We are navigating some very dark times. Enemies of the Cross of Christ (Philippians 3:18) and unbelievers have been making major strikes against the Church, particularly in Hollywood. I have never seen such antagonism and antichrist messages in film, examples being Silence (2017), a film that sows disbelief and has Jesuits Catholic monks who apostatize (fall away from faith, 2 Thessalonians 2:4), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) has Luke Skywalker who was paragon of light in Episodes V-VI deciding in Episode VIII to make the Jedi end. The teachings of Jedi are abandoned in The Last Jedi, and the simple Good vs Evil or Light Side versus Dark Side no longer exists thanks to Rian Johnson direction. Finally there Thor: Ragnok (2017) which tells the end times from the pagan Norse religion's perspective in super hero guise. Each year I have watched as Nihilism, Humanism, Atheism, Antitheism, Antichrist, Occultism, Hinduism, Islamism, and other false religions have bled into films aforementioned, television in case of Madam Secretary and Designated Survivor being some examples, video games as in example of the new Mario game called Super Mario Odyssey on Nintendo Switch has Mario able to possess and go into and control any human, dinosaur and etc.; Mario literally becomes akin to a demonic spirit who can project himself into bodies and control them, and beyond. The Darkness is no longer opaque, operating from behind some closed door, it is out front and center eating away at society, history, entertainment, and culture.
I grew up in very different times. Evil tended to be beautiful, or alluring. Evil took the form of Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pokémon, and other cute and cool guises. These types of infiltrators where insidious, and taught eastern philosophies and religions, but they tend to remain in realm of good vs evil, while today the very notion of good vs evil is being eliminated and call ancient thinking, as in case of The Last Jedi, and other nihilistic and universalistic teachings paired with Hinduism that focuses on balancing good and evil, rather than good overcoming evil which is the truth, "" (). I think people are on verge of breakdown, where we could see mutiny, riots in Hollywood, and etc. Agents of evil have been trying to mess with people's minds with lots of change. We have seen changes on scale unprecedented in history, with technology advancing to point that the common person cannot keep up (future shock this was called), politics changing from clear red and blue lines to radicalism in the people's movement and liberal epicenters. Our Christmas lights have changed, from the original to LED, and as more spirals, there are agents of evil trying to take it one step further, to mess with intrinsic morality that exists: good vs evil. Unbelievers don't know as we Christians do that only God is good (Mark 10:18, Luke 18:19, Titus 2:13, John 10:30, John 17:20-23, Colossians 2:9), and evil is fed and spread by the devil who taught our first ancestors evil (Genesis 3). But as Apostle Paul says, even an unbeliever has no excuse, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." (Romans 1:20), everyone knows there are absolutes, good vs evil, hot vs cold, high and low, light and darkness, because everyone is made in Image of God who is Good (Genesis 2, whole chapter), and tempted by devil who is evil. But the Communists and antichrists want to mess with people's minds, convince them there is no good or evil, the advent of Post Modernism, the concept of "everyone is right, everyone is wrong, no one is right, everyone is right, good is evil and evil is good," is straight out of hell and Satan's mind. Its object is chaos, lawlessness, and insanity; and it is taking a toll, with suicides rising, and people desperate for purpose but told there are no absolutes, so there is no absolute purpose in their minds.
In midst of all this craziness, there is Christ, who is same today, yesterday, and forever, "Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace and not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those devoted to them." (Hebrews 13:7-9). In middle of this dark age of skepticism, stoicism, and strange doctrines is the shining Son of God beckoning each and every person to believe in Him and follow Him into His glorious Light. Jesus Christ says to you, "There is a right and a wrong, there is narrow path that leads to life and broad path that leads to death (Matthew 7:13-15), there is Truth (John 14:6) and there lies (John 8:44), there is God who is Good, and there evil who is devil, his fallen angels, and people that adhere to their (the devil and fallen angels) many philosophies [Hinduism, Occultism, Satanism, Kabala, Egyptian Mythologies, Norse Mythology, Greek Mythologies, Roman Mythologies, Celtic Mythologies, German Mythologies, Jainism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Taoism, Islam, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormonism, Atheism, Agnosticism, New Age, Bahia, Universalism." The Truth is Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God, LORD (God), Savior, Christ (Messiah), Creator, and God Incarnate. The Truth is in Holy Bible, while lies are in other religious ideologies and books of men and fallen angels disguised as gods (sons of god, see Genesis 6:4-6). There is Good, it is God Himself, and everything He wills, made, and does; even we are good because God says we are (Genesis 1:31), but the devil wanted us to be evil, so he tricked Adam and Eve and led them to do evil, and become sinful (Genesis 3), but Jesus Christ who is God became human and has died for this evil and sin, and makes us Good again in Him, washing us white as snow, making us right with God again (Isaiah 1:18, 1 John 1:7, Romans 3:22-31, Romans 5:5-11).
I think more than ever we need to look to this passage, "Through Him (the Word of God, The Word, Jesus Christ) all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. n Him was life, and that life was the light of men. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:3-5), "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows," (James 1:17). Listen careful to these words, the Apostle is not writing that God was some particle of light, but that He is Light, illumination, He is Light in comparison to Darkness of human reasoning, the wisdom of world, and he confounds that darkness, "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness" (1 Corinthians 3:19). Jesus isn't some golden ray of light or a sun god, He is God made flesh (John 1:14), and He created all things (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16), Jesus thinks and speaks to mankind (Gospel of John Chapters 1-22, Revelation 22, Acts 9:1-9, Mark 5:36, Matthew 12:25), He has power over death (Revelation 1:18, Hebrews 2:9, 14), He is love (1 John 4:18), He is Truth (John 14:6), and He is Coming to judge the living and dead (2 Timothy 4:1). Jesus is Light in comparison to this dark world, He is the only beacon of hope, love, truth, joy, peace, gentleness, and self control. He hold all things together (Colossians 1:17), and He brings us "abundant life" (John 10:10), while the enemy, the evil one, "steals, kills, and destroys," (John 10:10), and "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44). Jesus Christ is the only Light to us in this broken world, as the powers and principalities pollute this earth with philosophies of darkness, greed, avarice, murder, sexual immorality, antichrists, and more; we Christians turn our hearts and minds to be fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) who takes our cares (1 Peter 5:7), and swallows up craziness of this world with His cross and cloak, proclaiming to us, "I am Alpha and Omega, The First and Last, the Beginning and the End," (Revelation 22:13) and--
"Blessed are the poor in spirit (i.e. those who are not spiritually arrogant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the gentle (meek), for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:3-11). Jesus Christ who is One with Father and Holy Spirit, One God in Three Persons, Blessed Trinity, shines His Truth, Love, Grace, and Power brightly in a darkened planet. We are in need of the Savior's Light more than ever, to caste aside the fruitless deeds of darkness (Romans 13:12, Ephesians 5:11), and doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1) rising in our times, and chase after the Everlasting God!
The collapse of Star Wars Franchise and Super Mario Franchise under their latest installments is bittersweet. For once even 'blind' secular fans can see what we Saints already could see, that those beloved fantasy worlds are hollow and can in moment's notice be changed and twisted into something depressing, and void. But God's Truth, the Gospel, and our Lord Jesus Christ cannot change, He is same always, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8), and His Truth stands forever! (Matthew 24:35, Isaiah 40:8). In these times with rapid change, and craziness, we stand firm on rock of Jesus Christ, and not just as Creed, but as living faith, that Jesus Christ exists, lives in us (Colossians 1:27), is real and created all realities (Colossians 1:16, John 1:3). I think it is blessing is disguise, all this upheaval of franchises fans have loved. It is in my opinion part of fulfillment of God's Scripture, "At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth, but heaven as well. The words, "Once more," signify the removal of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that the unshakable may remain.This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe." (Hebrews 12:26-28). We knew "This shaking" would be literal as in earthquakes recently in Indonesia and Iran, and we have seen major political shakings as in capital decision of Israel and the UN showdown, Donald J Trump being elected President, and etc.; but could we have imagined it would be Star Wars and Super Mario World and the entertainments that have kept people busy, and lulled so many to sleep? While I do not revel in pain many fans feel right now over The Last Jedi, I do think this is opportunity to tell people, "you know, the story you loved, that classic trilogy, when Luke was Good and believed love was more powerful than hate, light than darkness, that is Christian belief, while this Last Jedi business is Hindu, Nihilist, and Post Modern." Better yet, maybe God is saying its time to say goodbye to Star Wars altogether, that now we must purge things like "I sense a disturbance in Force," "I sense dark side," and etc from vocabularies, and start spending our time in arms of our Savior and serving His mission of making disciples (Matthew 28:19, Holy Bible), rather than being entertained by discipleship in the form of Jedi in Star Wars Universe. Maybe its time to stop moaning over the end of Jedi and Light Side stories, and start being Jesus Freaks (Devout, Disciples who are all in, like Apostles Peter, James, John, and Paul, "I count all things lost but knowing Christ," (Philippians 3:8) and spreading the Light of World in this dark world. Maybe it is time to stop letting Star Wars, a flawed story teach, and let the flawless One True God and Savior Jesus Christ teach through us Christians. Perhaps this is moment, the moment to shift people from wars in stars that don't exist (Star Wars) and engage them in the real and true supernatural war of saving souls and battling the stars (fallen angels, Revelation 12:4, Revelation 12:9) and their leader Satan. It's time to "put aside childish things," (1 Corinthians 13:11) like Star Wars, which is made easier thanks to Rian Johnson and Disney, and "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8 ESV). It is time to let the living, existing, real, personal, and True God The Father, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit become our focus, and let the myths of A Galaxy, Far, Far Away.. The Mushroom Kingdom, and Minecraft float away. Amen.
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Here is How to Become a Disciple of Christ, and Be Saved:
"That if you confess (say) with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." (Romans 10:9-10).
"For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40)
"All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God." (1 John 4:15)
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten (not made, sent forth see John 1:1-17) Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18)
"All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God." (1 John 4:15)
"Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." (John 17:3).
"But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)
"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity (Godhead) dwells in bodily form." (Colossians 2:9)
"while we wait for the blessed hope--the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:13).
So believe in your heart (spirit, soul), confess with your mouth, and know (personally know in relationship) Jesus Christ is God, Son of God, LORD, and Holy Trinity Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Colossians 2:9 KJV, John 10:30, 15;26, John 14:26, John 17:20-23, John 20:20-23).
Salvation is in believing in Father's Only Son Jesus Christ, the Father and Son are One (John 10:30, John 17:20-23) and Holy Spirit is One with the Father and Jesus (John 14:26, John 15:26, John 20:20-22). One God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity. Believe in the One God who is Three, Father, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit; to believe the Son of God Jesus, who the door to Father (John 14:6) and is the eternal life (John 6:40, John 3:16-18). As I have said before the fact we cannot fully fathom the Triune Nature of God, proves He is God, because we are the Creation with limit capacity to fathom all mysteries and wisdom of God, while the Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the Creator (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16, Genesis 1:1-11) and in Him is all wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:2-3). Believe, confess, and choose to know Jesus Christ daily in a relationship; turn to Him the True God, the Only God and you shall have life. Amen.
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