The 2013 Thanksgiving blog

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of Lords: His love endures forever.

To him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1-4)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kevin

Thanking God even when life hurts

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wanted to take a few minutes to tell you that while I have a lot to be thankful for, I am most thankful for my friendship and fellowship with the God of the Bible! As I've described in this blog before, when I was a boy I became a Christian. It was the best decision I ever made, and my relationship with God all these years since then has only become sweeter and more fulfilling.

When I talk like this, I would imagine that it makes some of you wince. You may think I’m just walking around with rose-colored glasses on.  You think that my perception is tinted to see only the good and somehow magically block out all the bad. Nothing could be further from the truth. I know that life is extremely challenging. For example, as I look back over this year in my own life, I see the trials that have come in and blindsided me like a linebacker blindsides an unsuspecting quarterback. Jesus said, “In this world, you will have trouble” (John 16:33), and He was so right.

But, even in the midst of the turmoil, my faith and trust in God is the thing that sustains me and keeps me going. Even in the midst of the chaos, I have hope, certainty, and gratitude to God that He alone is in full control. Ephesians 1:11 tells us that God “works out everything in conformity to the purpose of his will.” Certainly that doesn’t mean that we will always understand why God allows specific things to happen. God said in the book of Isaiah that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). But, even though this is true, God’s will, plan, and purpose is superior, and it will ultimately prevail.

Kevin

Remembering C.S. Lewis

It was on this day, 50 years ago, that Christian author C.S. Lewis died. Lewis’ writings have had an influence on me personally as well as countless others. To try to narrow his legacy down to one book is near impossible. I love his “Chronicles of Narnia”; a book entitled “The Screwtape Letters” is another of his gems.  But probably my favorite book from him is his classic “Mere Christianity”. Do yourself a favor and pick this up great book in your local Christian bookstore.

In an effort to honor Lewis’ memory, I thought I would highlight three things from C.S. Lewis’ book "Mere Christianity."  Rest assured this is just a very small sampling. One could certainly mine many different gold nuggets of truth in his book. In fact, I once wrote an academic paper on this book, and I felt like I just scratched the surface in that paper, too!

1) Sexual purity

Lewis was a bachelor for most of his life, and so I can relate to him there, as I am in that arena of life right now. Lewis writes this in a chapter called "Sexual Morality": “Chastity is the most unpopular of the Christian virtues. There is no getting away from it; the Christian rule is, ‘Either marriage, with complete faithfulness to your partner, or else total abstinence.’” It’s true. I’m reminded of Hebrews 13:4, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer, and all the sexually immoral.”

2) Forgiveness

Another chapter in “Mere Christianity” discusses forgiveness. I’ve used this sentence from Lewis many times since I first read it: “Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.” In other words, you can go around saying how great forgiveness is, but it isn’t until someone actually hurts you, when you see how natural it would be to inwardly desire revenge, and begin to harbor a grudge. The rubber meets the road, however, when you choose instead to extend forgiveness.

3) Humility

At one point in a chapter on pride entitled “The Great Sin”, Lewis speaks of the person who is humble. He says that the humble person “will not be thinking about humility, he will not be thinking about himself at all.” I think what Lewis means here is that there is a certain joy that comes in choosing to selflessly serve others and subsequently fading into the background.

To sum up, C.S. Lewis left an enduring legacy for the truth of Biblical Christianity. May the same thing be said of all of us one day.

Kevin

"Give thanks to the Lord"

Colossians 3:15-17 reads, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Comprised in these verses, we are told to be thankful (or some variation of it) three times.

With Thanksgiving approaching, I wanted to remind us all that being thankful is a Biblical idea. I’ve mentioned Colossians 3, but consider these other Biblical passages as well:

Psalm 100:4: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Psalm 136:1: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.” Here’s a Bible verse that is hard for me to practice: “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

It was interesting for me to be reminded that the Bible tells us not only to be thankful, but to express our thankfulness to the One who is responsible for the gifts and blessings we enjoy. In James we read, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting sands” (James 1:17). God is a benevolent and generous God. He is ultimately the One that has provided us with the gifts that we can easily take for granted.

For instance, when was the last time you thanked God for the oxygen that you breathe every day? I must confess that I’m guilty of taking this gift for granted. How about sleep? Certainly some of us may not get as much sleep as we could (or should) but the Bible says that God “gives sleep to those he loves” (Psalm 127:2).  By the way, God’s love is not limited to a select few. God loves everyone in the world (John 3:16).

As I’ve alluded to several times, this idea of daily gratitude to God for His benefits is something that I struggle with. The truth is, I find it much easier to focus on what I don’t have than on the fundamental everyday blessings I already possess. This is not as it should be. I want to express my thanks to God daily, not just every late November!

Kevin

Six things I love about Spider-Man 3 (part 2)

To recap, last time I stated that the movie Spider-Man 3 is underrated. It has clear flaws, to be sure, but it’s better than the unfavorable reputation it has. I mentioned the first three things I like about this movie in part 1. Today I’ll give the final three.

#4: Tobey Maguire’s performance

Maguire had to do more than just be our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man in this movie. At times, he had to stray far from what he did in the first two Spider-Man movies. Primarily because Peter was under the influence of the black suit, Tobey had to express considerable arrogance, as well as display episodes of intense anger, and uncompromising vengeance. He did it all very well. His portrayal is spectacular. Maguire will always be Spider-Man to me, and this was the final time we got to see him in the role. He hit a home run with his last performance as Peter/Spider-Man.

#5: The final battle

In my last blog installment, I described how Eddie Brock bonded with the black suit to become Venom. What follows after that is Venom tracks down Sandman and talks him into teaming up in an effort to destroy Spider-Man. I really enjoy the entire final battle between Spider-Man versus Venom and Sandman. I do want to acknowledge that my biggest complaint with Venom in this movie was the filmmaker’s bad decision to almost always have Venom peel back his mask to reveal Eddie Brock. The viewer rarely got to see Venom instead it was usually just Eddie’s face. But, that annoyance notwithstanding, the final battle is thoroughly entertaining.

I have to give kudos to Harry Osborn. Even with everything he has been through, ultimately, he fights by Peter’s side. Let me back up and give some context. The “bad” Peter’s most deplorable act in the movie, in my opinion, is when he tossed one of Harry’s own Goblin bombs in Harry’s face as it exploded. This resulted in grotesque scars all over Harry’s face. Despite this, after hearing from his butler how his father, Norman, didn’t die at the hand of Spider-Man as he had thought, Harry chooses to help Peter fight Sandman and Venom. He actually saves Peter’s life twice in the final battle. The second occurrence proved fatal, as Harry literally gave his life for his friend. Once again, seeing all this unfold leaves me at a loss as to why this movie isn't more appreciated, despite its blunders.

#6: The overall message of the film

The main point of the film is that nursing a grudge, harboring unforgiveness, and inwardly desiring revenge has a high price tag; it is a much better course of action to choose forgiveness. I can tell you from firsthand experience that forgiveness is powerful. That’s why I love the ending of Spider-Man 3 so much.
The power of forgiveness is shown in scene after scene as the movie nears its conclusion.

Forgiveness is what enabled Harry to fight by Peter’s side; forgiveness is what enabled Mary Jane and Peter to be reconciled in the last scene of the movie. Peter, after hearing a contrite and remorseful Flint Marko, tells Marko he forgives him for killing his uncle. Upon Peter’s declaration of forgiveness, you can practically see Marko released from his inner shackles of guilt.  Aunt May even counsels Peter to forgive himself, this is something he clearly does to return to his life of heroism.  Forgiveness is incredibly powerful.

In conclusion, I hope I’ve clearly articulated why I think Spider-Man 3 is better than what most give it credit for. There are more favorable things that I could say than just these six points I’ve cited, (for instance, I love all the fight scenes between Spider-Man and Sandman in this film) but you get the point. I’ve also tried to make it clear that I’m not unaware of the fact that this movie has its obvious missteps. But I think that this movie has more appeal than its critics have led you to believe.

Kevin

Six things I love about Spider-Man 3

There seems to be a passionate hatred of the film Spider-Man 3 across the board. I think this conclusion is unfair because the movie is better than many people realize and I want to spend some time relaying why.

Before I do, let me state clearly, for the record, that I’m not blind to the obvious flaws in this movie. I could easily write a blog entitled "Six things I loathe about Spider-Man 3" as well.  For example, why is Peter, under the influence of the black suit, so enamored with dancing? In one scene, he dances while simply walking down the street alone. The black suit makes Peter more violent and angry, not a “Dancing with the Stars” reject.  So I’m not suggesting that this movie doesn’t have any issues. But I also think it is underrated, and I want to give some reasons as to why.

#1: The “birth” of Sandman scene

In the early stages of the film, Flint Marko is running from the cops. As he does so, he apparently doesn’t read or notice the sign that warns, “Particle physics test facility: keep out”. Marko falls into a pit of sand. The employees at the test facility run the test, not realizing a human being is inside the test site. So the result is that sand around Marko merged into his body, turning him into the Sandman.

We are then treated to a great scene of Sandman taking shape. He starts with a few grains of sand, and he tries to keep his new body together, only to have it fall apart. He continues to struggle; eventually he sees a locket of his daughter, so he fights harder to maintain control of his new form. He summons his new sand existence to form a hand, so he can grab the locket, only to have it break apart, but he persists and is finally able to grab the prized possession. Next, he morphs sand into legs so he can walk. Like a baby’s first step, he struggles to walk at first, but is eventually able to do so. It’s a visually stunning scene. I tried my best to articulate it in word form, but a picture is worth a thousand words on this one. Check out this scene, if you can.

#2: The wisdom of Aunt May

Every scene that includes Aunt May is an absolute gem. In one scene, Peter wants to propose to Mary Jane, and he goes to May’s house for her blessing. Aunt May is pleased at this news (and she even gives Peter the engagement ring that she wore when she was engaged to Ben Parker, Peter’s uncle). But she cautions Peter with these words: “A man has to be understanding and put his wife before himself.” This is so true, and it is not usually mentioned in a Hollywood movie.

Another memorable scene is after Spider-Man – while under the control of an alien symbiote that makes Peter darker and more violent – has attempted to kill Sandman (alias Flint Marko). He did this after finding out that Flint Marko was the one who murdered his Uncle Ben. Sandman isn’t dead, but Peter thinks he killed him. He goes to May to report (more like gloat) that Spider-Man killed Sandman. Aunt May is surprised that Spider-Man would kill anyone. Peter says, “But, Aunt May, he killed Uncle Ben.” “Uncle Ben meant the world to us,” May replies. “But he wouldn’t want us living one second with revenge in our hearts. It’s like a poison. It can take you over. Before you know it, it turns us into something ugly.” She is spot on. Unfortunately, Peter doesn’t have ears to hear her message at this point.

#3: The bell tower scene

Let me set the context of this scene: Peter has finally come to his senses. He sees how the black alien suit has altered his personality. Humbled, he runs outside into the rain. Then he hears a bell ringing at a church. He decides to go to this church. Peter goes into the bell tower. The bell starts to chime again, and the black alien suit Peter is wearing literally reacts to the loud noise by shrieking. Thus Peter learns that loud noise is a weakness of the symbiotic suit; this is his chance of freedom from the suit that he craves. He fights and fights to get the suit off, but the symbiote wants to remain with Peter because it craves the power that he has. Peter gradually begins to tears the symbiote off of him in pieces. Ultimately he is liberated.

Meanwhile, Eddie Brock, Peter’s rival at the Daily Bugle, is at the same church. He selfishly prays for God to kill Peter Parker for costing him his job at the Bugle. Brock notices Peter struggling to get the black suit off. In a dazzling scene, the symbiote, feeling Brock’s hatred for Peter – the one who just rejected the suit – begins to envelop Eddie. At first Eddie is frightened, but he quickly embraces it; he smiles a sinister grin. The suit completely bonds with Eddie, and a new villain is born by uttering a terrifying scream into the camera. Spider-Man’s greatest villain has emerged: Venom. What a great scene! Once again, it’s better to see all this rather than to have me describe it in word form. But I hope I’ve at least whetted your appetite.

To be continued!

Kevin

An important announcement

I want to encourage everyone to check out the next TV special from Billy Graham entitled “my hope America with Billy Graham.” Go to “watchbillygraham.com” for more information.

Mr. Graham has been a powerful voice for God (incidentally, this was the man God used to help me see the truth of the gospel when I was a boy). He is going to speak to America one more time starting this Thursday, November 7th. Once again, check your local listing on the website for the specifics.

I want to implore you – with all the earnestness and passion I can muster – to make it a point to watch “my hope America with Billy Graham.” Tell your friends and family. And most importantly, begin to pray that God would use this very important TV special to draw men, women, boys, and girls to Jesus.

Kevin

The "belt of truth"

Today I listened to a sermon on Ephesians 6, specifically the beginning of verse 14, which reads, “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.” God, by His Spirit, oiled this pastor’s words by illuminating this analogy of wearing a “belt of truth” in a venue He knew I would understand.

He reminded me that Batman, without exception, takes his utility belt with him when he goes out to battle criminals. The belt is just a part of his uniform. This belt cited in Ephesians 6 is just an analogy; the main point is that the Christian is to be armed with truth every single day. In practical terms, what does this mean? Once again, God’s Spirit correlated this to the world of Batman for me.

Recently, the video game “Batman: Arkham Origins” came out. I haven’t personally played it because I don’t have the game system to do so, but I have been able to watch other gamers play it on you tube. By the way, this is just a side note, but I thoroughly enjoyed this new Batman game from start to finish. I’m going to sound like an older guy for saying this, but video games today are so amazing compared to when I was growing up. It really felt like I was watching a movie (and a really good one at that).

In one scene, Batman is drugged and he begins to hallucinate.  He sees an image of Alfred telling him what a disappointment he is.  He has visions of others who all tell him that he’s not a hero, and that Gotham would be better if he just left town and didn’t bother anymore. The first time I watched this scene, I actually said out loud to myself that he is being fed countless lies. In actuality, Batman is a hero. Gotham does need him. Batman eventually is able to take an antidote, freeing his mind from the horrible images. I personally believe that Batman reminded himself of the truth, and in doing so, he was able to keep on fighting until he was able to avail himself of the antidote.

Similarly, a Christian must use the truth to counteract the lies. The Bible says God’s enemy, the devil, is “the father of lies” (John 8:44). I don’t know about you, but I often feel bombarded with lies from the devil. I need the truth. I need the belt of truth to counteract the lies. In John 8:32 Jesus says “the truth will set you free.” Where exactly does this truth come from? Jesus said it comes from the Word of God, the Bible. Christ said in His prayer in John 17: “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (verse 17).

Kevin