knowledgeofgoodandevil

I just had a procedure done to break up a kidney stone. After the procedure, the Doctor put in a stint into my ureter (the tube going from your kidney to your bladder). Let me tell you, I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.

I could feel the thing inside me. Every move I made, it moved. While sleeping, if I turned over, I could feel the thing move. If I needed to sit down, I eased myself down, as I could feel it and didn’t want to hurt myself. Who designed this wicked contraption? It seemed so barbaric. In these days and times when we can transplant hearts and other organs, why do we need something like a stint, still? How come they haven’t imagined something other than this.

The thing was so uncomfortable, I couldn’t think straight. I couldn’t do anything. I walked slowly. I just wanted to sit down and not move. I was supposed to have it in me for two weeks, but after the weekend, I called the Doctor out of desperation, begging his nurse if there was any way to get the thing out? I just couldn’t take it anymore. I had things to do and nothing was getting done.

The nurse called me back and said I could come in the next day. I wanted to kiss and hug her, but we were talking on the phone. She said it would have to be 10:30. I didn’t care. I would sit there all day if I had to.

When I got to the Doctor’s office the next day, the nurse said the Doctor had to look over my x-ray to see if I could get out the stint or not. NOOOOOO!!! It can’t be a question. It needs to come out. Please don’t say that! NOOOOO! I can’t have this thing in me for another week and a half. Please NO! NO! NO! NO! I began to pray desperately. Please Lord, let the Doc take this thing out! Please! Please! Please!

When the Doctor came in I held my breath. He looked at the x-ray with me to see if it was possible to take out the stint. I was ready to sit there and move right in, until he agreed to take the thing out. I would stage a protest. He said he could take it out. A flood of relief washed over me. Thank Goodness! I didn’t even care if it hurt to get it out. Just get the thing out!

It did hurt to take it out. And it burned for about two hours after. But it was out and I could move freely again. Those four days, that thing stayed inside me were the worst. I kept telling myself, “This too shall pass!” And it did.

Throughout our lives we have and will have momentary afflictions. Momentary pain or problems. But this too shall pass. None of it will be forever. We live on the planet for a really short time. Even if our lives are plagued with pain, physical or emotional, it won’t be forever. For the Christian, we have an eternity to look forward to. This life we live will be momentary. With all of its problems, pain and afflictions, all of it will pass. If not while you are here, it will definitely be gone when we go home to be with the Lord.

So take heart Christian. Remember that all of our afflictions are but momentary. This too shall pass. And if a doctor ever tells you he needs to put a stint inside you, run screaming from his office as fast as you can and never look back. It really is that bad.

In the last days, many false teachers and doctrines will arise to confuse the church. And we are definitely in the last days. To continue the discussion of “The Shack,” I want to address what’s really wrong with it.

“For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully,” 2 Corinthians 11:4

“The Shack,” represents a different Jesus. It is not the Jesus of the Bible. Nor is it the Father of the Bible or the Holy Spirit. Why would a Christian go to a movie to see a man-made version of God, when clearly God tells us who He is in the Bible? Don’t you want the real thing? The God that can be counted on? The true foundation? Why seek a non-Christian’s view of who they think God is? What would be the benefit in that?

“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ, But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ,” Galatians 1:6-10.

These are words to live by. Do you see what the apostle Paul says, should happen to the one who preaches a different gospel (and that would include a different Christ) he/she is to be accursed! And he says it two times that they should be accursed. “The Shack” preaches a different gospel and a different Christ. Christian, don’t see it. It’s toxic. It is not a Christian movie. We live in the last days when more and more false teachers, and preachers or going to come to confuse God’s children. Be aware. Stay awake.

The only real truth is from God’s Word. Everything else in the world is man-made and unreliable. Base your life on the Rock which is Jesus Christ. We, as Christians, can’t afford to wander off, seeking man-made versions of God. There’s no time for that. There’s a reason God warns us over and over in Scripture to stay awake, don’t fall asleep, be aware. It’s so we aren’t fooled. We aren’t duped. Satan never comes as a devil. He comes as an angel of light. He takes the truth and twists it ever so slightly, so right off, it sounds like the truth, but it isn’t. Satan dresses up false doctrines and religions in Christian clothing and Christian lingo. He doesn’t offer us blatant lies. Who would fall for that? He offers us twisted truth. Ever so slightly, changed. Ever so slightly, twisted, so you aren’t quite aware of what’s being offered. It sounds like the real thing, so it must be the real thing. But in the end, it bites you. It’s the sleeping snake.

“The Shack,” cannot offer the Christian anything but a false god and a false gospel. If you are a Christian, you won’t be better, seeing this movie. There is nothing in there, to live by. Like I said last week, take the money you would spend on “The Shack,” and toss it in the offering plate next Sunday. It will be a way better use of the money God has blessed you with.

A new “Christian” movie out is called “The Shack.” If you are a true believer, don’t bother seeing it. I’m serious, don’t waste your time or money.

If you ask me, no I haven’t seen the movie. No, I don’t plan on seeing the movie. Yes, I can have an opinion on the movie, without seeing it. It’s simple.

Let me tell you why I won’t see the movie, and don’t think if you are a true Christian, you should see it, either. It’s bunk. It’s stupid. It’s ridiculous. We have a Bible that tells us who God is and how He acts.

God tells us in His word, that He is one God, yet three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Let me tell you who plays God the Father in the movie, “The Shack,” – a black woman. Nope, that description is nowhere in my Bible. That’s not how God describes Himself. Why would I waste my time on something, when they can’t even get God right. God is not a black woman. God never describes Himself as a black woman.

I’ve seen the trailer to the movie and the Holy Spirit and Jesus are either another woman and a guy. I can’t tell, based on the trailer, which is which. But those aren’t accurate descriptions either. Jesus Christ, the Son, is a Jewish man. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit that indwells every true believer.

Again, we have our Bible that tells us who God is, how He acts, things He says over and over in His Word. From what research I’ve done on the movie, the premise is a story about a man suffering overwhelming grief at losing his daughter to a serial killer. God sends him a note to come meet Him, in the shack where his daughter lost her life. So far, the movie is seriously wonky. God doesn’t send personal hand written notes to His people. The Bible is God’s hand written letter to us. Why do we need a made up version of God, when we have the real God of the Bible interacting with us? This movie is manipulative as it plays on our emotions. Who wouldn’t be upset if their child was murdered? The story is all made up. There are real stories in the Bible with real people and God working with those people in real ways. Don’t bother with a made up version of God.

Apparently, the movie isn’t even that good. I looked up their score on Rotten Tomatoes and they scored it 18% out of 100%. That’s a pretty low score.

What makes me mad about this stupid movie is the number of Christians who will probably spend their hard earned money on this. This made up, phoney-baloney movie that has absolutely no similarity with the God of the Bible. Come on people. This isn’t a Christian movie. This isn’t even a good movie.

If you want to know who God is, don’t go to the “Shack,” go open your Bible and read all about God in there. He’ll explain who He is. He talks about grief, love, sin, sorrow, death, redemption, hope, peace, the Devil, forgiveness. I could go on and on. And God tells us all about these things in the best way possible, through stories that we can all relate to. He brings us real people, with real problems, dealing with a real God. Don’t reward the people who made up this stupid movie with your hard earned money. In fact, take the money it would cost you to see the movie and toss it in the offering plate as it’s passed around next Sunday. I’m serious, what could be a better use of that money you worked so hard for.

A strange thing happened to me the other day. I was sitting in a coffee shop with my daughter, waiting for my son to finish his homeschool class. I brought a good book with me to wile away the time and my daughter brought her Bible study homework. I don’t know about you, but when someone stares at me, I automatically look in their direction. I’m not sure what that is, but I’ve always done that.

So I’m sitting there, drinking my coffee and enjoying my book, when I feel eyes on me. I look up to meet the eyes of this very young girl, literally staring me down. I’m not sure what her deal is, so I return to the comfort of my book. A little while later, I automatically look up from my book to catch the same girl’s eyes, staring me down again. She wants something, but I don’t know what it is. She’s acting a little off, so I don’t engage. I just return to reading my book. Minutes later, I look up again, to look right into the same girl’s staring eyes. The Holy Spirit tells me to ignore her, so I do. After a few minutes, I decide to catch a glimpse of this girl to see what she’s about without getting caught. I quickly look over at her and see she’s sitting with a girl, wearing a hijab. So she’s sitting with a Muslim girl. The girl that’s staring, is not wearing a hijab. Her head is uncovered, she’s got a short, masculine haircut. After ignoring her, her conversation gets really loud. She’s been triggered, but I can’t figure out why. I’m not wearing a giant cross, or a t-shirt that says, “I hate Muslims.” So what is her deal?

I quickly return to my book and figure the only way to keep her at arm’s length is to ignore her. She and the Muslim girl leave before we do. When my daughter and I leave, I ask my daughter what could have triggered it. My daughter holds up her Bible that says in big, silver letters on the side, “The Holy Bible.” “Probably this!” she replies. Oh, yep, that’s probably it.

The girl saw the Bible, and decided she was going to start something with those radical Christians. Her mind has been filled with the lame stream media telling people that there are radical Christians about and to be afraid, very afraid.

But that’s not what the Bible teaches us. When a Christian is radical, my definition, they are closer to God. They are walking with God and are filled with the Holy Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit become more manifest in the radical Christian: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. Those are the “symptoms” of a radical Christian. We will not hurt you. Our Bible tells us not to. We will not curse you. Our Bible tells us not to. We will not try and kill you. Our Bible tells us not to. The only thing we will do is try to convert you to Christianity by telling you God loves you.

Christians do not hate Muslims. Our Bible tells us to even love our enemies. Truth seems to be a rare commodity these days. There’s a new Lego movie coming out about Batman. My daughter and I laugh at the trailer. At some point in the movie, the Joker asks Batman who his enemies are. Batman replies that Superman is his arch enemy. Which the Joker replies, “Superman’s not a bad guy!” Just like the line in the movie, Christians are not the bad guys. A true Christian doesn’t bring harm wherever we go. We bring the fruits of the Spirit, against, which, there is no law. How can there be a law against love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control? These are the things we bring with us. These are the fruits we bear in our lives. The truth is, you want Christians near you. You want Christians bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit, around you. The fruit is good. It’s all good.