Hollywood vs "The Force" of the Holy Spirit

     You'd have to be living on another planet not to be aware that the latest in the Star Wars movie franchise was released this weekend.  Titled, The Force Awakens, it continues the saga of Good vs Evil for a new generation.  Funny thing ... many of the Millennials who see this film will have little attachment to the original characters of Luke Skywalker, his sister Princess Leia, and Hans Solo ... although the film pays homage to all three; decidedly older versions of themselves, obviously.
     But, as many of you know, Hollywood has been cleverly (and not so subtly) showing us for years what's behind the curtain via movie plots that are designed to prepare us for the New World Order.  I mean, Defense experts are now predicting that the next world conflict will begin in space with superpowers or terrorists blasting communications and spy satellites out of orbit.  Also, scientists and pointy-headed professors speculate that future conflicts will be fought in space as rival nations compete to plunge each other into a 'technological Dark Ages' by destroying satellites that play an important part in operating our banks, road systems, airlines, weather forecasting, power grids and mobile phones.  Just read some of their comments:
     “The idea of relying on space and even fighting in space was once science fiction, but now it’s real,” said Brian Weeden of the Secure World Foundation, who was once part of the US military’s nuclear deterrent program.  Peter Singer, from the digital think-tank, the New America Foundation, told the BBC program Space Wars, "The sanctuary of space, this location that no one has ever fought in before, would be one of the first things to see fighting if the great powers ever went to war."  Jeremy Greaves, of the Airbus Group, which makes military satellites said: "We are dealing with a fact and reality that you just cannot ignore space as a sovereign nation.  Space is the fourth frontier. You have got surface warfare, air warfare and under-sea warfare. And now space warfare."
     All of this doesn't make the plot of the Star Wars movies seem so fanciful, does it?  Just think back through all the sequels and prequels ... you have the Galactic Empire, the Death Star, the Resistance, and the Republic.  You have Stormtroopers; you have the Jedi Knights versus the Sith Warriors and the Dark Side.  It all takes place in space and adds up to the ages-old conflict between Good and Evil.  And I believe that the storyline of Star Wars, from the beginning, has been a thinly disguised counterfeit of the Bible.  And interestingly enough, I discovered a website called The Real Truth that gives us an interesting parallel.
     Charles Herzog writes, "In the movie series, the people are led to believe that good is in control. But the reality is that the “bad guys” are in control. In a similar sense, most people assume that this is God’s world, yet it is not. After an initial battle in Heaven, Satan was cast back down to earth, where he continues to be the “god of this world” (II Cor. 4:4). When he tempted Christ, Satan stated that he had the authority to give the world to Him; due to Christ’s response, we can glean that He and the devil understood that this is Satan’s world (Matt. 4:8-10)."
     Star Wars gives us both the Jedi Knights and the Sith Warriors.  They both derive supernatural power from “the force.” The Sith lords are on the “dark side” of this force.  This “force” is a resemblance of God’s Holy Spirit and is a source of great power.  Consider some similarities of "the force" to the Holy Spirit. When asking how to differentiate between the good side and the bad, Luke Skywalker was told by his master, Yoda, “You will know when you are at peace.” In the same sense, there are fruits of the Spirit. And notice that one of these fruits is peace: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Gal. 5:22-23).
     Another similarity is related to the midichlorians, which are an element of the force in Star Wars. In the series, there was a prophecy of a coming savior, (comparable to prophecies of Jesus Christ) “one who would come and bring balance to the force.” The one who would fulfill this prophecy would be begotten by the midichlorians. Anakin Skywalker, one of the main characters, had potential to fulfill this prophecy. His mother claimed that Anakin was conceived without a father.
     I could go on and on with both the similarities and the differences between Star Wars and the Biblical story; their themes of Life after Death, Temptation, the Final Battlefield, and Man's Final Destiny are actually quite fascinating.  While I cannot deny that there is an agenda behind the "clues" being given us through our forms of entertainment, we must never rely on Hollywood to present all the truth.  We must remember that it is a convenient and potent tool for the Deceiver, and he will lead many astray; there are actually those who are willing to believe that a movie plot is representative of the real world.  The writers and producers mix just enough truth with deception; and the foolish fall for it.
     The same is true of Satan in today's world.  Those who are not in tune with the "force" of the Holy Spirit will fall for the lies of the Enemy; lies that seem like God's Truth but, in reality, will lead you straight to the pits of hell.
     The plots of all the Star Wars movies are sometimes hard to follow, just as Satan -- the god of this world -- has confused the human spirit with various religions that blind us to our true purpose.  Which way are we to follow?  Which "Force" are we to follow?  The latest Star Wars movie may be a metaphor for that struggle we humans face, but it is just that ... an abstract concept designed to mimic the real Truth.  For we have one purpose, and that is to reconcile our spirit with the One who created us; to overcome our human nature and all our vanity, self-centeredness, lust, greed, hatred, envy, jealousy and hostility toward God.  And when that "force awakens" within us, nothing can stop us from the Victory that is ours through Jesus Christ.  Hollywood will never top that storyline!

John 1:4-5     "In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men.  The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it]."

Glorifying Satan

     If you read my post yesterday, you know that I questioned if God is going to give us one last chance to turn from our sinful ways, repent, and embrace Him.  I found myself wondering if the brief glimpses of some of our political leaders'  honesty and forthrightness regarding the evilness of humanity that is found in ISIS, could be the starting point of hope for this nation.  Oh, how I want to believe that we honor and revere Him enough to see through the lies and deception that permeates our culture!    

     And then the Enemy throws his intentional and false depravity square in our faces!  And it's all right there for the entire nation to see; couched in the emotional and fictional lives of a popular TV show -- yet cleverly portrayed using a storyline right out of our national headlines.  It happened two nights ago, on an episode of the ABC show, Scandal.  The character was the mistress of the U.S. Republican President, and she was depicted undergoing an abortion as the religious hymn "Silent Night" washes over the scene.

     The outright blasphemy that was on display made me sick to my stomach.  But just in case you didn't get the message, the woman on the table recalls the words of her father telling her that a family is merely "a pressure point, soft tissue, an illness, an antidote to greatness.... it makes you weak, pliable... family doesn't complete you; it destroys you."  Then the choir swells to its apex, and sings "Heavenly hosts sing, 'Alleluia' ", as the character exhales, the abortion complete, and she stares serenely at the ceiling, with a hint of a smile on her face.  She is later shown sipping a glass of red wine as "Ave Maria" plays in the background.

     Oh, and let's not forget what preceded the depiction of the abortion.  In true TV fashion, just prior to entering the operating room, the producer has the character watching television coverage of First Lady and U.S. Senator Mellie Grant, who launched "the longest filibuster in modern history" to kill a bill reducing Planned Parenthood funding. The impassioned speech, on the eve of the Christmas recess, made Grant - a Republican senator from Virginia - a feminist hero and inspired the hashtag "I Stand with Mellie."  The sad thing is that there are millions of people across this country who will pay more attention to the actions of these TV characters than they do legitimate legislators!

     I am so disgusted with the arrogance and irreverence of Hollywood, and the fact that they think they speak for the rest of us!  But I guess it should come as no surprise, since the creator, producer, and head writer of the show, Shonda Rhimes, serves on the board of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, according to Time magazine.  Therefore, I guess PP felt emboldened to make this statement immediately following the airing of the episode:  "Tonight, the millions of people who tune into Scandal every Thursday night learned that our rights to reproductive health care are under attack. Never one to shy away from critical issues, Shonda Rhimes used her platform to tell the world that if Planned Parenthood lost funding for contraception counseling, STI testing, cancer screenings, and safe, legal abortion — millions of people would suffer. And this episode wasn’t the first time one of Rhimes’ characters had an abortion, yet tonight we saw one of our favorite characters make the deeply personal decision that one in three women have made in their lifetime. We applaud Shonda Rhimes tonight — and every Thursday night – for proving that when women are telling our stories, the world will pause and watch. We just hope those in Congress — and throughout the nation — who are steadfast on rolling the clock back on reproductive health care access are taking note."

     Maybe it IS a woman telling that story, but producer and creator Shonda Rhimes does not represent me, nor is she telling my story or the millions of stories of women like me.  We do not see fetuses as "soft tissue", nor do we think "family destroys you."  But sadly, her ability to pluck at the heartstrings of women who choose to base their moral principles upon prime-time soap opera fantasies will persuade more of my fellow females than I would like to admit.  

     And even sadder is the idea that the website Life Site puts forward:  This abortion-themed episode airs as the real Republican-controlled Congress seeks to deny Planned Parenthood most of its taxpayer funding for one year after undercover videos showed abortion industry officials discussing the harvesting and sale of aborted babies' organs and tissue. The reconciliation bill must pass the U.S. Senate, currently bogged down in debate over the Syrian refugee crisis.  

     I find it incredibly tragic that this carefully crafted TV piece of propaganda will likely have more influence in the coming days than the sickening real-life videos of gleeful procurers of dead baby body parts.  I'm sorry to be so crass, but I can no longer stomach the lies from those who will stop at nothing, nor stoop so low, to justify their wicked ways.  

     I guess the final blow for me was what happened in the abortion facility's waiting room as the character contemplated her upcoming abortion.  You could hear the TV announcer breaking away from the coverage of the Congressional filibuster of Planned Parenthood funding, and saying, "We now return to 'It's a Wonderful Life,' already in progress."   It was as if to say, let's get this abortion over with, so your wonderful life that is in progress can continue.  When the truth of the matter is this: in It's A Wonderful Life, the main character, George Bailey, is allowed to see just how worse off the world would have been had he not been born.  The movie shows us that each life is precious and touches so many others.  Yet, again, the truth is distorted and twisted into a lie that benefits Satan's agenda.  

     Shonda Rhimes might be a talented TV writer, creator, and a successful producer, but one day she is going to have to stand before the Divine Creator and explain why she used her talents to glorify death over life... why she chose to write a scene having a choir sing a song that glorifies heavenly angels announcing the birth of the long-awaited Savior of the world, while a precious life He created is ceremoniously destroyed.  

     So let the media and the feminists applaud this TV show and it's writer/creator.  Let them call this blasphemous display "awesome" and "no-big-deal" and "revolutionary" and "honest".  I see it through the eyes and heart and spirit of someone who loves the Lord and abhors their callousness and desecration of His Holiness.  My heart breaks for the pain we cause Him.

Job 33:4    "The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life."

     

The President of Hollywood

     Sometimes there is an advantage to being connected to social media, because I think we all know that if you are paying attention, the Enemy is giving us plenty of clues as to how he operates.  So, that's why I am grateful to a young friend of mine who pointed me to a short YouTube video that she came across in her daily examination of the online culture.
     It's a quick little cartoon featuring the long-time cartoon characters Tom and Jerry.  In this little snippet, we see the cartoon cat and his mouse buddy auditioning for a TV show.  But the short, one minute video reveals a forbidding, though not surprising, truth... our title characters are allowed to see who the President of Hollywood is, and it is none other than Satan.  What is interesting is that the TV executives interviewing Tom and Jerry receive a phone call from the Hollywood President ... not from a regular phone on their desk, but from a pyramid-shaped instrument with the all-seeing eye that summons the demonic overlord of Hollywood.
     When he is summoned, he swirls around in a serpent-like pattern until he manifests into a simpler cartoon version of Chernabog, the Satanic Disney character from Fantasia that I referred to in this blog post.  There is also a longer version of the video (nearly 4 minutes), in which we are allowed to see just how the President of Hollywood uses his Illuminati underlings to maintain control of the entertainment industry.  When Tom and Jerry beat up the TV exec after realizing the contract they have signed is unethical and immoral, the stunned exec announces that maybe it's time to start developing moral, family-style entertainment -- at which point the Illuminati administrators destroy him and offer the prestige of the position, and the perks of beautiful women, to a more easily manipulated schmuck.
      I know this won't surprise you; anyone with any kind of discernment can see that the entertainment industry is serving the prince of this world.  And if you are disinclined to receive the hints of a cartoon, then it should be plain to you in the recent vitriolic display coming from Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino.  In his poisonous anti-cop rants, I wonder if Tarantino is not doing the bidding of his Illuminati handlers.  Because you see, it is not just that Satan's servants wish to control the entertainment industry; I believe they see it as a vehicle to bring about the complete destruction of our culture, society, and yes, even our country.

     Do you not find it interesting that Tarantino's sudden appearance on the culture stage, is aligned with the Black Lives Matter movement and its subordinate element, RiseUpOctober?  Would it surprise you to know that one event at which Tarantino was invited to voice his angry criticism of police was one organized by Carl Dix, one of the founding members of the Revolutionary Communist Party, a group that has held anti-police events in October for nearly two decades, and that openly advocates for an armed overthrow of the United States of America?  Do you think it is coincidental that these two have suddenly teamed up (seemingly out of nowhere) to promote an agenda caused to wreak havoc in our society?
     So what does all this mean?  Can we believe the not-so-subtle message of a cartoon video?  Should we take seriously the active participation of Hollywood in the conjuring of social discord and conflict?  Is Communism still a major threat to this country, and are we still suffering from an "anti-McCarthyism" backlash from the 1950's?  Is that why the media and politicians are hesitant to point out the connections between Mr. Dix and Revolutionary Communist Party chairman, Bob Avakian?
     It's all right there for the discerning and wise to see...  From the clever cartoon, to the schemes and conspiracies of duped filmmakers and revolutionaries.  They are all convenient tools for the devil to accomplish his goal of world domination.  But he is missing one little subplot from Tom and Jerry... that pyramid with the all-seeing eye that summoned the President of Hollywood is a false idol.  There is only One Being that is All-Knowing and All-Seeing, and the machinations of the Evil one cannot destroy God's Sovereignty or His Will.  Let them think that they are carrying out their sneaky little plan.  We already know the outcome, and the Day of the Lord is at hand.

Hebrews 4:13    "And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."

Why Is "God's Not Dead" Such A Surprise?

     I find it amusing that the Entertainment Industry continues to be flummoxed over the success of faith-based movies.  The latest to mystify and bewilder the Hollywood crowd is a small Indie film titled, "God's Not Dead."  The plot of the movie is one that is being played out on college campuses across the breadth of our land.
     The official synopsis lays out the looming test that every Christian will soon face ... Present-day college freshman and devout Christian, Josh Wheaton (Shane Harper), finds his faith challenged on his first day of Philosophy class by the dogmatic and argumentative Professor Radisson (Kevin Sorbo).

     Radisson begins class by informing students that they will need to disavow, in writing, the existence of God on that first day, or face a failing grade. As other students in the class begin scribbling the words “God Is Dead” on pieces of paper as instructed, Josh find himself at a crossroads, having to choose between his faith and his future.
     Josh offers a nervous refusal, provoking an irate reaction from his smug professor. Radisson assigns him a daunting task: if Josh will not admit that “God Is Dead,” he must prove God’s existence by presenting well-researched, intellectual arguments and evidence over the course of the semester, and engage Radisson in a head-to-head debate in front of the class. If Josh fails to convince his classmates of God’s existence, he will fail the course and hinder his lofty academic goals.
     With almost no one in his corner, Josh wonders if he can really fight for what he believes. Can he actually prove the existence of God? Wouldn’t it just be easier just to write “God Is Dead” and put the whole incident behind him?
     GOD’S NOT DEAD weaves together multiple stories of faith, doubt and disbelief, culminating in a dramatic call to action. The film will educate, entertain, and inspire moviegoers to explore what they really believe about God, igniting important conversations and life-changing decisions. The movie asks each of us to answer the question, "How far would you go to defend your faith?" 
     I watched the trailer of this movie and I have to say it got me so excited that I wanted to drive the 2 hours to the closest theatre that was showing it.  If you live in a larger city, then it's more likely that you were one of the only 784 theatres chosen to open the film last weekend.  This low-budget faith-filled movie came in at #4 at the box office, making $8.5 million, far surpassing its budget.  And it did it without all the hype for the #1 movie, Divergent, with its $85 million budget and grossing $56 million on the first weekend.  It will be interesting to see how things shake out this weekend.
      While these numbers are all impressive, it is still the reaction of the Hollywood money-makers that astounds me.  It's just another example of how little they know the Christian audience.  They don't bother to take our tastes and preferences into account, let alone our buying power when it comes to ticket sales.  And we know "genuine" when we see it.  I am anxious to see how the big-budget Noah fares next weekend.  I can almost guarantee that if Hollywood tries to cram anything but the truth down our throats, the Christian audience will not go for it.  We just might see David slay Goliath again!
     As The Blaze reported, one of the stars of the film, Kevin Sorbo, plays the non-believing Professor Radisson. A Christian, Sorbo is quoted as saying he hopes the film shows skeptics that “there might be something greater out there.”  He is hopeful that the film will appeal to those who might question the existence of God and serve as a catalyst for the discovery of faith.  As for atheist activists who sometimes react negatively to projects like “God’s Not Dead,” Sorbo believes their responses are often times driven by fear. “I think they’re fearful and [believe] that there must be something out there,” he said of vocal activists. “I don’t think I’ve ever gotten angry over something I don’t believe in. It’s almost weird to me.”
     It certainly appears to be creating a lot of dialogue, as evidenced by the over 3000 comments on the news that this movie was such an unexpected success.  Most of them were faith-abiding Christians that applauded the makers of this movie.  And as usual, there were the God-haters who can't conceive that there is any other god than themselves.  They spew their denunciation of the Lord in vile rants and abuse their own Maker.
     I'm always interested in discovering the tone of the conversation, and I very rarely feel the desire to respond to any of these comments.  But there was one remark that was presented in civil language that I would like to counter.  It read, I have no problem with the possibility that some type of advanced intelligence may have been the cause of the universe coming into existence. It is thinking that a book written by bronze-age men who knew absolutely nothing about the world has any validity at all that baffles me. Just answer one question and don't use the phrase "the bible says" to answer it. Why do you believe the bible is true?
     Here's what I would say to that confused person .... "I believe the Bible is true because I have received confirmation through experiences in my life that I was pursued and purposed by a Force that calls me His own.  That Force is Jesus Christ who has revealed my need for a Savior from the sins of my flesh.  He is in the process of cutting away the prideful and selfish portions of my heart so that I might dwell with Him in His future, eternal Kingdom.  I believe the Bible is true because I don't believe in the temptations of this world or the Power that rules it.  I believe in the God of the Bible because He has revealed Himself to me through His Son, Jesus Christ, and I believe every word in "that book" to be true.  I would like to invite you to consider searching for Him yourself."
     In closing, wouldn't it be just like our God to use this little independent film to start a spark of faith that sweeps the land like a prairie fire?  Go see the movie and kindle the flame.

Psalm 34:3    "O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together."