and a host of other interesting - but in some cases - baffling images.
Add to that the invisible things of heaven which interact with the things of the visible creation, and it adds even more to the extraordinary number of things used to reveal the amazing Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Okay. So what is the point of all of this? It's that we need to grab hold of the creative side of our humanity and allow the Holy Spirit to use it to uncover and express an entire other side of Jesus Christ that few people know, because few people have seen or experienced it. After all, you can't give what you don't have. You can only give what you have.
That's not to say there aren't teachings about all these things out there. But that's not what I'm talking about. We don't need more teachings about it, we need more ways to take what's already been said and weave it together in ways that will help the followers of Jesus Christ to see Him in a different light.
We need to see writers inspired to write about the Lord Jesus Christ in ways that tell a story using many of the tools used by the Holy Spirit in the Bible.
A few people have done this, but other than Bunyan, C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Gene Edwards, and a few others, there has been little in the way of literature that has been produced to show us the majestic things of Jesus Christ expressed in creative but understandable ways which help us to reveal and know Him better.
There has been a quiet move in the speculative fiction Christian realm that has started to take hold, but it's in its infancy, and some of the more well-known writers in Christian fiction in general tend to wallow in the end-times stuff that has been regurgitated over and over again.
We need Christian fiction with some bite to it; something that people can use today, not created for the purpose of selling books because of the popular prophecy genre. Other than telling a decent yarn, there isn't much there to help believers in Jesus Christ where they are today.
Also important is the creation of video stories. But that must start with understanding a lot of the symbolism of the Bible, using that as a launching pad to create from the hidden, but invaluable characteristics of God revealed in His visible and invisible creations, i.e. heaven and earth.
Some good examples of this are a few books written by Gene Edwards. One named "The Day I Was Crucified," deals with the Lord going to the cross from the perspective of the heavenly realm, and what some of the things were that were ended and brought in with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Others written in a similar style include "Christ Before Creation," "The Beginning," "The Birth," and "The Divine Romance," among others.
Christ Before Creation: Introducing Christ and the Unseen Realm
The Beginning
The Birth
The Divine Romance (Inspirational)
These are important because they open a door to a different way of writing about the things of Christ than most people are used to, drawing upon the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Spirit to express them in a much more creative and unique way than most Christians have experienced.
I would recommend getting hold of these books and others like them written by Edwards in order to get a feel for the writing style and so you can grow from there into your own.
Even if you're a published author, especially in the Christian fiction segment, it's worth reading the books of Edwards to see how he is able to take disparate themes and things about Christ and turn them into a compelling story that helps believers see their Christ from a different perspective.
As for storytelling, I believe we must go beyond the way we tell stories about Christ and Christianity, and bring it powerfully into the realm of fiction, where creative believers can, along with the help of the Holy Spirit, show forth Christ in ways and depths we have yet to see.
It's the story that helps bring these things to pass. I'm not talking about new revelation, I'm talking about new ways to communicate and explore that revelation through the telling of stories that intertwine disparate elements and make sense out of them in fictional worlds, fictional characters, and stories that are compelling to read.
The number of stories told can be endless, and we need to go beyond only the ways of everyday life all of us know and be taken to places and people that in the light of Christ are involved with all sorts of amazing journeys and experiences which help to show forth the great depth, width, height and length of the Lord Jesus Christ we serve.
That will be done when we go beyond the letter into the reality and then face the challenge of creatively expressing that in the spoken word, pen, photos and video.
But it all begins with a great story, and great stories of the Lord will only help if we steep ourselves in Biblical imagery so we can draw upon it to creatively make worlds, universes and characters which people learn to love and readily identify as one of the Lord's, while also expressing something of the purpose and nature of the Lord in all their fantastic escapades they participate in.
Anyone Out There?
Having said all this, are we at stage zero waiting for someone to take the first step in our generation, or has it already begun?
In fact it already has begun in the Christian fantasy and science fiction genres, with my favorite publishing house being Marcher Lord Press.
It's a boutique Christian publisher which understands the market very well, as well as the challenges faced in the current Christian fantasy and science fiction climate.
Most importantly, founder Jeff Gerke, who is an award-winning author in his own right, is committed to not only quality works, but more importantly, to keeping the novels represented by the imprint within the parameters of Biblical Christianity.
If you're wanting to explore this area and have a burden to write, this is one place you should check out quickly.
A secondary website run by Gerke called "Where the Map Ends," provides more in-depth material on Christian speculative fiction, fantasy and science fiction, with a list of authors, artists and websites related to the genre.
You can also read a bunch of interviews with close to seventy authors that are leaders in the field at the site.
With all the depths of Jesus Christ there is, there is a crying need for the people of God to step forth and bring wholesome and quality speculative fiction to the marketplace in a way that reveals something of who Jesus Christ is and what He is after.
Creative people need to rise and reveal Jesus Christ from the side of the symbolic, types, shadows, and ultimately, into the reality of who He is, using the specific creative tools of the trade.
Once this grows and expands, we'll then start to see movies and shows made from Christian fantasy and science fiction source material that sorely lacks at this time.
Other Creative Elements to Consider
Besides the type of fictional writing mentioned above, including the quasi-fictional writing of Gene Edwards, which wraps a story around the truth of the events that happened in the scriptures, there are other areas of creativity and importance that need to be explored.
For example, we're in the midst of some extraordinary events over the last century or so which includes the formation of the Federal Reserve, Keynesian economics, entitlements, socialism, fascism, and a number of other ideas that have made an amazing impact on the world, and by extension, the Christians living in it.
We need more people to develop a world view involving these types of things and weave them into amazing stories. These types of stories can have a terrific impact on those reading them, while at the same time being instructive while spinning a great yard.
Again, the stories must come first before the art and video, as the full impact is never felt unless it has a story, great characters, and a powerful lesson or lessons to be learnt in the face of powers pressing in upon us.
This article is a call for Christians to rethink where we've been creatively and delve into the many sided wisdom of God, one that is the very creative, which can be expressed in a myriad of ways.
Not only that, but to develop the art of drawing from the scriptures many of the symbols and shadows that express the underlying reality of Jesus Christ.
Finally, and probably most important, is the quest to know this other realm so often mentioned in the Holy Scriptures: a placed filled and permeated with the person of Jesus Christ. So much so, that we are exhorted to pray that His kingdom will come and will be done as earth in the same way it is in heaven. That demands creative people to search out and explore this invisible realm where everything is as it should be, and how we can mine the treasures from there and reveal them in our creative works.
All that we should do can be nothing less than that, and hopefully a growing number of people will heed this holy call and become part of those that follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
Monday, July 2, 2012
I've noticed that some people get confused over the difference between the tree of life in the garden of Eden, and the breath of life when God first breathed into Adam to make him a living soul.
By that I mean I've recently heard some people teaching that when God breathed into Adam the breath of life, that was God imparting Himself into Adam.
Of course that generates the question of what the purpose and results would have been if Adam and Eve had eaten of the tree of life in the Garden, and how it was different from the the breath of life God breathed into Adam's nostrils, where afterwards it was announced he was now a living soul.
If God had imparted part of Himself to Adam when he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, that means the tree of life would have to have had another type of life accompanying it, which would really be a stretch to believe.
Now why is this important? Because man in the state he was in after being brought to life, even though in the image of God, wasn't properly lined up with the order God wanted his being to have.
In other words, man wasn't meant to stay as a living soul, as God had more for him. When man was created, God gave him a spirit, soul and body. And while that was the image of God, the soul had yet to become submitted to the spirit in the way God intended, as something else had to happen before that was possible.
The soul will dominate unless the spirit is submitted to by the soul, and that can only happen with the life of Jesus Christ Himself being received by a person.
That's still the same today when someone becomes a believer in Christ, as the potential for the spirit of man, because he has been regenerated by the indwelling of the Spirit of God, which birthed Himself in man at the moment of belief, now can become the source of life if the soul of man will line itself up in submission the Spirit of God, which is now dwelling within the spirit of that individual.
It's vital to understand all of this because if someone confuses the breath of life with Jesus Christ, who has always been the tree of life, it can cause us to miss exactly what is that Christianity, in its essence, is.
The life of God in Christ was inherent in the tree of life in the Garden. If man had eaten of the tree of life, that's when the life of God would have entered into him, not before.
That's the very reason God put a cherubim in charge of protecting access to it so man couldn't take the life of God within himself at that time, as now the need for a Savior to come was part of the equation, and the Spirit wouldn't be given until it happened at Pentecost, thousands of years later.
All of this is significant in understanding that when the life of Christ indwells a believer, the soul, if it submits to the Spirit of God, will be changed and led by the Spirit of God.
This is the reason the scriptures mention that "Christ in Us" is the "hope of glory." It's not simply a reference to going to heaven after we die, but of an indwelling Lord who takes up residence within us in an intimate way, where we are changed into His image as we submit unto his Lordship.
The bottom line is Jesus is the tree of life, and only when we partake of Him in the Spirit do we have the life of God permeating our being.
Ultimately that leads to the soul lowering itself under the hand of the Spirit within so God can in fact, be the Lord of our lives.
To mistake the breath of life as when the life of God enters us, will cause us to miss out on the fact that man, at that moment, was only a living soul, He needed to eat of the tree of life to the very life of God could enter into and fill him, making him a spiritual man.
Remember, the tree of life was located in the center of the Garden of Eden. That means it was central to all of the eternal purpose of God. Again, it's all about the indwelling of the Lord Jesus Christ in our innermost man that Christianity is, and to miss that is to miss almost everything related to God.
By that I mean I've recently heard some people teaching that when God breathed into Adam the breath of life, that was God imparting Himself into Adam.
Of course that generates the question of what the purpose and results would have been if Adam and Eve had eaten of the tree of life in the Garden, and how it was different from the the breath of life God breathed into Adam's nostrils, where afterwards it was announced he was now a living soul.
If God had imparted part of Himself to Adam when he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, that means the tree of life would have to have had another type of life accompanying it, which would really be a stretch to believe.
Now why is this important? Because man in the state he was in after being brought to life, even though in the image of God, wasn't properly lined up with the order God wanted his being to have.
In other words, man wasn't meant to stay as a living soul, as God had more for him. When man was created, God gave him a spirit, soul and body. And while that was the image of God, the soul had yet to become submitted to the spirit in the way God intended, as something else had to happen before that was possible.
The soul will dominate unless the spirit is submitted to by the soul, and that can only happen with the life of Jesus Christ Himself being received by a person.
That's still the same today when someone becomes a believer in Christ, as the potential for the spirit of man, because he has been regenerated by the indwelling of the Spirit of God, which birthed Himself in man at the moment of belief, now can become the source of life if the soul of man will line itself up in submission the Spirit of God, which is now dwelling within the spirit of that individual.
It's vital to understand all of this because if someone confuses the breath of life with Jesus Christ, who has always been the tree of life, it can cause us to miss exactly what is that Christianity, in its essence, is.
The life of God in Christ was inherent in the tree of life in the Garden. If man had eaten of the tree of life, that's when the life of God would have entered into him, not before.
That's the very reason God put a cherubim in charge of protecting access to it so man couldn't take the life of God within himself at that time, as now the need for a Savior to come was part of the equation, and the Spirit wouldn't be given until it happened at Pentecost, thousands of years later.
All of this is significant in understanding that when the life of Christ indwells a believer, the soul, if it submits to the Spirit of God, will be changed and led by the Spirit of God.
This is the reason the scriptures mention that "Christ in Us" is the "hope of glory." It's not simply a reference to going to heaven after we die, but of an indwelling Lord who takes up residence within us in an intimate way, where we are changed into His image as we submit unto his Lordship.
The bottom line is Jesus is the tree of life, and only when we partake of Him in the Spirit do we have the life of God permeating our being.
Ultimately that leads to the soul lowering itself under the hand of the Spirit within so God can in fact, be the Lord of our lives.
To mistake the breath of life as when the life of God enters us, will cause us to miss out on the fact that man, at that moment, was only a living soul, He needed to eat of the tree of life to the very life of God could enter into and fill him, making him a spiritual man.
Remember, the tree of life was located in the center of the Garden of Eden. That means it was central to all of the eternal purpose of God. Again, it's all about the indwelling of the Lord Jesus Christ in our innermost man that Christianity is, and to miss that is to miss almost everything related to God.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
