Great Lines From Movies: Star Wars

My husband and I grew up on Star Wars and “shared the love” with our children who will probably pass it on to theirs.  sigh.  The force is strong in our family.   One of my favorite scenes is the light saber duel between Darth Vader and his old mentor, Obi Wan Kenobi.  Watch.

“If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.” 

Sounds familiar –  Thousands of years ago, in a country far, far, away, someone more powerful than a Jedi, Jesus Christ, knowing he was going to be “struck down” soon,  told his disciples, “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” John 16:7

He assures them later that they’d have more power then, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…” Acts 1:8  And then he disappeared with more drama and excitement than Obi Wan:   “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”  Acts 1:9

Unlike Star Wars, the Power that works in us, the Holy Spirit,  is not a force, but a person.  A He, not an It.  He’s the spirit of God and Christ that lives in us when we become Christians ~~ “…the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints…the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.“  Colossians 1:26-27

“Trust your feelings, Luke.”

Like Luke Skywalker, we too have perils to navigate through, but a Christian pilot quickly learns NOT to trust feelings much, because they can be misleading.  Instead, if want to be “jedis”, we follow God, and what He says in the Bible :  “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword (or light saber ), and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  Hebrews 4:12

Do you have Christ in you?  Or have you been trusting your feelings for too long, and fallen into “the trash disposal unit on the detention level” - (fan lingo).   Click here for a brief introduction to  “new hope”

Great Lines From Movies: Finding Nemo II

Another fun scene from my favorite fish movie.  Marlin and Dory have entered the EAC (East Australian Current)  A fast-paced ride through the Pacific.  A short-cut through the ocean!  They have just survived an undersea field of poisonous jellyfish (see above)

The clip is 7 minutes long, but the important part for this post is at the beginning, so you can watch the rest later if you don’t have time for the whole thing:

Christian, do you feel like you’re struggling along, being stung on all sides?  Maybe you need to enter the” EAC for spiritual growth “~~ FASTING.

To me, fasting is like cutting through a cold stick of butter with a hot knife; it’s like tuning in the channel on the radio, it’s like riding a swift current through the ocean.  It gets me where I wanna go fast – to the safety of my Father’s arms.

For more info and helps on fasting, click on the links to the right.  Also, read my past posts on the subject: Mountain Faith, Baby Steps, Orion Faith, Fasting Can Change Your Life, Rock Climbing, and Dive!

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” Romans 11:33

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”  Philippians 1:21

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection…”  Philippians 3:10

Great Lines From Movies: Finding Nemo

“Keep swimming. Keep swimming… “  At the edge of a pitch dark cavern in the ocean, Dory, a cute, blue fish, encourages her friend, Marlin, a clown fish, to “keep swimming”.  They have to search the mirky depths for something important they’ve lost.  Funny, cute,and a little scary; it’s one of my favorite scenes in the movie, Finding Nemo.  watch..

Sometimes life can seem like a bottomless pit.  It’s scary to go forward, to “keep swimming”.  Here’s some verses to cling to in the dark:

“When I am afraid, I will trust in You…In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?  In God whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise — In God I trust; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4, 10-11

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Isaiah 41:10

Feeling small?  Swimming in the dark?  Pray the “Little Fishies Prayer”:

“Oh, Father in Heaven, my savior, my friend (John 15:5).  The way seems dark and scary, and I can’t see how I’ll make it, but I’ll trust in You.  Help me to hold Your hand, to keep reading my Bible, keep praying, keep trusting you in the dark.   In Jesus’  name, amen.”

“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”  Isaiah 41:13

Great Lines from Movies: Batman Begins Pt. II

There’s another great line from Batman Begins.  Bruce Wayne (Batman) is trying to convince his good friend (and secret  love of his life), Rachel Dawes, that he’s not as bad as he seems.  He’s been acting like a play-boy in public so people won’t suspect his true caped-crusader identity. 

 Rachel responds sweetly, “Bruce, it’s not who you are inside that matters.  It’s what you do that defines you.”

Wow.  What we do does “define” us.  The Bible agrees with Rachel:

“Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right.” Proverbs 20:11

“But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.”   James 2:18

What we do and how people perceive us as Christians is important.  Why?  So we can be “holier-than-thou”?  No, so we can shine for Christ in this  Gotham-y world we live in and perhaps save some –  like a super-hero:

“You are the light of the world…let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14a, :16

The Super-hero prayer:  “Oh, Father in heaven.  You are my hero.  You saved me from the darkness, from out of the pit of destruction. “You have put all my sins behind Your back” (Is. 38:17).

Oh, may I shine like a light for you in this dark world.  You are the light of the world. May many, many people “see the light” when they see me.  May they see You in me.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Click here to see the light:

Great Lines From Movies: Batman Begins

                                            My family was captivated by Batman Begins the summer it came out.  We saw it several times in the theatre and over and again at home.  There are some great lines in this film.  Like  this one at the beginning….

Here’s the set-up: Young Bruce Wayne is being carried by his kindly father, Dr. Wayne,  into their mansion, Wayne manor.  The family’s faithful butler, Alfred, follows close beside.  Bruce has just been rescued by his father from an old well on the family’s estate, into which Bruce had  fallen and been terrorized by a swarm of bats (precursor to his future Batman identity).  

As they enter the mansion, Dr. Wayne  asks his son, whose arm is broken,  “Why do we fall, Bruce?” Dramatic music builds as  the father answers his own question, “So we can learn to pick ourselves up again.” 

I can identify with that line.  Why?  Because I “fall” pretty much every day, so I’ve had lots of lessons picking myself up again.

Do you know how to pick yourself up, Christian? 

First Aid Tips:

1. Admit when you’ve fallen: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9  Someone said, “Keep a short account with the Lord.”  In other words, don’t build up a long list of sins to confess later with some lame “I’m-sorry-I sinned” prayer.  Be quick to confess, and specific about what you’re confessing.  Does that make sense? 
2. Make level paths for your feet:  This insures against another fall.  In other words, don’t put obstacles — temptations — in your way.   

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for  us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who, for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God…Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. ‘Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.’ “  Hebrews 12:1-2, 12-13

Follow these tips, and, when you’ve fallen, you can pick yourself back up.  You can comb your hair, and go on.

Great Lines from Movies: The Lakehouse

Just watched the movie, Lakehouse, with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves.  There’s this great line toward the end. 

Here’s the set-up: Keanu Reeves’ father, a famous architect, played by,  Christopher Plummer (the captain in Sound of Music) is lying on his death bed.  He leans closer to his son, Alex (Kneau), also an architect,  and gives him this sage advice:

“A truly great structure, one that is meant to stand the tests of time never disregards its environment. A serious architect takes that into account.  He knows that if he wants presence, he must consult with nature.  He must be captivated by the light.  Always the light.  Always.”

God is also a great Architect and Builder and we are His workmanship, His “building” ~~

“… you are God’s…building.” 1 Corinthians 3:9

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

And any great Architect has blueprints, plans for the building:

 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

If we want to be or do anything “truly great” for God, we need to “be captivated by the light.”

“He wraps himself in light as with a garment…” Psalm 104:2a

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”  1 John 1:7

Oh, to be  “captivated by the light…Always.” 

The Building’s Prayer:   “You are “the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” (James 1:17)  and nothing is hidden from ‘the light of Your presence.’ (Psalm 90:8).  It is true that many times I prefer darkness over the light, my own way over yours.  Change me, Lord.  Make me just the way you want me to be.  Fill me with ‘the light of Your presence.’  May I ‘walk in the light as [You] are in the light.’  In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Do you know the Lord?  Don’t wait until your deathbed to meet Him.  Click on the skyscrapers above for an introduction.

Special thanks to David Vernon for the excellent Chicago skyline pictures above.  Check out more of his work at http://escapesphoto.com/