tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35814099196459627242024-03-13T22:23:46.301-05:00Spirit-filled DevotionsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger370125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-52333583150939849952020-04-27T16:17:00.001-05:002009-04-28T09:47:37.295-05:00<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Spirit-filled</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">devotions</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">home page</span></span></span><br /></div></div><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></div><br /><br /><center><br /><form><br /><input type = "button" value = "Today's Devotion" onclick = "currentDev()"/></form><br /></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-46064187775942063312010-07-14T11:35:00.005-05:002010-07-14T11:57:07.498-05:00God and hell and justiceThere is a common misconception that many people have about God and his character and justice: that a loving God would not send people to hell.<br /><br />This common false belief arises from mistaken conceptions about its three component parts: wrong understandings about (1) love, (2) God, and (3) hell or true justice.<br /><br />There is a common misconception that love would never do anything that causes pain or hurt to another person. Such a view is naive, immature, and unrealistic. For there are times when the most loving thing that can be done does cause pain. But such pain is temporary and necessary to prevent worse pain in the future. That is what discipline is all about.<br /><br />"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" ((Heb. 12:11).<br /><br />C. S. Lewis gives the example of having to push a thorn farther into the flesh, thus causing more pain, in order to disengage the barb so that it can be pulled out altogether. Some lesser pain now must be endured to escape worse pain later. Many other such examples could be given. All good parents are familiar with this principle, for they see it in operation daily as they raise their children. This correspondence is stated thus in Scripture:<br /><br />"We have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it" (Heb. 12:9).<br /><br />So it is good and necessary, at times, that true love cause some lesser pain now in order to prevent much worse pain in the future. All cancer surgery is illustrative of this principle as well, for unless such painful surgery is tolerated now, death results. Yet no one criticizes the physician for causing this pain; in fact, he is looked to as the one who can prevent a much worse outcome if the surgery is not performed.<br /><br />The same principle holds regarding the ultimate pain of hell. God, like a surgeon dedicated to saving people's lives, or like a father who deeply loves his child, has done everything possible to prevent his child from going there, yet he is criticized for allowing this to happen. Why do we applaud our earthly fathers in this, but not our heavenly father?<br /><br />"How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!" (Heb. 12:9).<br /><br />Those who say that a loving God, who is our heavenly Father and Father of our spirits, would not send anyone to hell refuse to submit to this Father and his ways and thus dishonor him. Therefore, to them God says:<br /><br />"If I am a father, where is the honor due me?" (Mal. 1:6).<br /><br />We dare not substitute our own ideas of what love is and what God should be like in the place of their true nature. For in so doing, we create a false god in our own image:<br /><br />"Do men make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods!" (Jer. 16:20).<br /><br />No wonder that so many live empty lives, seeking fulfillment and love but not finding it, and not able to make any sense of the evil they see in the world and wrongly seeing God as unloving. Such frustration comes to them and fills their lives because of faulty perceptions and misconceptions about love and God and hell. They have created idols of false love and false gods for themselves, instead of submitting to the one true God who is love (1 Jn. 4:16).<br /><br />Notice that the Scripture quoted previously that tells us to submit to God's discipline is the same Scripture that ends with the promise that if we do thus submit, we will live. It is so important to realize this that it is quoted again below:<br /><br />"How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!" (Heb. 12:9).<br /><br />Not only is this a promise, it is also a warning, though not stated directly but implied. The warning is that to <span style="font-style:italic;">not</span> do what it calls for--submitting to God's sometimes painful discipline--will result in the opposite of the promise. The promise is that submission to discipline brings life. Therefore, the opposite must be true as well: Refusal to submit to the discipline of God will result in the opposite of life, death.<br /><br />This whole issue is quite literally a matter of life and death. These two always stand in opposition to each other, and we have a choice as to which we shall receive. It is up to us. This is the awesome nature of free will. God has given us this most precious gift.<br /><br />"I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. <span style="font-style:italic;">Now choose life</span>, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life" (Dt. 30:19,20).<br /><br />Notice how all of the crucial things discussed so far regarding this issue are included in this one passage: choice, life, death, submission, love--and the consequences for our choice. Notice also that this passage from Deuteronomy, like the one quoted twice earlier, from Hebrews, places the onus on us, not God. In both instances, it is what we do--and the choice that we make--that decides the matter, that is, the consequences that follow as a natural result of the choice that we make.<br /><br />Those who hold the mistaken belief that a loving God would not send people to hell completely fail to understand the key principle of cause and effect that operates in this area; they have not discerned correctly the true cause of the effect of a person going to hell: that the cause is his wrong choice, of choosing self or anything else other than God, and that the effect just follows naturally from that cause.<br /><br />God is not a vindictive, cruel oppressor who gleefully tosses people into hell because they don't do what he says, but a loving Father who weeps when people willfully disobey him and choose death over life in his Son. That Son wept over such rejection of God's free offer of escape from hell:<br /><br />"As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it, and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes . . . you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you'" (Lk. 19:41,42,44).<br /><br />Jesus wept because a whole city made the wrong choice. His Father weeps for a whole world for the same reason, that it has chosen to go its own way. For God does not want anyone to go to hell:<br /><br />"For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!" (Ez. 18:32).<br /><br />Because he is love, God has done everything possible to save all from hell.<br /><br />"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" (2 Ptr. 1:3,4).<br /><br /> "I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.<br /><br />Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. <span style="font-style:italic;">What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it?</span> When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?" (Is. 5:1-4).<br /><br />What more could God have done to save anyone from hell? He gave his only begotten Son for that very purpose (Jn. 3:16). All one has to do to receive the benefits of the Son's crucifixion on the cross is to accept that sacrifice as being able to make him acceptable in God's eyes and thus escape being sent to hell. There is no pain at all in doing this, not even the pain of discipline or surgery or any other pain. It is only acceptance of a free gift. But some are unwilling to do even this. God gives everything, even his most precious, beloved Son, to die in our place. Yet some refuse to accept this free gift. No wonder Scripture cries out at the injustice of this ungrateful response:<br /><br />"How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10:29-31).<br /><br />Some people will cry, "Aha! See! There the Bible itself describes God as a vengeful God, repaying people for their refusal to accept him as their God, or his Son's sacrifice for their sins." But in so saying, such critics fail to see the ironic justice that is described here. The irony is that the rebels themselves decide their fate and punishment. They do not want God or his ways, but want their own, separate status apart from him. Therefore, after having done all he can to persuade them otherwise, God simply gives them what they asked for and want. Those who thus try to trap God by misconstruing his words end up being trapped by their own words and desires. God does not need to judge them by the divine standards which they so despise; he simply points them to their own judgment of themselves:<br /><br />"I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant!" (Lk. 19:22).<br /><br />Jesus' critics constantly tried to trap him, just as those who criticize God for putting people in hell try to trap God by his words, such as in the passage above. What they fail to see is how God dispenses perfect justice in committing them to hell. First of all, it has already been noted how they first reject the sacrifice of Jesus for their sins--a sacrifice that caused them no pain whatsoever. All they have to do is acknowledge that they deserve what he received for them in their place, punishment for their own sins. But even this little thing--admit the truth--they are unwilling to do. Therefore, God is completely just in pronouncing the verdict upon them based on their own rejection of the light of the truth.<br /><br />"This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and <span style="font-style:italic;">will not come</span> into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed" (Jn. 3:19,20).<br /><br />It is extremely important to notice that this passage, once again, places the blame for the just punishment upon those who reject the light on them themselves. God issues the invitation to come into his light: "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life" (Rev. 22:17).<br /><br />God says, "Come", but they refuse to come. God will not force them to come to him; rather, he says, "whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." Some freely refuse to take the free gift. The consequences of their choice are traced back to their faulty choice, not to any fault of God.<br /><br />Those who thus choose to want nothing to do with God, to exist apart from him are thus granted what they desire in their hearts; the deepest desire of their hearts is then realized in hell, for there they are in a place so far separated from God that even the most extreme words do not fully describe the terrifying nature of this state of existence. Scripture speaks of it in the most horrible and stark terms, describing it as a place of outer darkness and complete absence of light--except for the eternal fires that burn there and torment those condemned by their own rejection of the Light of God, Jesus Christ.<br /><br />That is what they fail so miserably to see, that they have received only what they wanted: to be apart from God. They have gotten what they asked for. That is one of the horrible torments of hell. How can any rational mind complain about that? Yet they do complain.<br /><br />"A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord" (Prov. 19:3).<br /><br />Below are quoted some more passages from Scripture that clearly reveal this same truth that so many refuse to accept, that it is a person's own choice that sends him or her to hell, not the capricious act of a cruel and vengeful God. Please note that even if the passage context is about an earthly situation calling for God's judgment and not the final judgment that sends to hell, the principle is still valid when applied to the end result of hell as a consequence of the people's choice in that situation. It is always the free choice to reject God and refuse his offer of forgiveness that results in the natural consequences that ruin a person or a nation. This same principle is valid from start (one's choice to reject God) to finish (God giving the one so choosing what he wants, to be apart from God):<br /><br />"Your own conduct and actions have brought this upon you" (Jer. 4:18).<br /><br />"Acts of the sinful nature . . ." (Gal. 5:19--the rest of the verse listing many examples of such) . . . "Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal 5:21).<br /><br />"Through your own fault you will lose the inheritance I gave you" (Jer. 17:4).<br /><br />"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction" (Gal 6:7,8).<br /><br />This last passage, in particular, emphasizes the real essence of this truth that so many fail to understand when accusing God of not being loving because he sends people to hell. This verse, Galatians 6:8, describes the horrible, final fate of hate as a natural result of one's life and actions. Our choices decide the outcome. It is no more God's fault than it is that a person becomes fat and unhealthy when that person overeats. That is simply the natural outcome of that person's actions, just as HIV or aids or other terrible diseases can be the natural outcome of disregarding God's command not to use the body in ways he has forbidden. When this happens--when a person deliberately disregards God's warnings against wrong behavior, and then receive the natural consequences of that behavior in their body--the point will come when God no longer warns but simply gives such a person over to his own desires and lets the consequences of those desires and actions come to their natural, deadly fruition:<br /><br />"Since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done" (Rom.1:28).<br /><br />This matter of God not warning forever but eventually giving a person what that person wants because it is clear that he is never going to stop rebelling against God--this final warning is repeated other times in this first chapter of Romans:<br /><br />"Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts . . . " (Rom. 1:24).<br /><br />" . . . God gave them over . . ." (Rom. 1:26).<br /><br />Though God is patient and forgiving, he has set a time limit to that patience and forgiveness. He will not forever let man continue to go on sinning and rejecting him as God. The time in which a person can receive forgiveness and escape from hell is limited. Our time on this earth is the time when God allows evil actions from wrong choices to take place.<br /><br />"In the past he let all nations go their own way" (Acts 14:16).<br /><br />But now he has sent his Son to die on the cross to provide an escape from the sentence of hell for the nations' peoples committing these evil acts.<br /><br />"In the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30).<br /><br />"For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed" (Acts. 17:31).<br /><br />That man is Jesus Christ.<br /><br />"This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ" (Rom. 2:16).<br /><br />There is a day when forgiveness is possible, and that day is now, while we are still alive on this earth (2 Cor. 6:2). But today does not last forever. When the day is done, comes the night, when forgiveness is no longer possible and the final meting out of the consequences for one's refusal to accept forgiveness in the day. <br /><br />"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven" (Eccl. 3:1).<br /><br />Perhaps no sadder example of this sobering truth is found in Scripture than that of Esau, who, to satisfy the hunger cravings of his stomach, threw away his precious birthright to Jacob (Gen. 25:29-34). This heartbreaking and sobering tragedy is used as a warning in Hebrews 12:16, which opens with these words of warning: "See to it that none of you . . . is godless like Esau. . . ."<br /><br />In another situation where the people rejected God as Esau did and desired idols to be their gods, they told the prophet of God:<br /><br />"We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord" (Jer. 44:16).<br /><br />That was their clear and defiant stance before God. After repeated warnings from God, they still rejected him, not wanting him as their God. Therefore God gave them what they wanted and told them:<br /><br />"Go ahead, then, do what you promised" (Jer. 44:25).<br /><br />What they promised to do was to worship the false god they thought had prospered them (vs. 17, 18). It is absolutely tragic that so many people in this world still follow this same false god, the god of prosperity. For God has solemnly warned that all who do so are destroying themselves:<br /><br />"With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction" (Hosea 8:4).<br /><br />There it is again, the same warning that one's own actions and choices determine one's final destiny for destruction, not God. For God has voluntarily restricted himself never to force himself upon anyone, never to take away the precious gift of free will he has given to all human beings. He will not do this even if it means that they must forever be cut off from him by their misuse of that free will, choosing to reject him. That is how precious a gift it is that he has given us. So it is that, after doing all that could possibly be done to stop anyone from going to hell, God must allow those who do wish to dwell apart from him to do so. They will be "shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power" (2 Ths. 1:9).<br /><br />They could have been forgiven, but they would have none of it. Therefore, they die in their sins, as Jesus proclaimed:<br /><br />"I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins" (Jn. 8:24).<br /><br />To die in one's sins means that that person must then go to hell, for only those washed clean of their sins in the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, are deemed worthy to enter heaven. For God cannot abide with evil, nor can they who are evil abide with him; therefore, they must abide elsewhere, in a place far removed from heaven--separated by their sins from God.<br /><br />"Your iniquities have separated you from your God" (Is. 59:2).<br /><br />I do not apologize if I seem to have repeated this one key truth over and over again here, that <span style="font-style:italic;">it is one's own choice of rejecting life in Christ that sends one to hel</span>l, not an unjust action of God. For this entire piece of writing can be summed up in a single verse from Scripture, where God pleads:<br /><br />"I long to redeem them but they speak lies against me" (Hosea 7:13).<br /><br />God would have all people to be saved, but some, wishing to justify themselves and their own ideas of love and God and justice, speak lies against God, saying that a loving God would not send people to hell. He does not. They send themselves there. So quit saying this lie about God. You do not understand justice.<br /><br />"Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it fully" (Prov. 28:5).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-51422154032591698542010-07-01T10:50:00.004-05:002010-07-01T11:01:14.237-05:00Whispers from Narnia: What I Heard from the Spirit in LWW<span style="font-weight:bold;">WHISPERS FROM NARNIA</span><br /><br />Lucy Pevensie was the first in her family to see Narnia. But the others didn't believe her. When the wardrobe was examined carefully, no door into another world was found; it was closed even to Lucy at that moment. This caused even Lucy to doubt if her experience had been real. Later that night in bed, she could not sleep. She had to know. So she got out of bed and went back to the wardrobe. As her hand reached up for the doorknob, she hesitated. What if it all was a dream? But her desire for truth won out over her doubts--and she opened the door.<br /><br />As the door opened, a whisper of wind drifted out from Narnia and blew out the candle she was holding, and a smile brightened her face. Though she has not yet seen Narnia again, she knows it awaits her for she has felt the whisper of its breeze upon her face and has seen it blow out the candle's flame. And so she enters through the doorway into that other world with confidence, not yet seeing Narnia but knowing that it awaits her at the other end of the tunnel.<br /><br />Our own world is full of people wanting our money and even our souls. They shout at us constantly in the din of this world's marketplace, whether it be commercial or religious. <br />Like Lucy, we need to learn to pay attention to the whispers of God instead of to the shouting of fools. This principle applies to every area of life. Here, it shall be applied to the way God whispered to me as I watched the Disney version of <span style="font-style:italic;">The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe</span> (hereafter, LWW).<br /><br />Whatever the faults of this human endeavor, I indeed heard God whisper to me in my spirit throughout this film, just as I have heard him speak to me in other areas where humans try to deal with deep subjects of life and reality and God. Though these efforts may fail in some ways because they involve subjects too deep for any human attempt to fathom, yet they are not a total failure and those who reject such attempts because they may not plunge into the depths of the ocean in a way they deem successful, they are the poorer for not therefore enjoying some wading on the beach. <br /><br />"And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?" (Job 26:14 NIV).<br /><br />We are told in Scripture to be discerning, to take the good and reject the bad: "Test everything; hold fast what is good, abstain from every form of evil" (1 Ths. 5:21,22).<br /><br />I have tested this film and, despite the objections or misunderstandings of some Christians about certain aspects of it, I still find much to recommend and cannot let what I consider to be good to be spoken evil of (Rom. 14:16). Therefore, I ask you to allow me to share some of what the Spirit whispered to me as I watched it, for there were times when I was simply overwhelmed by the Spirit's presence as he showed me things of the Spirit of God there in the scenes before my eyes. I cried many times as I felt the Lord's presence and I am the richer for having watched this film and desire that others may also benefit from some of what his Spirit communicated to me.<br /><br />There is no set order to the sections that follow, but they do all proceed from what was experienced while watching the LWW Narnia film with the Lord. And in case that sounds strange to anyone (that I should say that he watched it with me), I recall reading an account of a sister in the Lord who had enjoyed the simple pleasure of watching a beautiful sunset, and who afterwards heard the Lord say to her, "Yes, I enjoyed watching that with you." When we belong to the Lord, all that we do is done in his presence, whether it be watching a sunset or a movie, and that makes all the difference as to what we will see in what we see. For while our eyes can see the surface things, only the Lord can reveal to us the deeper things that lie beneath--and whisper their deeper nature to us in our spirit. Here then are some of what I heard of those whispers from Narnia.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">LINKS BETWEEN WORLDS WHISPER</span><br /><br />There are two worlds, two universes, that exist: the physical, visible world and the spiritual, invisible world. They exist side by side, and normally those in the material, visible world cannot see or cross over into the immaterial or invisible world. But there are links between the two. Every time a believer prays, for instance, a bridge is established between the two worlds, through which the one living in our physical world can travel in spirit to that unseen world. The opposite can also take place. At any time, whenever he so desires, the Lord of the spiritual kingdom can open up a door to that invisible realm and allow those chosen by him in the physical world to cross over and enter that formerly unseen realm. Many such instances are recorded in the Bible, such as Elijah and the chariots of God (2 Kgs. 2:11,12), Paul's vision of heaven (2 Cor. 12:2-4), and Stephen's vision (Acts 7:55). Such links are always at the Lord's discretion, not ours.<br /><br />So it is that we see from LWW that the first such link took place in the wardrobe, totally unsought by Lucy. One moment she was simply playing a game of hide and seek, and the next moment something that was hidden and unsought suddenly became visible to her: A link from her world appeared unbidden to escort her into that other world. She had nothing to do with the appearance of that link--or its later disappearance. For she was disappointed to find upon her return from Narnia that the link no longer existed, and her brothers and sisters could not help but think she had imagined the whole thing. Upon examination of the wardrobe, no such opening into another world existed as Lucy had insisted.<br /><br />Here, then, is a whisper from Narnia. For who of us in this world who believe in Jesus can explain to someone who has not experienced what we have--this transformation from living solely in a material world we can see to living in the broader, deeper unseen world of the invisible God and his angels--that this world really exists and that we have been there and, in fact, it is right here amongst us (Luke 17:21), even in the ordinary things of this world, like human beings and their wardrobes? They do not believe our report (Is. 53:1), just as Lucy's siblings did not believe hers. Upon examination, it is but an ordinary wardrobe.<br /><br />But it is ordinary only in appearance, on the outside; inside, something extraordinary takes place: It transports those who pass through its door not only into another world but into a new dimension of existence. Therefore, a new way of seeing is required to see things as they really are.<br /><br />"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor. 5:16,17).<br /><br />The new has come, but not everyone knows this or sees it. It is something a person has to experience for himself or herself in order to appreciate it fully. So it is that Lucy must wait until a further opportunity for the link to re-establish itself so that she can return to Narnia and prove its existence to herself, as well as to her brothers and sisters.<br /><br />That opportunity came that very night. Lying in bed, she cannot sleep, for the memory of Narnia remains in her head. She stares at the candle until she can wait no longer. She wraps herself in her robe, takes that candle, and goes back to the wardrobe to see if it all really was just a dream or if it is real.<br /><br />After another adventure in Narnia, Lucy returns once more to her normal world but is too excited to return to bed. How can one sleep in the darkness after being in that other, bright world? So she runs into Peter's room and turns on the light in his room as well, excitedly waking him up to share her experience with him again, only to be met with the same response as before: As Susan enters the room, she tells Lucy, "You've been dreaming." But Peter is at least willing to listen to her try to convince them. He asks Edmund, whom Lucy claims also went there, "You saw the faun?"<br /><br />And it is just here that we see a sad truth about any link between the worlds: that the link in itself cannot automatically accomplish its full purpose of transferring people from one world to another. It must have the acceptance and cooperation--the willingness--of those who would cross over. Nor is that all that is required. For Edmund had indeed voluntarily crossed over, but he was unwilling to admit it in the face of others who had not, for fear that they would ridicule him and for fear that he would have to admit that he had been wrong before, when he had joined the others in disbelieving Lucy. He is not the first to have this reaction to being confronted with the truth of the other world.<br /><br />"Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God" (Jn. 5:42,43).<br /><br />Narnia and the kingdom of God may whisper in the ears of all, but not all respond to that whisper.<br /><br />So, twice a link has been furnished for the Pevensie children to cross over into Narnia. The first time there was but one child; the second, that number increased twofold, to Lucy and Edmund. Now it will double again, for the next time the link appears, all four children will enter into Narnia. And again, it is not at the children's behest that this link appears, for they run into the wardrobe not seeking a way to another world but to escape judgment and punishment in this one, for having accidentally broken a window. But the link does appear, solely at the discretion of the Ruler of Narnia. He knows when the link is needed and he provides it at the proper time. However, none of the children are prepared for the wardrobe to be an entrance into Narnia at this time, for their focus is on what is happening in their world.<br /><br />"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all" (Lk. 17:26,27).<br /><br />Jesus is the ark of God. He is the one way (Jn. 14:6) that God has provided for us to escape the coming flood of God's wrath upon this world. The wardrobe is an ark of wood for the children, though they are not prepared for all that it means to enter into that ark, just as most people do not fully realize what it means to believe in Jesus until after they have entered into him through faith. It is only afterwards that they grow in that faith, day by day.<br /><br />Susan epitomizes this experience, for she is the logical one, the one who relies on reasoning and logic to explain every situation she encounters. But the first time she enters Narnia through the wardrobe she suddenly comes face to face with a situation for which logic cannot furnish a reasonable cause. One moment she is in her familiar, ordinary world, and the next she is suddenly in the unfamiliar, extraordinary world of Narnia. What is a logical mind to do when confronted with a seemingly incomprehensible situation? It must react in the only way it knows to react when faced with that which it cannot explain. Susan looks out at the incredible world of Narnia that somehow manages to exist within the wardrobe and says the one word, the only word, that she can: "Impossible!"<br /><br />A moment earlier Susan had been in her tiny little world and now. . . . This is similar to when we accept Christ: Before, our familiar world was all we knew and if we are honest and admit it, we ourselves were the main focus in that world. But now, with Christ . . . there is all of infinity and the God of no limits and love beyond comprehension, and so many other things. Impossible! But it is true nonetheless.<br /><br />Susan said it at the start of their journey. At the end, it is the witch's turn. After she had killed Aslan the Lion, he turns up very much alive at the battle at the end. When she hears him roar and sees him, she can say only one thing: "Impossible!" Is that not what God's plan of salvation is about, doing what is impossible?<br /><br />But what is impossible with man is possible with God (Mk. 10:27). Both the witch and Susan make a telling statement that reveals their true selves. Susan is so solidly entrenched in living her life based on logic and the mind and all the usual human ways of doing things that she cannot bring herself to accept that there might be another and better way of living. Fear suddenly sweeps over her at the possibility of having to step out in a new direction into unknown territory, and after only her first few steps out of the wardrobe into Narnia, she says, "Maybe we should go back."<br /><br />Susan is not alone in fear of the unknown, fear of leaving comfortable old ways of living, even if those ways include a horrendous war going on that threatens to kill her and all she holds dear. Better the known and familiar than the unknown and unfamiliar. She wants to go back. Others have heard such whispers--but they are not from God:<br /><br />" We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost--also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!" (Num. 11:5,6).<br /><br />Like the Israelites of old, who had just been set free from slavery in Egypt, Susan wants to return to her old and familiar ways, even though that includes returning to a world torn by war and that threatens her very existence. She has no appetite for this new world with its unknowns. Whether the rallying cry is "Back to Egypt!" or "Back to England!", it speaks to the basic fear in all of us at encountering the unknown. <br /><br />Susan needs to have her fear replaced by faith; otherwise, the consequences for not doing so are most severe:<br /><br />"But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved" (Heb. 10:38,39).<br /><br /><br />But there is yet another danger as well. For sometimes, this looking back is not out of fear of what may lie ahead but of longing for what was left behind. While the goodness and promise of Narnia may whisper to beckon us forward, there are also whispers that beckon backward, to our own destruction. Lot's wife epitomizes what happens when the wrong choice is made as to which whisper to listen to (Gen. 19:26). Jesus himself said that "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God" (Lk. 9:62). Not only must we pay no heed to the shouts of fools, we must be careful which whispers we listen to: those of Narnia, representing God's kingdom, or of the world.<br /><br />Peter must make a decision when faced with which way the children should go upon their first entry into Narnia from the wardrobe. Susan wants to go back, but Edmund wants to look around, even if for the wrong reasons. To whom should he listen? Peter is the eldest and all the children always look to him for leadership and decisions--and Peter here makes a wise choice, for, recognizing that he himself has no firsthand knowledge of Narnia, he humbles himself and lets someone who does have such knowledge make the decision.<br /><br /><br />"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him" (Lk. 10:22).<br /><br />Many people of many religions claim to know what God is like, but Jesus boldly declares that in truth only he is the One who can make the Father known to us. The wise person listens to him, even as God himself has commanded us to do (Mt. 17:5).<br /><br />Thus Peter is wise to follow this principle and he lets the only one (as far as he then knows) who has been to Narnia make the decision. At this, Lucy brightens up because she wants them all to meet Mr. Tumnus. While Susan is afraid because she has yet to experience any of the good of Narnia, Lucy can calm her fears because she has. Mr. Tumnus is good and she need have no fear of going at least that far, to meet him. So it is that they all set off on their first journey as a family into Narnia. The link has done its job. Now it is up to the Pevensie children to do theirs, to fulfill their prophetic roles in Narnia. But that is another whisper from Narnia.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />PROPHETIC WHISPERS from NARNIA</span><br /><br />The first the Pevensie children hear of the prophecy concerning themselves is at the Beaver's hut. Mister Beaver is astounded and chagrined that they have never heard of this prophecy before; after all, it is all about them! But once Mrs. Beaver tells them what that prophecy is, it is the children’s' turn to be astounded. They are supposed to save Narnia! Or, as Peter puts it with such astonished tone: "And you think we're the ones?"<br /><br />They are indeed. There was another man who had trouble believing that he should be the one to deliver an entire people from slavery. His name was Moses. yet another had the name of Gideon. Both had severe doubts about their qualifications for the job. Or, as the old joke goes about Moses' reply to the Lord's command to send him to deliver his people from slavery in Egypt: "Here I am, Lord. Send Aaron." However, divine destiny cannot be so easily turned aside, " for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable" (Rom. 11:29).<br /><br />Nevertheless, that does not mean that all who are called to such a high destiny accept that call easily. There was one who sought to run away from God's prophetic call upon his life by the name of Jonah. Peter also sought to avoid the prophetic call upon his life and that of his brother and sisters. He arose from the Beavers' table and said, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid it's time the four of us were getting home." The trouble was, there were now not four but only three of them around that table; Edmund had already disappeared, seeking a different destiny for himself than that to which the Narnian prophecy had committed him. That disappearance forces Peter and his two sisters to begin fulfilling their calling and destiny whether they want to or not, for they cannot return home through the wardrobe without their brother; they now must rescue Edmund from the witch, and to do that they need Aslan's help. <br /><br />Ah, yes, things are working out to channel them into their destiny after all. And yet it is not like they are helpless victims of fate, for Edmund freely chose to abandon them, and they have freely chosen not to abandon him--and it is all working towards the fulfillment of destiny for all of them, so that Narnia itself will no longer be abandoned to the witch's power. So it is that Narnia whispers to us that when we seek the benefit of the Kingdom of God first, many shall benefit; the circle of blessing from a single pebble thrown into water keeps expanding over the pond of prophecy until it reaches the far shore.<br /><br />But even if one rebels against such prophecy, somehow it manages to come to fulfillment anyway. The witch may want to stop the prophecy from coming true by using Edmund as bait to capture the other children and then kill them, as Beaver so startlingly tells the children, but by her very actions the witch actually ensures that the prophecy will come true. For if she had not imprisoned Edmund, the children would have returned to their own world and left her alone. Now they will not rest until Edmund is free, and that means that they must indeed battle the witch--just as the prophecy foretold. Even evil, operating under its own free will, cannot stop what has been prophesied from happening.<br /><br />"The Lord works out everything for his own ends--even the wicked for a day of disaster" (Prov. 16:4).<br /><br />This matter of prophecy and destiny is very deep and often is misinterpreted by nonbelievers and Christians alike. Never does the fact that the Bible makes predictions or prophecies ever nullify the awesome fact that human beings have free will. Free will and destiny, though sometimes seemingly contradictory to each other, can and do co-exist in our world, and is so portrayed in Narnia as a reflection of our world, but only because One who has infinite knowledge and wisdom has the power to enable both to exist without either interfering with each other or being untrue to their essence and meaning.<br /><br />One of the deepest scenes in LWW occurs when Aslan is speaking privately with Peter, in Aslan's camp, as they both look out over the landscape to the castle Cair Paravel in the distance. Aslan tells Peter that one day he will sit on one of four thrones there, as high king--another prophecy. When Peter hangs his head at this because he feels unworthy of such an honor, Aslan asks him, "You doubt the prophecy?" and Peter replies, "No. That's just it." Peter's problem is not that he <span style="font-style:italic;">doubts</span> the prophecy but that he <span style="font-style:italic;">believes</span> it--and that prophecy says that he will rule from that throne, something he obviously does not feel qualified to do, just as he knows that he first must do battle with the white witch, something for which he also does not feel ready.<br /><br /><br />Aslan then tries to bolster Peter's faith and to expand his vision of reality by mentioning that the Deep Magic that determines all their destinies includes his--Aslan's--own as well. If even the ruler of all of Narnia is subject to destiny's power, then surely Peter can rest easy that all will be well.<br /><br />Now, some may object to Aslan's words about even he himself being subject to this power of destiny. Since Aslan clearly represents Jesus in the film, isn't that lowering the status of God and putting him beneath something higher, the force of destiny? Not at all, when rightly understood. For the Bible itself speaks of this deep and mysterious thing we call destiny and it does so in such a way that we see that it does not exert a force stronger than God himself, nor is it higher than God but subservient to him, that God created this thing we call destiny and he created it to serve his purposes. Destiny, like everything else, is a servant to its Creator. A look at a some Bible passages helps clarify all this.<br /><br />When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, facing his opponents who had come to arrest him, Peter drew a sword to defend him. But Jesus rebuked him, citing a higher purpose, or destiny, than that which governed what Peter wanted to take place. He said to Peter:<br /><br />"Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? <span style="font-style:italic;">But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way</span>?" (Mt. 26:53,54).<br /><br />That is destiny, but it is not a destiny that overwhelms the Son of God, whether he wants it to or not, but a destiny to which that Son of God has voluntarily submitted himself, out of his great love for the Father and his purposes.<br /><br />The Bible says of Jesus that he was destined or chosen <br />"before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake" (1 Ptr. 1:20). God chose his Son to be the one and only Savior of the world before he created that world.<br /><br />That is destiny. <br /><br />It may sound like the Son had no choice, but that is not what Scripture says, for elsewhere it quotes Jesus as saying of the sacrifice of his life for the world that "no one takes it from me, but <span style="font-style:italic;">I lay it down of my own accord</span>. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father" (Jn. 10:18). <br /><br />That is free will. <br /><br />The Son so loves the Father that he freely offers to be that willing sacrifice for the whole world. Thus destiny and free will combine to produce that which the Father desires. Only in the sense that the Son voluntarily submits himself in love to the Father and to the destiny that the Father has chosen for him is it true that destiny governs the Son.<br /><br />We also have a choice about our destiny. God has a good destiny, fashioned out of love, for all that he has created. But he does not force that destiny upon us. We have the incredible gift of free will to accept or deny this destiny. This amazing power to choose is hinted at in Aslan's words to Peter as they stare out over the landscape to far away Cair Paravel. When Peter balks at the cost of fulfilling the destiny thrust upon him, Aslan says quietly but firmly to him, "I ask you to consider what I ask of you." That is all that God asks of us as well. We are asked to consider the cost of accepting the destiny God has for us, but also to consider the consequences of not accepting it. Cost and consequences. We can indeed refuse to pay the cost for accepting our destiny in Christ, but only to incur a far greater cost: even our very soul:<br /><br />"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mk. 8:36).<br /><br /><br />Yet some do reject the good destiny that God wants them to have, even though it costs them their very soul.<br /><br />"The Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John" (Lk. 7:30).<br /><br />However, some, after considering the cost, deem Jesus to be more valuable even than their very soul and life, and surrender that soul and life to him.<br /><br />"I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (Ph. 3:8).<br /><br />The seeming paradox facing us, then, is that to save our soul, we must lose it, surrender it to the only One who can save it. For if we cling to it and refuse this destiny, we shall indeed lose our very soul. But if we give it up to Jesus, he will save it for all eternity. <br /><br />It is too bad that a word like magic must be used in this film, as it has a bad connotation in culture, and rightly so. Yet there is a place for the proper use of this word when speaking of the things of God in a film such as this. We need to remember that words often have more than one meaning. A dictionary I consulted lists the first meaning of the word magic as being associated with sorcery. This would be a wrong meaning of the word in this particular moment in the film. But the second meaning is simply the use of supernatural powers. Certainly that meaning fits this moment, for supernatural powers are at work here, just as in real life regarding the invisible war between God and Satan and good and evil.<br /><br />In fact, while, of necessity, the Narnia films make use of the occult, demonic type of magic, as evidenced by the white witch, it also contains the other meaning of the word, reserved for instances where the supernatural power of God or Aslan is meant. And it is deep--too deep for the limited human mind to comprehend fully, but still able to whisper enough of its essence into our ears so that we tremble at the love and humility that the Son has that he would do this, first out of love for his Father and then out of love for us. <br /><br />Aslan says that the Deep Magic governs him but that is only because, as we see later in the film, that, like Jesus, he is willing to lay down his life of his own free will to obtain the release of Edmund and then for all of those in Narnia. The true governing force in Aslan's life is not destiny but love; that is the very essence of who he is. Destiny simply flows out from that love and then governs the actions of those caught up in that great love. Destiny is subservient to love and the God who is love, Jesus, rather than the other way around. Destiny flows out from the One who is its source. He who is the Supreme God of all that is also reigns supreme over destiny.<br /><br />So it is that LWW whispers to us of very deep things, deep things like destiny and prophecy and free will. And just as in real life, we see in Narnia the playing out of these deep things without, perhaps, always being conscious of their presence and the connections between them. But whether we are aware of them or are able to understand them or not, we are able to see these deep things at work in the images of this film. And for that I am thankful to God, for as is his wont, he has used common things like scenes in a movie to whisper to me of deep things in my spirit. That is exactly how the Spirit works in those who submit to their destiny as children of God:<br /><br />"God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God" (1 Cor. 2:10).<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />FAMILY WHISPERS from NARNIA</span><br /><br />One of the major virtues of LWW is its emphasis on family. All through the film we see how the Pevensie children stick up for one another and take care of one another. Mention has already been made how, even though Edmund temporarily rejects the bond of family between himself and his siblings, they continue to honor that bond to retrieve him back to safety in the family circle, even at the risk of their own lives.<br /><br />This stress point of Edmund's rebellious streak is seen from the very first of the film, where he resents Peter's dominance over him, even when it means saving Edmund from the bombs exploding near their house under attack by the enemy bombers. Another example of his occurs later when Edmund makes a point of putting up his own grip on the train's rack instead of having Peter do it for him. Edmund feels squelched by his big brother and that animosity eventually leads to his fateful betrayal of the children to the witch and to his own downfall. <br /><br />Some children--and adults--do seem to have such a strong pull towards independence that they do have trouble submitting to parents or siblings and the family tie is tested to the breaking point. This extreme individualism is often difficult for the rest in the family to understand, for they are more secure in their roles and relationships and have no need for such drastic actions as Edmund displayed by running back into the house against his mother's wishes simply to retrieve a picture of his father. Peter is greatly upset at this foolish behavior and says so to Edmund: "Why can't you just do what you're told?" He totally does not understand. But later, in Aslan's Camp, Peter admits that he partly to blame for Edmund's rebellion. He says to Aslan, "I was too hard on him." But then Susan jumps in to stick up for Peter, saying, "We all were." They are family. They are not a perfect family, but they are held together by a bond that is stronger than that which attacks that bond.<br /><br />Another scene that emphasizes this family bond takes place in the professor's study, when Peter and Susan relate to the professor why Lucy is upset over the differences of views regarding the existence of Narnia through the link of the wardrobe. After being astonished that the professor believes Lucy's view and not theirs, Peter says to the professor, "You're saying that we should just believe her?" And the professor replies, "She's your sister, isn't she? You're a family. You might just try acting like one."<br /><br />Well, they do. All through the story, we see little glimpses of just how much of a real family these four children are. We see it when, their first night in the professor's mansion in the country, Susan turns off the radio because she feels the need to address Lucy's obvious discouragement and loneliness in the new environment. We see it in Peter's constant care of the other children, constantly taking Lucy's hand to reassure her in their travels in Narnia, and the many times in which we see Susan putting an arm around Lucy to reassure her.<br /><br />Poor Peter. He tries so hard to be the man of the house while his father is gone--so much so that, in one scene, Edmund rebels against his zealous attempts at this, shouting at him, "You think you're Dad, but your not!" and then stomps out of the room. But, despite such lapses, Peter really does work hard at bearing the responsibility placed on his young shoulders and generally does an admirable job. I especially like the moment when they are crossing the frozen river that is breaking up beneath their feet, just below the waterfall, and the wolves of the witch are in hot pursuit of them, and it is all around a dangerous situation. Then, in the midst of all this danger, Susan succumbs to fear, again, and to a longing to be back home, safe and sound--emotions which no doubt Peter was also feeling but to which he is determined not to give in, but to see his sisters safely across the river and out of danger. In the middle of the river Susan untactfully says, "If Mummy could see us now . . ." That is not what Peter needs to hear just then. He is trying his hardest to handle a situation of many dangers that would tax the will and emotions of a mature adult and, feeling his own inadequacy, he responds in irritation back to Susan, "Mum's not here!"<br /><br />Family does not just happen. It is not blood alone that determines family but the efforts of those involved to want to make a family out of whatever is available. Sometimes what is available is not much, but you make do with what you have rather than wish for that which is unavailable to you.<br /><br />But my favorite scene that reflects the deep sense of family that the Pevensies display is that first, rainy day in the professor's house in the country. They are all bored and trying to deal with a new environment away from their mother and not making much headway until Lucy decides she can take no more and begs Peter, as the head of that family in the absence now of both father and mother, to play hide and seek. <br /><br />How wonderful the gift God has given to us of little children! One moment they are all bored to distraction, and the next, after the energetic pleading of a small child, even the older children find themselves actually enjoying a children's game, not knowing that it will soon lead to even more exciting adventures via the wardrobe's hidden link to Narnia.<br /><br />Another reason this is one of my favorite scenes in the movie is because it brings back memories of similar moments in my own life. I was born at the end of that great war which forms the backdrop for this movie, World War Two, and I remember as a child putting together jigsaw puzzles with my grandmother of some of the planes used in that war, planes such as the P-38 and the B-17 and B-24 bombers. My father, like the Pevensie's father, served in that war and was, in fact away in that war when I was born, so I stayed with my mother at my grandparents' house for the first three years of my life, which was not all that unusual at that time because of the war. Thus my first family was of many aunts and uncles and my grandparents and my mother, but not my father. But it was still a family that stuck together and loved one another. The Pevensie children was such a family as well.<br /><br />Peter expresses the strong bond of family well when he converses with Aslan from the overlook of the camp. For when Aslan says to Peter that he did well to bring his family to him, Peter says with sadness, "Not all of them." Even if Edmund is in rebellion and has betrayed that family, that family tie still holds Peter's heart to Edmund. He cannot let him go even after all Edmund has done to them. Or as Lucy so simply put it to Aslan, "Sir, he's our brother."<br /><br />What a wonderful heart's desire to belong to a family like that. And that is exactly what the Bible describes as the family of God to which all who believe in Jesus do belong. For he is described there as our brother who does not turn his back on us, even after we have turned our back on him:<br />"Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers" (Heb. 2:11).<br /><br />Amazing, that Jesus is not ashamed to be called our brother, he in his holiness, we in our shameful sin. But that is the truth. We are God's children: "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 Jn. 3:1).<br /><br />God has a deep affection for family, so much so that one goal of Jesus' life on earth was to provide children for our heavenly Father. This film reflects the high value God places on family.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">DEEP WHISPERS</span><br /><br />Though LWW could be seen as a simple children's film, in reality there are many deep themes and scenes throughout the film. One of the deepest occurs in the scene from Aslan's Camp, when Aslan has freed Edmund from the witch's grasp, only to have the witch come into the camp demanding Edmund's blood because he is a traitor, as is her legitimate right to demand. Aslan takes the queen into his tent and after she leaves, she thinks she has bargained a great deal. But no one outside knows this. All they know is that when the two emerge, and the queen leaves, Aslan announces that she has renounced her claim on the traitor Edmond. Of course she has. He is small fry. What she really wants is the death of Aslan himself. She is willing to release the boy Edmund and let him go if she can thus obtain the death of Aslan himself.<br /><br />But no one else knows this, that Aslan has promised to take Edmund's place in the legal contract and to die in his place. No one knows this; they just all rejoice and shout with happiness that their lost brother is no longer to be killed.<br /><br />No one knows . . . but then there is that silent moment when smiling and happy little Lucy has a serious look suddenly steal across her face because she looks at Aslan and sees the deep sorrow on his face and she senses that something far deeper has just taken place than she or any of the others realize. That fleeting moment of two spirits meeting and sensing and communicating beyond ordinary words is a communication of spirit to spirit. Lucy looks at Aslan and he at her, and though she may not understand, she knows that something much deeper is occurring right then--and it is something very tragic and costly to Aslan--and to her, because she loves Aslan. She senses that Aslan has just done something beyond all human comprehension (at least hers, and she represents all of us)--and the depth of this as-yet unknown sacrifice hurts her as well.<br /><br />"Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me" (Psalm 42:7).<br /><br />I love the way the scene just shows on the face of Aslan the deep sorrow and sober realization he feels right then, because he is fully aware of what it is going to cost him to free the boy. He hangs his head in full realization of what his love for Edmund and the others will cost him. Only those who truly love know how costly love is.<br /><br />I love how the film show Aslan emerging from the tent when the witch departs. Everyone backs away in fear from her as she leaves. Then Aslan stops and stares for a long moment directly at Edmund. This is what the film is all about. There are no words, only silence. But the love in Aslan's heart for one person condemned to die is captured in that one look. Edmund looks back at Aslan, full of fear and despair. Is he to be returned to the witch, to face death for his rebellion? His entire fate hangs in the balance of whatever Aslan is about to say, and he knows this full well.<br /><br />When I watch that moment again each time I play the movie, I cry--for I am Edmund. I see in Aslan's long, penetrating stare my Lord Jesus, staring deep into my heart and knowing what I am really like and yet still going ahead with his plan to take my place of punishment for who I am. And I cry and thank Jesus from my heart for what he did for me and for all of us on the cross. He knew the cost of what he was going to have to do to secure our release from death--and yet he did it anyway. On the cross, he was abandoned by God, the very Father he loved so much. The pain of the cross is beyond our comprehension, just as little Lucy could not fathom what it was going to cost Aslan to fulfill his promise to the wicked queen for the release of Edmund.<br /><br />This moment also harks back to an earlier moment, when the children first met Aslan at his tent. When told that Edmund had been captured by the queen, Aslan promises to do what he can to free him, but he then quietly adds, "This may be more difficult than you think." I have found that this is typical of how God speaks in his Word. Often, he will say a very deep and profound thing there, but will not shout it out to draw attention to its deep nature. He simply and quietly says the truth and leaves it to his Holy Spirit to arouse an awareness in any reader whose spirit is in tune with His (Heb 4:12). More difficult than they think to get their brother back? That is an understatement worthy of God.<br /><br />Another deep whisper from Narnia is heard in the scene just before the battle between the witch and her army and the Narnian army. I really like the way the movie has no sound at all as the charge of the final battle comes. Both of these armies are charging towards one another at full tilt, and the fate of all of Narnia hangs in the balance. It is obviously the climax of the whole story and one might think that dramatic, serious music should be playing to call attention to the supreme importance of this moment.<br /><br />But, no. Wisely, the makers of this realistic portrayal of evil versus good chose to have no sound at all as this climactic moment builds up. This reminds me of Revelation, where Scripture portrays the final moments of this world in a similar battle, and it says that there is silence in heaven for half an hour (Rev 8:1). Why the silence? I believe it is to emphasize the gravity of what is taking place: the end of the world and the final battle and final judgment of all mankind. Sometimes the magnitude of the moment demands silence rather than words. When it is all over, there is no more to be said. And Scripture also says that the kingdom of God does not consist of talk but of power (1 Cor 4:20).<br /><br />"Silence is praise to the, O God, in Zion" (Ps. 65:2).<br /><br />By using silence and a view from very far away which shows the magnitude of the moment and the battle, this technique shouts far louder than if a noisy, calamitous film score were playing just then. The silence communicates the awesome nature of the moment. But then, our entire life is actually such an awesome "moment". For we are but a moment in eternity, and yet all hangs in the balance of that one moment. Jesus used simple parables and common things of life to illustrate the deep things of God. This is necessary because those deep things are so deep that they are beyond the comprehension of man. Only a wise and good teacher can relate these things beyond understanding to simple things that we can understand and thus ensure that we are able to grasp them. Silence is often not as simple as it first appears.<br /><br />And so it is with this film. Very deep things are involved in the story of this film and yet through visual images such as those mentioned above those deep things become more comprehensible to us. I do believe that God has brought together all the human elements needed to make this film so that we can relate to him better and have deeper appreciation of the profound nature of our own existence and his. He uses a children's tale to teach us of him.<br /><br />"It is written in the Prophets: `They will all be taught by God'" (John 6:45).<br /><br />"All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace" (Is. 54:13).<br /><br />When Jesus was 12 years old, his parents found him in the temple, teaching the learned scholars. To teach the things of God, God uses children and the things of children--even a story or film that some view as a children's story. That is another reason I like that scene near the beginning of the film, where the children are spending their first full day in the countryside at the professor's mansion. Everything is the same and dull and boring because of the rain outside--until a children's game of hide and seek unexpectedly opens up a new world to their eyes through the wardrobe's entrance to Narnia.<br /><br />Deep things are dealt with in this film. Despite whatever negative connotations might be involved with the word magic, it is fitting and proper that C.S. Lewis should use the phrase Deep Magic to represent the subject matter of this film. For deep things of God are truly dealt with here and I am very grateful for the visual and audio manner in which they are portrayed--including, as mentioned, even those moments when there is no sound to be heard. We thus are made ready to leave the shouting of the world and are more receptive to discern the whispers of Narnia.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">WHISPERS OF CHILDHOOD</span><br /><br />Childhood is special, mostly a happiness or ignorance of the evil in the beyond. But as we grow older, sadly, we do become aware of the evil and the danger it poses to us. The LWW film masterfully blends in an ever-increasing awareness of this threat of evil beyond childhood's protected playpen. Lucy is the first to catch a glimpse that not all is peaceful in Narnia when Mr. Tumnus mentions that some of the trees are on the witch's side. Later, when all four of the children enter Tumnus' abode, they read the notice of his arrest and see the ruins of his place, and Lucy shows at the same time both an awareness and an ignorance of evil when she says, "Who would do something like this?" She is aware of the obvious destruction caused by evil that is now before her eyes, but she cannot fathom who would do something such as this evil.<br /><br />I have much the same reaction when viewing the very opening sequence in the film, of the enemy bombers dropping their bombs upon the civilian neighborhoods below. It is all a very mechanical operation: mechanical creations called airplanes soar overhead, releasing bombs without feelings that are indifferent to whether they destroy a house or those in it, and they are released from their own temporary housing in the bomb bay through a mechanical-electrical mechanism.<br /><br />But all of these mechanical monsters were created by human beings, and they are piloted by human beings and crew that are following orders from other human beings to wipe out those dwellings below them that are home to other human beings. What kind of people are these that can bring about such inhumane, inhuman actions as this? Or, as Lucy put it so well, "Who would do such a thing?" She does not understand, and neither do I. This is war. War is terrible beyond human comprehension.<br /><br />But then I think of my own human nature and know that it is sinful, just as is the nature of those who would do such things. Paul examined his own heart and pronounced judgment on it, saying that no good thing dwelt there, within his heart (Rom. 7:18). Evil is not only far away, within the darkened hearts of those who would bomb innocent women and children, it is much closer than I care to admit, even within my own heart. Jesus said that it not just those who actually kill someone who are murderers, but those who hate someone else in their heart is of the same mind (Mt. 6:21,22).<br /><br />Later, the others have their awareness of evil raised as well when they leave Beaver's lodge to find Edmund, and the beaver restrains Peter from charging off to the witch's castle to retrieve Edmond. He has to explain to Peter and to all of them that the witch wants to kill them! As soon as he says that, you can see the alarm on their faces. They had slowly been realizing more and more of the danger of Narnia, but to suddenly hear that their own lives are threatened--it suddenly becomes not a game of hide and seek any more. And that, too, is like real life, sad to say. Scripture says that the devil is like a roaring lion--not the good lion of Narnia--seeking someone to devour. That someone could easily be us. It is us. To escape that lion as it roars at us to make us afraid, we need to listen to the whispers that remind us that another Lion, the Lion of Judah, protects us.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">WHISPERS OF WEAPONS</span><br /><br />Do you remember the scene in LWW just before the big battle is to take place between the Narnians and the White Witch and her army? She says with utter confidence to her aide, "I have no interest in prisoners. Kill them all." Right there is a part of the answer to the profound question of why the devil fights against the infinite Supreme Being: He thinks he can win!<br /><br />There is not a shred of doubt in the witch's mind that she will win. She issues the command as if it were a foregone conclusion. After all, has she not just killed mighty Aslan? The Narnians' great protector is gone. Nothing can stop her now<br /><br />There is one weapon in particular that our enemy relies upon to help him win the war. That weapon is the law. God is just and he can no more break the law than anyone else can. To do so would be to deny who he is, the perfectly just and righteous Being upon whose character the law is built and upon which all human morality and fair play depends.<br /><br />Satan knows this and tries to use this requirement for God to be true to himself and his own just character against him. Examples of how he does this can be seen in his dispute over the body of Moses (Jude 9); his charges in the heavenly court against Job's motives for serving God (Job1:9,10; Job 2:1); and his legal demand to have Peter (Lk. 22:31 RSV).<br /><br />I love how LWW accurately portrays the devil's misuse of this weapon. This is seen most clearly in the dramatic confrontation of the Queen with Aslan at his camp. She has come into the camp with great pomp to demand of Aslan that he release the traitor Edmund to her, as is her right according to the law of Narnia. She knows the law and knows that Aslan himself must abide by it. That is why she defiantly challenges Aslan, "You dare not refuse me." She knows that to refuse her legitimate legal right to Edmund as a traitor would mean that Aslan himself is breaking his own law, being untrue to himself and the deepest fundamentals of existence.<br /><br />Aslan is perturbed by her recitation of the law to him and replies in anger, "Do not recite the Deep Magic to me, witch; I was there when it was written."<br /><br />"But to the wicked God says: 'What right have you to recite my statutes, or take my covenant on your lips?'" (Ps. 50:16).<br /><br />Aslan knows the law at its deepest level, that it is an expression of love, not just right and wrong, and that is why he is willing to sacrifice himself in Edmund's place on the Stone Table: both because he loves Edmund and because he knows that the law of love will not let him down, that he will rise again to life. He explained this to Susan and Lucy in his brief but deep discourse to them as they saw him alive again at that Table. He began, "If the witch knew the true meaning of sacrifice . . ."<br /><br />If she knew. . . . But she does not know. If she had known, she would not continue to fight against that which it is impossible to defeat. In her darkened mind, she cannot fathom this mystery of love, just as she cannot understand how forgiveness and mercy can exist together with justice and judgment. She, with the devil, does not understand that mercy triumphs over judgment (Jam. 2:13). When she utters the single word, "Impossible!" it is not only because of her astonishment that Aslan has come back to life from death, but that he manages to fulfill the demands of the law that a traitor be punished and yet still give mercy to Edmund. How can both requirements be met? Impossible! But with God, all things are possible and thus mercy can triumph over judgment.<br /><br />Other weapons appear in Narnia. When the children meet Father Christmas, he gives them unusual Christmas gifts, saying, "These are tools, not toys." In fact, they are weapons. He knows they will soon be going into battle, as he informs Peter: "The time to use these may be near at hand." They will need weapons to protect themselves and defeat the enemy.<br /><br />But these are not ordinary weapons. The witch has supernatural powers, including her spear that turns whomever it strikes into stone, and to defeat her requires weapons more powerful than anything human beings are capable of producing. But there is one thing human beings can make use of that is more powerful than mere physical weapons. That secret weapon is hinted at when Father Christmas hands Susan her bow and says to her, "Trust in this bow and it will not easily miss."<br /><br />Faith or trust is the secret weapon that enables weak human beings to battle far stronger spiritual beings and to conquer them. But it is not faith in faith but faith in the One who has destined them for this very battle and who is ever with them, even in them: "Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 Jn. 4:4). Even if that world is as foreign to us as the world of Narnia is to the children. Our weapons are weapons of the spirit, not the familiar weapons of swords that people of this world rely upon, although there are times when we must also make use of these physical weapons, as World War Two so dramatically showed us. Peter was given a real sword and a shield; Lucy was given a dagger. There are legitimate uses for God's children to make use of the physical weapons of warfare as well. For as the statesman Edmund Burke has noted, all that is required for evil to win is for good men to do nothing. The Bible is full of real battles with real swords. <br /><br />Real weapons of warfare, in fact, are the main visual image of the very beginning of this film. This opening sequence, of enemy bombers reigning down bombs upon London, is a very wise choice by the makers of this film. For it sets the tone, that though this be a children's fantasy, it has it foundations set upon the reality of the real world. Thus there is established at the onset a basis for making the fantastic creatures and settings of the mythical Narnia to be a true reflection, nonetheless, of the real world. Real lessons of real importance are to be conveyed through this film. If this were not so, it would be just another film of entertainment. As it is, it becomes a vehicle for transmitting deep truths about reality and God and there would be no purpose in my writing this piece and no reason for you to read it. The world is full of entertaining little films and books and all kinds of diversions. But this film is not just a diversion, although it is entertaining as well, but it has at its heart eternal truths of a deep nature that the wise will do well to pay attention to and heed. For in truth, World War Two especially was an attempt by the evil one to take over this world and he is not through with such attempts even yet, and we need to be prepared for more such battles to come. And if we will let it, a film such as this can help us do just that, for it is in itself a weapon we can use.<br /><br />An example of the connection between the real world and the fantasy world of Narnia is in Peter's use of the griffons to drop rocks onto the advancing army of the witch. Where did Peter get this idea? From having been subject to this weapon while living in England, during the blitz of London. He had experienced firsthand the terror of bombs dropping from the sky.<br /><br />But in the end, it is not any physical weapon that wins the battle but the Spirit of the Lord.<br /><br />"Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty" (Zech. 4:6).<br /><br />The Spirit of God is He who gives the victory, not any plan or weapon of man.<br /><br />"The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord" (Prov. 21:31).<br /><br />So it is that the Pevensie children, under the direction and guidance of Aslan, finally achieve the victory over the evil witch's forces and all Narnia is set free. The children then are crowned and sit on their respective thrones on the mountain of Cair Paravel, and from there grow up and experience the heights of Narnia's wonders. Surely this must be the high point of their lives.<br /><br />But then, one day, while chasing a stag, they rediscover the wardrobe and find themselves back in the everyday world of the country mansion in England. They suddenly go from the heights of supernatural living back to the ordinary world they once knew. This is similar to the dramatic experience of the inner three disciples, who accompanied Jesus up the mountain and there saw his glory, only to return down the mountain to the world waiting for them with its problems (Luke 9:28-37).<br /><br />It is quite fitting that the film should end in a way similar to that of the disciples coming down from the mountain with Jesus. For though this film is full of wondrous scenes that transport us away from this world and its cares for a while, the time does come when, like the disciples and the Pevensie children, we too must leave the wonderful world of Narnia and return to the real world we left behind for a brief while. In this, the film also reflects reality. For heaven is real and it still waits for us, just as Narnia waits for the return of the children. Like them, we too have tasted heaven by entering through the door--not of a wardrobe but the door of Jesus, who brings heaven down into our hearts until that glorious day when we go up to be with him forever. But until that day, there is work for us to do for him in this world. But now, through watching this film, perhaps we are encouraged to carry out our tasks with a better understanding of what those tasks are all about: establishing the kingdom of God on this earth through lives submitted to him as our God and King and Lord and Savior.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-72296338605836743342010-06-16T08:31:00.003-05:002010-06-16T08:42:54.853-05:00Whispers from Narnia<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">WHISPERS FROM NARNIA</span><br /><br />Lucy Pevensie was the first in her family to see Narnia. But the others didn't believe her. When the wardrobe was examined carefully, no door into another world was found; it was closed even to Lucy at that moment. This caused even Lucy to doubt if her experience had been real. Later that night in bed, she could not sleep. She had to know. So she got out of bed and went back to the wardrobe. As her hand reached up for the doorknob, she hesitated. What if it all was a dream? But her desire for truth won out over her doubts--and she opened the door.<br /><br />As the door opened, a whisper of wind drifted out from Narnia and blew out the candle she was holding, and a smile brightened her face. Though she has not yet seen Narnia again, she knows it awaits her for she has felt the whisper of its breeze upon her face and has seen it blow out the candle's flame. And so she enters through the doorway into that other world with confidence, not yet seeing Narnia but knowing that it awaits her at the other end of the tunnel.<br /><br />Our own world is full of people wanting our money and even our souls. They shout at us constantly in the din of this world's marketplace, whether it be commercial or religious.<br />Like Lucy, we need to learn to pay attention to the whispers of God instead of to the shouting of fools. This principle applies to every area of life. Here, it shall be applied to the way God whispered to me as I watched the Disney version of <span style="font-style:italic;">The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe</span> (hereafter, LWW).<br /><br />Whatever the faults of this human endeavor, I indeed heard God whisper to me in my spirit throughout this film, just as I have heard him speak to me in other areas where humans try to deal with deep subjects of life and reality and God. Though these efforts may fail in some ways because they involve subjects too deep for any human attempt to fathom, yet they are not a total failure and those who reject such attempts because they may not plunge into the depths of the ocean in a way they deem successful, they are the poorer for not therefore enjoying some wading on the beach.<br /><br />"And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?" (Job 26:14 NIV).<br /><br />We are told in Scripture to be discerning, to take the good and reject the bad: "Test everything; hold fast what is good, abstain from every form of evil" (1 Ths. 5:21,22).<br /><br />I have tested this film and, despite the objections or misunderstandings of some Christians about certain aspects of it, I still find much to recommend and cannot let what I consider to be good to be spoken evil of (Rom. 14:16). Therefore, I ask you to allow me to share some of what the Spirit whispered to me as I watched it, for there were times when I was simply overwhelmed by the Spirit's presence as he showed me things of the Spirit of God there in the scenes before my eyes. I cried many times as I felt the Lord's presence and I am the richer for having watched this film and desire that others may also benefit from some of what his Spirit communicated to me.<br /><br />There is no set order to the sections that follow, but they do all proceed from what was experienced while watching the LWW Narnia film with the Lord. And in case that sounds strange to anyone (that I should say that he watched it with me), I recall reading an account of a sister in the Lord who had enjoyed the simple pleasure of watching a beautiful sunset, and who afterwards heard the Lord say to her, "Yes, I enjoyed watching that with you." When we belong to the Lord, all that we do is done in his presence, whether it be watching a sunset or a movie, and that makes all the difference as to what we will see in what we see. For while our eyes can see the surface things, only the Lord can reveal to us the deeper things that lie beneath--and whisper their deeper nature to us in our spirit. Here then are some of what I heard of those whispers from Narnia.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">LINKS BETWEEN WORLDS WHISPER</span><br /><br />There are two worlds, two universes, that exist: the physical, visible world and the spiritual, invisible world. They exist side by side, and normally those in the material, visible world cannot see or cross over into the immaterial or invisible world. But there are links between the two. Every time a believer prays, for instance, a bridge is established between the two worlds, through which the one living in our physical world can travel in spirit to that unseen world. The opposite can also take place. At any time, whenever he so desires, the Lord of the spiritual kingdom can open up a door to that invisible realm and allow those chosen by him in the physical world to cross over and enter that formerly unseen realm. Many such instances are recorded in the Bible, such as Elijah and the chariots of God (2 Kgs. 2:11,12), Paul's vision of heaven (2 Cor. 12:2-4), and Stephen's vision (Acts 7:55). Such links are always at the Lord's discretion, not ours.<br /><br />So it is that we see from LWW that the first such link took place in the wardrobe, totally unsought by Lucy. One moment she was simply playing a game of hide and seek, and the next moment something that was hidden and unsought suddenly became visible to her: A link from her world appeared unbidden to escort her into that other world. She had nothing to do with the appearance of that link--or its later disappearance. For she was disappointed to find upon her return from Narnia that the link no longer existed, and her brothers and sisters could not help but think she had imagined the whole thing. Upon examination of the wardrobe, no such opening into another world existed as Lucy had insisted.<br /><br />Here, then, is a whisper from Narnia. For who of us in this world who believe in Jesus can explain to someone who has not experienced what we have--this transformation from living solely in a material world we can see to living in the broader, deeper unseen world of the invisible God and his angels--that this world really exists and that we have been there and, in fact, it is right here amongst us (Luke 17:21), even in the ordinary things of this world, like human beings and their wardrobes? They do not believe our report (Is. 53:1), just as Lucy's siblings did not believe hers. Upon examination, it is but an ordinary wardrobe.<br /><br />But it is ordinary only in appearance, on the outside; inside, something extraordinary takes place: It transports those who pass through its door not only into another world but into a new dimension of existence. Therefore, a new way of seeing is required to see things as they really are.<br /><br />"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor. 5:16,17).<br /><br />The new has come, but not everyone knows this or sees it. It is something a person has to experience for himself or herself in order to appreciate it fully. So it is that Lucy must wait until a further opportunity for the link to re-establish itself so that she can return to Narnia and prove its existence to herself, as well as to her brothers and sisters.<br /><br />That opportunity came that very night. Lying in bed, she cannot sleep, for the memory of Narnia remains in her head. She stares at the candle until she can wait no longer. She wraps herself in her robe, takes that candle, and goes back to the wardrobe to see if it all really was just a dream or if it is real.<br /><br />After another adventure in Narnia, Lucy returns once more to her normal world but is too excited to return to bed. How can one sleep in the darkness after being in that other, bright world? So she runs into Peter's room and turns on the light in his room as well, excitedly waking him up to share her experience with him again, only to be met with the same response as before: As Susan enters the room, she tells Lucy, "You've been dreaming." But Peter is at least willing to listen to her try to convince them. He asks Edmund, whom Lucy claims also went there, "You saw the faun?"<br /><br />And it is just here that we see a sad truth about any link between the worlds: that the link in itself cannot automatically accomplish its full purpose of transferring people from one world to another. It must have the acceptance and cooperation--the willingness--of those who would cross over. Nor is that all that is required. For Edmund had indeed voluntarily crossed over, but he was unwilling to admit it in the face of others who had not, for fear that they would ridicule him and for fear that he would have to admit that he had been wrong before, when he had joined the others in disbelieving Lucy. He is not the first to have this reaction to being confronted with the truth of the other world.<br /><br />"Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God" (Jn. 5:42,43).<br /><br />Narnia and the kingdom of God may whisper in the ears of all, but not all respond to that whisper.<br /><br />So, twice a link has been furnished for the Pevensie children to cross over into Narnia. The first time there was one child; the second, that number increased twofold, to Lucy and Edmund. Now it will double again, for the next time the link appears, all four children will enter into Narnia. And again, it is not at the children's behest that this link appears, for they run into the wardrobe not seeking a way to another world but to escape judgment and punishment in this one, for having accidentally broken a window. But the link does appear, solely at the discretion of the Ruler of Narnia. He knows when the link is needed and he provides it at the proper time. However, none of the children are prepared for the wardrobe to be an entrance into Narnia at this time, for their focus is on what is happening in their world.<br /><br />"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all" (Lk. 17:26,27).<br /><br />Jesus is the ark of God. He is the one way (Jn. 14:6) that God has provided for us to escape the coming flood of God's wrath upon this world. The wardrobe is an ark of wood for the children, though they are not prepared for all that it means to enter into that ark, just as most people do not fully realize what it means to believe in Jesus until after they have entered into him through faith. It is only afterwards that they grow in that faith, day by day.<br /><br />Susan epitomizes this experience, for she is the logical one, the one who relies on reasoning and logic to explain every situation she encounters. But the first time she enters Narnia through the wardrobe she suddenly comes face to face with a situation for which logic cannot furnish a reasonable cause. One moment she is in her familiar, ordinary world, and the next she is suddenly in the unfamiliar, extraordinary world of Narnia. What is a logical mind to do when confronted with a seemingly incomprehensible situation? It must react in the only way it knows to react when faced with that which it cannot explain. Susan looks out at the incredible world of Narnia that somehow manages to exist within the wardrobe and says the one word, the only word, that she can: "Impossible!"<br /><br />A moment earlier Susan had been in her tiny little world and now . . . kind of like when we accept Christ: Before, our familiar world was all we knew and if we are honest and admit it, we ourselves were the main focus in that world. But now, with Christ . . . there is all of infinity and the God of no limits and love beyond comprehension, and so many other things. Impossible! But it is true nonetheless.<br /><br />Susan said it at the start of their journey. At the end, it is the witch's turn. After she had killed Aslan the Lion, he turns up very much alive at the battle at the end. When she hears him roar and sees him, she can say only one thing: "Impossible!" Is that not what God's plan of salvation is about, doing what is impossible?<br /><br />But what is impossible with man is possible with God (Mk. 10:27). Both the witch and Susan make a telling statement that reveals their true selves. Susan is so solidly entrenched in living her life based on logic and the mind and all the usual human ways of doing things that she cannot bring herself to accept that there might be another and better way of living. Fear suddenly sweeps over her at the possibility of having to step out in a new direction into unknown territory, and after only her first few steps out of the wardrobe into Narnia, she says, "Maybe we should go back."<br /><br />Susan is not alone in fear of the unknown, fear of leaving comfortable old ways of living, even if those ways include a horrendous war going on that threatens to kill her and all she holds dear. Better the known and familiar than the unknown and unfamiliar. She wants to go back. Others have heard such whispers--but they are not from God:<br /><br />" We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost--also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!" (Num. 11:5,6).<br /><br />Like the Israelites of old, who had just been set free from slavery in Egypt, Susan wants to return to her old and familiar ways, even though that includes returning to a world torn by war and that threatens her very existence. She has no appetite for this new world with its unknowns. Whether the rallying cry is "Back to Egypt!" or "Back to England!", it speaks to the basic fear in all of us at encountering the unknown.<br /><br />Susan needs to have her fear replaced by faith; otherwise, the consequences for not doing so are most severe:<br /><br />"But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved" (Heb. 10:38,39).<br /><br /><br />But there is yet another danger as well. For sometimes, this looking back is not out of fear of what may lie ahead but of longing for what was left behind. While the goodness and promise of Narnia may whisper to beckon us forward, there are also whispers that beckon backward, to our own destruction. Lot's wife epitomizes what happens when the wrong choice is made as to which whisper to listen to (Gen. 19:26). Jesus himself said that "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God" (Lk. 9:62). Not only must we pay no heed to the shouts of fools, we must be careful which whispers we listen to: those of Narnia, representing God's kingdom, or of the world.<br /><br />Peter must make a decision when faced with which way the children should go upon their first entry into Narnia from the wardrobe. Susan wants to go back, but Edmund wants to look around, even if for the wrong reasons. To whom should he listen? Peter is the eldest and all the children always look to him for leadership and decisions--and Peter here makes a wise choice, for, recognizing that he himself has no firsthand knowledge of Narnia, he humbles himself and lets someone who does have such knowledge make the decision.<br /><br /><br />"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him" (Lk. 10:22).<br /><br />Many people of many religions claim to know what God is like, but Jesus boldly declares that in truth only he is the One who can make the Father known to us. The wise person listens to him, even as God himself has commanded us to do (Mt. 17:5).<br /><br />Thus Peter is wise to follow this principle and he lets the only one (as far as he then knows) who has been to Narnia make the decision. At this, Lucy brightens up because she wants them all to meet Mr. Tumnus. While Susan is afraid because she has yet to experience any of the good of Narnia, Lucy can calm her fears because she has. Mr. Tumnus is good and she need have no fear of going at least that far, to meet him. So it is that they all set off on their first journey as a family into Narnia. The link has done its job. Now it is up to the Pevensie children to do theirs, to fulfill their prophetic roles in Narnia. But that is another whisper from Narnia.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">PROPHETIC WHISPERS from NARNIA</span><br /><br />The first the Pevensie children hear of the prophecy concerning themselves is at the Beaver's hut. Mister Beaver is astounded and chagrined that they have never heard of this prophecy before; after all, it is all about them! But once Mrs. Beaver tells them what that prophecy is, it is the children’s' turn to be astounded. They are supposed to save Narnia! Or, as Peter puts it with such astonished tone: "And you think we're the ones?"<br /><br />They are indeed. There was another man who had trouble believing that he should be the one to deliver an entire people from slavery. His name was Moses. yet another had the name of Gideon. Both had severe doubts about their qualifications for the job. Or, as the old joke goes about Moses' reply to the Lord's command to send him to deliver his people from slavery in Egypt: "Here I am, Lord. Send Aaron." However, divine destiny cannot be so easily turned aside, " for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable" (Rom. 11:29).<br /><br />Nevertheless, that does not mean that all who are called to such a high destiny accept that call easily. There was one who sought to run away from God's prophetic call upon his life by the name of Jonah. Peter also sought to avoid the prophetic call upon his life and that of his brother and sisters. He arose from the Beavers' table and said, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid it's time the four of us were getting home." The trouble was, there were now not four but only three of them around that table; Edmund had already disappeared, seeking a different destiny for himself than that to which the Narnian prophecy has given him. That disappearance forces Peter and his two sisters to begin fulfilling their calling and destiny whether they want to or not, for they cannot return home through the wardrobe without their brother; they now must rescue Edmund from the witch, and to do that they need Aslan's help.<br /><br />Ah, yes, things are working out to channel them into their destiny after all. And yet it is not like they are helpless victims of fate, for Edmund freely chose to abandon them, and they have freely chosen <span style="font-style:italic;">not</span> to abandon him--and it is all working towards the fulfillment of destiny for all of them, so that Narnia itself will no longer be abandoned to the witch's power. So it is that Narnia whispers to us that when we seek the benefit of the Kingdom of God first, many shall benefit; the circle of blessing from a single pebble thrown into water keeps expanding over the pond of prophecy until it reaches the far shore.<br /><br />But even if one rebels against such prophecy, somehow it manages to come to fulfillment anyway. The witch may want to stop the prophecy from coming true by using Edmund as bait to capture the other children and then kill them, as Beaver so startlingly tells the children, but by her very actions the witch actually ensures that the prophecy will come true. For if she had not imprisoned Edmund, the children would have returned to their own world and left her alone. Now they will not rest until Edmund is free, and that means that they must indeed battle the witch--just as the prophecy foretold. Even evil, operating under its own free will, cannot stop what has been prophesied from happening.<br /><br />"The Lord works out everything for his own ends--even the wicked for a day of disaster" (Prov. 16:4).<br /><br />This matter of prophecy and destiny is very deep and often is misinterpreted by nonbelievers and Christians alike. Never does the fact that the Bible makes predictions or prophecies ever nullify the awesome fact that human beings have free will. Free will and destiny, though sometimes seemingly contradictory to each other, can and do co-exist in our world, and is so portrayed in Narnia as a reflection of our world, but only because One who has infinite knowledge and wisdom has the power to enable both to exist without either interfering with each other.<br /><br />One of the deepest scenes in LWW occurs when Aslan is speaking privately with Peter, in Aslan's camp, as they both look out over the landscape to the castle Cair Paravel in the distance. Aslan tells Peter that one day he will sit on one of four thrones there, as high king--another prophecy. When Peter hangs his head at this because he feels unworthy of such an honor, Aslan asks him, "You doubt the prophecy?" and Peter replies, "No. That's just it." Peter's problem is not that he <span style="font-style:italic;">doubts</span> the prophecy but that he <span style="font-style:italic;">believes</span> it--and that prophecy says that he will rule from that throne, something he obviously does not feel qualified to do, just as he knows that he first must do battle with the white witch, something for which he also does not feel ready.<br /><br /><br />Aslan then tries to bolster Peter's faith and to expand his vision of reality by mentioning that the Deep Magic that determines all their destinies includes his (Aslan's) own as well. If even the ruler of all of Narnia is subject to destiny's power, then surely Peter can rest easy that all will be well.<br /><br />Now, some may object to Aslan's words about even he himself being subject to this power of destiny. Since Aslan clearly represents Jesus in the film, isn't that lowering the status of God and putting him beneath something higher, the force of destiny? Not at all, when rightly understood. For the Bible itself speaks of this deep and mysterious thing we call destiny and it does so in such a way that we see that it does not exert a force stronger than God himself, nor is it higher than God but subservient to him, that God created this thing we call destiny and he created it to serve his purposes. Destiny, like everything else, is a servant to its Creator. A look at a some Bible passages helps clarify all this.<br /><br />When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, facing his opponents who had come to arrest him, Peter drew a sword to defend him. But Jesus rebuked him, citing a higher purpose, or destiny, than that which governed what was about to take place. He said to Peter:<br /><br />"Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? <span style="font-style:italic;">But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?</span>" (Mt. 26:53,54).<br /><br />That is destiny, but it is not a destiny that overwhelms the Son of God, whether he wants it to or not, but a destiny to which that Son of God has voluntarily submitted himself, out of his great love for the Father and his purposes.<br /><br />The Bible says of Jesus that he was destined or chosen<br />"before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake" (1 Ptr. 1:20). God chose his Son to be the one and only Savior of the world before he created that world.<br /><br />That is destiny.<br /><br />It may sound like the Son had no choice, but that is not what Scripture says, for elsewhere it quotes Jesus as saying of the sacrifice of his life for the world that "no one takes it from me, <span style="font-style:italic;">but I lay it down of my own accord</span>. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father" (Jn. 10:18).<br /><br />That is free will.<br /><br />The Son so loves the Father that he freely offers to be that willing sacrifice for the whole world. Thus destiny and free will combine to produce that which the Father desires. Only in the sense that the Son voluntarily submits himself in love to the Father and to the destiny that the Father has chosen for him is it true that destiny governs the Son.<br /><br />With Aslan representing Jesus and being a symbol for him, the same meaning of destiny holds true there as well, being called "Deep Magic" instead of destiny. It is too bad that terms like magic must be used in films, as they have a bad connotation in culture, and rightly so. Yet there is a place for the proper use of this word when speaking of the things of God in a film such as this. We need to remember that words often have more than one meaning. A dictionary I consulted lists the first meaning of the word magic as being associated with sorcery. This would be a wrong meaning of the word in this particular moment in the film. But the second meaning is simply the use of supernatural powers. Certainly that meaning fits this moment, for supernatural powers are at work here, just as in real life regarding the invisible war between God and Satan and good and evil.<br /><br />In fact, while, of necessity, the Narnia films make use of the occult, demonic type of magic, as evidenced by the white witch, it also contains the other meaning of the word, reserved for instances where the supernatural power of God or Aslan is meant. And it is deep--too deep for the limited human mind to comprehend fully, but still able to whisper enough of its essence into our ears so that we tremble at the love and humility that the Son has that he would do this, first out of love for his Father and then out of love for us.<br /><br />Aslan says that the Deep Magic governs him but that is only because, as we see later in the film, that, like Jesus, he is willing to lay down his life of his own free will to obtain the release of Edmund and then for all of those in Narnia. The true governing force in Aslan's life is not destiny but love; that is the very essence of who he is. Destiny simply flows out from that love and then governs the actions of those caught up in that great love. Destiny is subservient to love and the God who is love, Jesus, rather than the other way around. Destiny flows out from the One who is its source. He who is the Supreme God of all that is also reigns supreme over destiny.<br /><br />So it is that LWW whispers to us of very deep things, deep things like destiny and prophecy and free will. And just as in real life, we see in Narnia the playing out of these deep things without, perhaps, always being conscious of their presence and the connections between them. But whether we are aware of them or are able to understand them or not, we are able to see these deep things at work in the images of this film. And for that I am thankful to God, for as is his wont, he has used common things like scenes in a movie to whisper to me of deep things in my spirit. That is exactly how the Spirit works in those who submit to their destiny as children of God:<br /><br />"God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God" (1 Cor. 2:10).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">FAMILY WHISPERS from NARNIA</span><br /><br />One of the major virtues of LWW is its emphasis on family. All through the film we see how the Pevensie children stick up for one another and take care of one another. Mention has already been made how, even though Edmund temporarily rejects the bond of family between himself and his siblings, they continue to honor that bond to retrieve him back to safety in the family circle, even at the risk of their own lives.<br /><br />This stress point of Edmund's rebellious streak is seen from the very first of the film, where he resents Peter's dominance over him, even when it means saving Edmund from the bombs exploding near their house under attack by the enemy bombers. Another example of his occurs later when Edmund makes a point of putting up his own grip on the train's rack instead of having Peter do it for him. Edmund feels squelched by his big brother and that animosity eventually leads to his fateful betrayal of the children to the witch and to his own downfall.<br /><br />Some children--and adults--do seem to have such a strong pull towards independence that they do have trouble submitting to parents or siblings and the family tie is tested to the breaking point. This extreme individualism is often difficult for the rest in the family to understand, for they are more secure in their roles and relationships and have no need for such drastic actions as Edmund displayed by running back into the house against his mother's wishes simply to retrieve a picture of his father. Peter is greatly upset at this foolish behavior and says so to Edmund: "Why can't you just do what you're told?" He totally does not understand. But later, in Aslan's Camp, Peter admits that he partly to blame for Edmund's rebellion. He says to Aslan, "I was too hard on him." But then Susan jumps in to stick up for Peter, saying, "We all were." They are family. They are not a perfect family, but they are held together by a bond that is stronger than that which attacks that bond.<br /><br />Another scene that emphasizes this family bond takes place in the professor's study, when Peter and Susan relate to the professor why Lucy is upset over the differences of views regarding the existence of Narnia through the link of the wardrobe. After being astonished that the professor believes Lucy's view and not theirs, Peter says to the professor, "You're saying that we should just believe her?" And the professor replies, "She's your sister, isn't she? You're a family. You might just try acting like one."<br /><br />Well, they do. All through the story, we see little glimpses of just how much of a real family these four children are. We see it when, their first night in the professor's mansion in the country, Susan turns off the radio because she feels the need to address Lucy's obvious discouragement and loneliness in the new environment. We see it in Peter's constant care of the other children, constantly taking Lucy's hand to reassure her in their travels in Narnia, and the many times in which we see Susan putting an arm around Lucy to reassure her.<br /><br />Poor Peter. He tries so hard to be the man of the house while his father is gone--so much so that, in one scene, Edmund rebels against his zealous attempts at this, shouting at him, "You think you're Dad, but your not!" and then stomps out of the room. But, despite such lapses, Peter really does work hard at bearing the responsibility placed on his young shoulders and generally does an admirable job. I especially like the moment when they are crossing the frozen river that is breaking up beneath their feet, just below the waterfall, and the wolves of the witch are in hot pursuit of them, and it is all around a dangerous situation. Then, in the midst of all this danger, Susan succumbs to fear, again, and to a longing to be back home, safe and sound--emotions which no doubt Peter was also feeling but to which he is determined not to give in, but to see his sisters safely across the river and out of danger. In the middle of the river Susan untactfully says, "If Mummy could see us now . . ." That is not what Peter needs to hear just then. He is trying his hardest to handle a situation of many dangers that would tax the will and emotions of a mature adult and, feeling his own inadequacy, he responds in irritation back to Susan, "Mum's not here!"<br /><br />Family does not just happen. It is not blood alone that determines family but the efforts of those involved to want to make a family out of whatever is available. Sometimes what is available is not much, but you make do with what you have rather than wish for that which is unavailable to you.<br /><br />But my favorite scene that reflects the deep sense of family that the Pevensies display is that first, rainy day in the professor's house in the country. They are all bored and trying to deal with a new environment away from their mother and not making much headway until Lucy decides she can take no more and begs Peter, as the head of that family in the absence now of both father and mother, to play hide and seek.<br /><br />How wonderful the gift God has given to us of little children! One moment they are all bored to distraction, and the next, after the energetic pleading of a small child, even the older children find themselves actually enjoying a children's game, not knowing that it will soon lead to even more exciting adventures via the wardrobe's hidden link to Narnia.<br /><br />Another reason this is one of my favorite scenes in the movie is because it brings back memories of similar moments in my own life. I was born at the end of that great war which forms the backdrop for this movie, World War Two, and I remember as a child putting together jigsaw puzzles with my grandmother of some of the planes used in that war, planes such as the P-38 and the B-17 and B-24 bombers. My father, like the Pevensie's father, served in that war and was, in fact away in that war when I was born, so I stayed with my mother at my grandparents' house for the first three years of my life, which was not all that unusual at that time because of the war. Thus my first family was of many aunts and uncles and my grandparents and my mother, but not my father. But it was still a family that stuck together and loved one another. The Pevensie children was such a family as well.<br /><br />Peter expresses the strong bond of family well when he converses with Aslan from the overlook of the camp. For when Aslan says to Peter that he did well to bring his family to him, Peter says with sadness, "Not all of them." Even if Edmund is in rebellion and has betrayed that family, that family tie still holds Peter's heart to Edmund. He cannot let him go even after all Edmund has done to them. Or as Lucy so simply put it to Aslan, "Sir, he's our brother."<br /><br />What a wonderful heart's desire to belong to a family like that. And that is exactly what the Bible describes as the family of God to which all who believe in Jesus do belong. For he is described there as our brother who does not turn his back on us, even after we have turned our back on him:<br />"Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers" (Heb. 2:11).<br /><br />Amazing, that Jesus is not ashamed to be called our brother, he in his holiness, we in our shameful sin. But that is the truth. We are God's children: "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 Jn. 3:1).<br /><br />We are God's family in Christ.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">DEEP WHISPERS</span><br /><br />Though LWW could be seen as a simple children's film, in reality there are many deep themes and scenes throughout the film. One of the deepest occurs in the scene from Aslan's Camp, when Aslan has freed Edmund from the witch's grasp, only to have the witch come into the camp demanding Edmund's blood because he is a traitor, as is her legitimate right to demand. Aslan takes the queen into his tent and after she leaves, she thinks she has bargained a great deal. But no one outside knows this. All they know is that when the two emerge, and the queen leaves, Aslan announces that she has renounced her claim on the traitor Edmond. Of course she has. He is small fry. What she really wants is the death of Aslan himself. She is willing to release the boy Edmund and let him go if she can thus obtain the death of Aslan himself.<br /><br />But no one else knows this, that Aslan has promised to take Edmund's place in the legal contract and to die in his place. No one knows this; they just all rejoice and shout with happiness that their lost brother is no longer to be killed.<br /><br />No one knows . . . but then there is that silent moment when smiling and happy little Lucy has a serious look suddenly steal across her face because she looks at Aslan and sees the deep sorrow on his face and she senses that something far deeper has just taken place than she or any of the others realize. That fleeting moment of two spirits meeting and sensing and communicating beyond ordinary words is a communication of spirit to spirit. Lucy looks at Aslan and he at her, and though she may not understand, she knows that something much deeper is occurring right then--and it is something very tragic and costly to Aslan--and to her, because she loves Aslan. She senses that Aslan has just done something beyond all human comprehension (at least hers, and she represents all of us)--and the depth of this as-yet unknown sacrifice hurts her as well.<br /><br />"Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me" (Psalm 42:7).<br /><br />I love the way the scene just shows on the face of Aslan the deep sorrow and sober realization he feels right then, because he is fully aware of what it is going to cost him to free the boy. He hangs his head in full realization of what his love for Edmund and the others will cost him. Only those who truly love know how costly love is.<br /><br />I love how the film show Aslan emerging from the tent when the witch departs. Everyone backs away in fear from her as she leaves. Then Aslan stops and stares for a long moment directly at Edmund. This is what the film is all about. There are no words, only silence. But the love in Aslan's heart for one person condemned to die is captured in that one look. Edmund looks back at Aslan, full of fear and despair. Is he to be returned to the witch, to face death for his rebellion? His entire fate hangs in the balance of whatever Aslan is about to say, and he knows this full well.<br /><br />When I watch that moment again each time I play the movie, I cry--for I am Edmund. I see in Aslan's long, penetrating stare my Lord Jesus, staring deep into my heart and knowing what I am really like and yet still going ahead with his plan to take my place of punishment for who I am. And I cry and thank Jesus from my heart for what he did for me and for all of us on the cross. He knew the cost of what he was going to have to do to secure our release from death--and yet he did it anyway. On the cross, he was abandoned by God, the very Father he loved so much. The pain of the cross is beyond our comprehension, just as little Lucy could not fathom what it was going to cost Aslan to fulfill his promise to the wicked queen for the release of Edmund.<br /><br />This moment also harks back to an earlier moment, when the children first met Aslan at his tent. When told that Edmund had been captured by the queen, Aslan promises to do what he can to free him, but he then quietly adds, "This may be more difficult than you think." I have found that this is typical of how God speaks in his Word. Often, he will say a very deep and profound thing there, but will not shout it out to draw attention to its deep nature. He simply and quietly says the truth and leaves it to his Holy Spirit to arouse an awareness in any reader whose spirit is in tune with His (Heb 4:12). More difficult than they think to get their brother back? That is an understatement worthy of God.<br /><br />Another deep whisper from Narnia is heard in the scene just before the battle between the witch and her army and the Narnian army. I really like the way the movie has no sound at all as the charge of the final battle comes. Both of these armies are charging towards one another at full tilt, and the fate of all of Narnia hangs in the balance. It is obviously the climax of the whole story and one might think that dramatic, serious music should be playing to call attention to the supreme importance of this moment.<br /><br />But, no. Wisely, the makers of this realistic portrayal of evil versus good chose to have no sound at all as this climactic moment builds up. This reminds me of Revelation, where Scripture portrays the final moments of this world in a similar battle, and it says that there is silence in heaven for half an hour (Rev 8:1). Why the silence? I believe it is to emphasize the gravity of what is taking place: the end of the world and the final battle and final judgment of all mankind. Sometimes the magnitude of the moment demands silence rather than words. When it is all over, there is no more to be said. And Scripture also says that the kingdom of God does not consist of talk but of power (1 Cor 4:20).<br /><br />"Silence is praise to the, O God, in Zion" (Ps. 65:2).<br /><br />By using silence and a view from very far away which shows the magnitude of the moment and the battle, this technique shouts far louder than if a noisy, calamitous film score were playing just then. The silence communicates the awesome nature of the moment. But then, our entire life is actually such an awesome "moment". For we are but a moment in eternity, and yet all hangs in the balance of that one moment. Jesus used simple parables and common things of life to illustrate the deep things of God. This is necessary because those deep things are so deep that they are beyond the comprehension of man. Only a wise and good teacher can relate these things beyond understanding to simple things that we can understand and thus ensure that we are able to grasp them. Silence is often not as simple as it first appears.<br /><br />And so it is with this film. Very deep things are involved in the story of this film and yet through visual images such as those mentioned above those deep things become more comprehensible to us. I do believe that God has brought together all the human elements needed to make this film so that we can relate to him better and have deeper appreciation of the profound nature of our own existence and his. He uses a children's tale to teach us of him.<br /><br />"It is written in the Prophets: `They will all be taught by God'" (John 6:45).<br /><br />"All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace" (Is. 54:13).<br /><br />When Jesus was 12 years old, his parents found him in the temple, teaching the learned scholars. To teach the things of God, God uses children and the things of children--even a story or film that some view as a children's story. That is another reason I like that scene near the beginning of the film, where the children are spending their first full day in the countryside at the professor's mansion. Everything is the same and dull and boring because of the rain outside--until a children's game of hide and seek unexpectedly opens up a new world to their eyes through the wardrobe's entrance to Narnia.<br /><br />Deep things are dealt with in this film. Despite whatever negative connotations might be involved with the word magic, it is fitting and proper that C.S. Lewis should use the phrase Deep Magic to represent the subject matter of this film. For deep things of God are truly dealt with here and I am very grateful for the visual and audio manner in which they are portrayed--including, as mentioned, even those moments when there is no sound to be heard. We thus are made ready to leave the shouting of the world and are more receptive to discern the whispers of Narnia.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">WHISPERS OF CHILDHOOD</span><br /><br />Childhood is special, mostly a happiness or ignorance of the evil in the beyond. But as we grow older, sadly, we do become aware of the evil and the danger it poses to us. The LWW film masterfully blends in an ever-increasing awareness of this threat of evil beyond childhood's protected playpen. Lucy is the first to catch a glimpse that not all is peaceful in Narnia when Mr. Tumnus mentions that some of the trees are on the witch's side. Later, when all four of the children enter Tumnus' abode, they read the notice of his arrest and see the ruins of his place, and Lucy shows at the same time both an awareness and an ignorance of evil when she says, "Who would do something like this?" She is aware of the obvious destruction caused by evil that is now before her eyes, but she cannot fathom who would do something such as this evil.<br /><br />I have much the same reaction when viewing the very opening sequence in the film, of the enemy bombers dropping their bombs upon the civilian neighborhoods below. It is all a very mechanical operation: mechanical creations called airplanes soar overhead, releasing bombs without feelings that are indifferent to whether they destroy a house or those in it, and they are released from their own temporary housing in the bomb bay through a mechanical-electrical mechanism.<br /><br />But all of these mechanical monsters were created by human beings, and they are piloted by human beings and crew that are following orders from other human beings to wipe out those dwellings below them that are home to other human beings. What kind of people are these that can bring about such inhumane, inhuman actions as this? Or, as Lucy put it so well, "Who would do such a thing?" She does not understand, and neither do I. This is war. War is terrible beyond human comprehension.<br /><br />But then I think of my own human nature and know that it is sinful, just as is the nature of those who would do such things. Paul examined his own heart and pronounced judgment on it, saying that no good thing dwelt there, within his heart (Rom. 7:18). Evil is not only far away, within the darkened hearts of those who would bomb innocent women and children, it is much closer than I care to admit, even within my own heart. Jesus said that it not just those who actually kill someone who are murderers, but those who hate someone else in their heart is of the same mind (Mt. 6:21,22).<br /><br />Later, the others have their awareness of evil raised as well when they leave Beaver's lodge to find Edmund, and the beaver restrains Peter from charging off to the witch's castle to retrieve Edmond. He has to explain to Peter and to all of them that the witch wants to kill them! As soon as he says that, you can see the alarm on their faces. They had slowly been realizing more and more of the danger of Narnia, but to suddenly hear that their own lives are threatened--it suddenly becomes not a game of hide and seek any more. And that, too, is like real life, sad to say. Scripture says that the devil is like a roaring lion--not the good lion of Narnia--seeking someone to devour. That someone could easily be us. It is us. To escape that lion as it roars at us to make us afraid, we need to listen to the whispers that remind us that another Lion, the Lion of Judah, protects us.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">WHISPERS OF WEAPONS</span><br /><br />Do you remember the scene in LWW just before the big battle is to take place between the Narnians and the White Witch and her army? She says with utter confidence to her aide, "I have no interest in prisoners. Kill them all." Right there is a part of the answer to the profound question of why the devil fights against the infinite Supreme Being: He thinks he can win!<br /><br />There is not a shred of doubt in the witch's mind that she will win. She issues the command as if it were a foregone conclusion. After all, has she not just killed mighty Aslan? The Narnians' great protector is gone. Nothing can stop her now<br /><br />There is one weapon in particular that our enemy relies upon to help him win the war. That weapon is the law. God is just and he can no more break the law than anyone else can. To do so would be to deny who he is, the perfectly just and righteous Being upon whose character the law is built and upon which all human morality and fair play depends.<br /><br />Satan knows this and tries to use this requirement for God to be true to himself and his own just character against him. Examples of how he does this can be seen in his dispute over the body of Moses (Jude 9); his charges in the heavenly court against Job's motives for serving God (Job1:9,10; Job 2:1); and his legal demand to have Peter (Lk. 22:31 RSV).<br /><br />I love how LWW accurately portrays the devil's misuse of this weapon. This is seen most clearly in the dramatic confrontation of the Queen with Aslan at his camp. She has come into the camp with great pomp to demand of Aslan that he release the traitor Edmund to her, as is her right according to the law of Narnia. She knows the law and knows that Aslan himself must abide by it. That is why she defiantly challenges Aslan, "You dare not refuse me." She knows that to refuse her legitimate legal right to Edmund as a traitor would mean that Aslan himself is breaking his own law, being untrue to himself and the deepest fundamentals of existence.<br /><br />Aslan is perturbed by her recitation of the law to him and replies in anger, "Do not recite the Deep Magic to me, witch; I was there when it was written."<br /><br />"But to the wicked God says: 'What right have you to recite my statutes, or take my covenant on your lips?'" (Ps. 50:16).<br /><br />Aslan knows the law at its deepest level, that it is an expression of love, not just right and wrong, and that is why he is willing to sacrifice himself in Edmund's place on the Stone Table: both because he loves Edmund and because he knows that the law of love will not let him down, that he will rise again to life. He explained this to Susan and Lucy in his brief but deep discourse to them as they saw him alive again at that Table. He began, "If the witch knew the true meaning of sacrifice . . ."<br /><br />If she knew. . . . But she does not know. If she had known, she would not continue to fight against that which it is impossible to defeat. In her darkened mind, she cannot fathom this mystery of love, just as she cannot understand how forgiveness and mercy can exist together with justice and judgment. She, with the devil, does not understand that mercy triumphs over judgment (Jam. 2:13). When she utters the single word, "Impossible!" it is not only because of her astonishment that Aslan has come back to life from death, but that he manages to fulfill the demands of the law that a traitor be punished and yet still give mercy to Edmund. How can both requirements be met? Impossible! But with God, all things are possible and thus mercy can triumph over judgment.<br /><br />Other weapons appear in Narnia. When the children meet Father Christmas, he gives them unusual Christmas gifts, saying, "These are tools, not toys." In fact, they are weapons. He knows they will soon be going into battle, as he informs Peter: "The time to use these may be near at hand." They will need weapons to protect themselves and defeat the enemy.<br /><br />But these are not ordinary weapons. The witch has supernatural powers, including her spear that turns whomever it strikes into stone, and to defeat her requires weapons more powerful than anything human beings are capable of producing. But there is one thing human beings can make use of that is more powerful than mere physical weapons. That secret weapon is hinted at when Father Christmas hands Susan her bow and says to her, "Trust in this bow and it will not easily miss."<br /><br />Faith or trust is the secret weapon that enables weak human beings to battle far stronger spiritual beings and to conquer them. But it is not faith in faith but faith in the One who has destined them for this very battle and who is ever with them, even <span style="font-style:italic;">in</span> them: "Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 Jn. 4:4). Even if that world is as foreign to us as the world of Narnia is to the children. Our weapons are weapons of the spirit, not the familiar weapons of swords that people of this world rely upon, although there are times when we must also make use of these physical weapons, as World War Two so dramatically showed us. Peter was given a real sword and a shield; Lucy was given a dagger. There are legitimate uses for God's children to make use of the physical weapons of warfare as well. For as the statesman Edmund Burke has noted, all that is required for evil to win is for good men to do nothing. The Bible is full of real battles with real swords.<br /><br />Real weapons of warfare, in fact, are the main visual image of the very beginning of this film. This opening sequence, of enemy bombers reigning down bombs upon London, is a very wise choice by the makers of this film. For it sets the tone, that though this be a children's fantasy, it has it foundations set upon the reality of the real world. Thus there is established at the onset a basis for making the fantastic creatures and settings of the mythical Narnia to be a true reflection, nonetheless, of the real world. Real lessons of real importance are to be conveyed through this film. If this were not so, it would be just another film of entertainment. As it is, it becomes a vehicle for transmitting deep truths about reality and God and the there would be no purpose in my writing this piece and no reason for you to read it. The world is full of entertaining little films and books and all kinds of diversions. But this film is not just a diversion, although it is entertaining as well, but it has at its heart eternal truths of a deep nature that the wise will do well to pay attention to and heed. For in truth, World War Two especially was an attempt by the evil one to take over this world and he is not through with such attempts even yet, and we need to be prepared for more such battles to come. And if we will let it, a film such as this can help us do just that, for it is in itself a weapon we can use.<br /><br />An example of the connection between the real world and the fantasy world of Narnia is in Peter's use of the griffons to drop rocks onto the advancing army of the witch. Where did Peter get this idea? From having been subject to this weapon while living in England, during the blitz of London. He had experienced firsthand the terror of bombs dropping from the sky.<br /><br />But in the end, it is not any physical weapon that wins the battle but the Spirit of the Lord.<br /><br />"Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty" (Zech. 4:6).<br /><br />The Spirit of God is He who gives the victory, not any plan or weapon of man.<br /><br />"The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord" (Prov. 21:31).<br /><br />So it is that the Pevensie children, under the direction and guidance of Aslan, finally achieve the victory over the evil witch's forces and all Narnia is set free. The children then are crowned and sit on their respective thrones on the mountain of Cair Paravel, and from there grow up and experience the heights of Narnia's wonders. Surely this must be the height point of their lives.<br /><br />But then, one day, while chasing a stag, they rediscover the wardrobe and find themselves back in the everyday world of the country mansion in England. They suddenly go from the heights of supernatural living back to the ordinary world they once knew. This is similar to the dramatic experience of the inner three disciples, who accompanied Jesus up to the mountain and there saw his glory, only to return down the mountain to the world waiting for them with its problems (Luke 9:28-37).<br /><br />It is quite fitting that the film should end in a way similar to that of the disciples coming down from the mountain with Jesus. For though this film is full of wondrous scenes that transport us away from this world and its cares for a while, the time does come when, like the disciples and the Pevensie children, we too must leave the wonderful world of Narnia and return to the real world we left behind for a brief while. In this, the film also reflects reality. For heaven is real and it still waits for us, just as Narnia waits for the return of the children. Like them, we too have tasted heaven by entering through the door--not of a wardrobe but the door of Jesus, who then brings heaven down into our hearts until that glorious day when we go to be with him forever. But until that day, there is work for us to do for him in this world. But now, through watching this film, perhaps we are encouraged to carry out our tasks with a better understanding of what those tasks are all about: establishing the kingdom of God on this earth through lives submitted to him as our God and King and Lord and Savior.<br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-45197765141749063792009-05-23T07:39:00.001-05:002009-05-23T07:39:58.339-05:00Apr 14<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The conflict between truth and falsehood is basic to reality. The Bible can be seen as a record of this conflict. There have been casualties on both sides.<br /><br />I love the truth. I want the truth about reality so much that I have spent my whole life in pursuit of it. It is why I am a Christian.<br /><br />A survey once asked Christians if Christianity were not true, would they want to know it. I was distressed when I discovered that some answered no, they would not want to know it. What kind of faith is it that is based solely on comfort or fear of knowing the truth? How shaky a foundation for a faith that rests upon not wanting to know the truth.<br /><br />Some of the largest religions in the world rely upon fear and intimidation to keep their adherents in line. What kind of god is so insecure and so feeble that he must depend upon such tactics to keep his subjects in tow?<br /><br />If Christianity were not true, I would want to know it. I do not want to live a lie, a fantasy, unreal life. I want truth. I want what is real, not what is make-believe. I want Jesus because he is the truth. If he were not the truth, I would not want him.<br /><br />God wants the same thing. He wants children for himself, a people, that are not content to live a lie, who want what is real. God is the most real thing in reality. And God wants people who are real and whose love for him is real, not a love that is forced upon them.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scripture for today:</span> Hosea 6:4-6<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> God is real and my faith in him must be based on truth and reality.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> Lord, strengthen my faith and make its roots to be based on your truth and not on my soul's desire for comfort.<br /><br />APR 14</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-73623419440019409602009-05-23T07:38:00.001-05:002009-05-23T07:38:56.371-05:00Apr 13<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When Jesus told Pilate that everyone on the side of truth listened to him, Pilate gave his famous retort, "What is truth?" (John 18:38).<br /><br />There are many people today who are like Pilate. They either think that there is no such thing as truth, certainly not absolute truth; or else they think that truth is a matter of individual subjectivity. Like Pilate, therefore, they walk away from the truth.<br /><br />Pilate was confronted with truth face to face in the person of Jesus. Jesus is the living Word of God made flesh. Yet Pilate did not even recognize truth when encountering it in such a plain and direct way.<br /><br />Pilate is not alone in this world. Even today, there are far more who choose to walk away from the truth in Jesus Christ than those who rejoice in having found this most basic of necessities for life.<br /><br />And it is a matter of life and death. Pilate's rejection of truth cost Jesus his life. Hitler's rejection of truth cost millions upon millions of people their lives in a worldwide war. Other names could be added to the list. But thank God there was One who stood up for truth even at the cost of his own life. We are called upon by God to do the same. Our devotion to Christ must be so total that we are not afraid to risk our lives for the truth, even unto death.<br /><br />"They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death" (Rev. 12:11).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scripture for today:</span> Rev. 2:10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> A life lived without the truth is a life not worth living.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> Lord, make my life one worth living -- a life lived with you as my only truth.<br /><br />APR 13</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-18582994473809165992009-05-23T07:37:00.000-05:002009-05-23T07:38:07.847-05:00Apr 12<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What is truth and why is it important that we know it?<br /><br />This is not just a philosophical question that we need not concern ourselves with. The issue of truth affects every individual in this world every day. Wars are fought over differing views of truth, although those involved in those wars may not know it. Often, they simply find themselves caught up in a struggle between nations, without ever knowing the underlying issues that have led to that struggle.<br /><br />How many soldiers who fought in World War II knew that they were involved in a titanic conflict between God and the devil for control of this world? Few were probably aware of the deep involvement Hitler had in the occult. Yet the whole world felt the consequences of one man's rejection of the truth. Yes, a single person's view of truth and his acceptance or rejection of it can have consequences far beyond his own beliefs.<br /><br />When Jesus stood before Pilate, the issue of truth once more came up. Jesus declared truthfully to Pilate that he had come into the world for the very purpose of testifying to the truth and that everyone on the side of truth listened to him.<br /><br />Pilate did not listen to him. And because of this one man's refusal to heed the truth, the Son of God was put to a most cruel death.<br /><br />One person's view of truth can affect the world in profound ways. What is your view of truth? How do you think you are affecting this world?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scripture for today:</span> John 18:33-38<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> I am not insignificant in this world. My loyalty to the truth in Jesus Christ affects this world.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> Lord, I do not always see how my life affects others. Give me faith to trust that even if I do not see it, that I know that you will use my faith in you to change this world for the better.<br /><br />APR 12</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-62161675064456375522009-05-23T07:36:00.000-05:002009-05-23T07:37:08.177-05:00Apr 11<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">That no one can come to know the truth--about reality and God--except through Jesus Christ, is not a truth that the world wants to hear, for then it is God who sets the guidelines and method, not man. But Scripture makes it clear that Jesus is the only way to know the God of truth.<br /><br />The Father/God who created reality has declared the one way to know and understand this reality and its Creator:<br /><br />"We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true" (1 Jn. 5:20).<br /><br />1 John 5:20 thus tells us that the Father is truth.<br /><br />1 John 5:6 tells us that the Spirit is truth.<br /><br />John 14:6 tells us that Jesus is truth.<br /><br />God's Word thus declares that this three-in-one God is truth. Just as He is one, so truth is one. All truth is found in him and found only in Him. The diversity is united into one unity. There is only one reality and God is that ultimate reality.<br /><br />All of this is not philosophical or religious jargon that is not necessary for our living our otherwise "ordinary" and "common" daily life. Much of the whole book of 1 John is devoted to expounding on these deep subjects, without ever losing their deep connection to our everyday lives. We need to know about truth, for the truth is that every moment of our lives is affected by the true nature of reality and our perception of it.<br /><br />What is your perception of reality? Is it God's?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scripture for today:</span> 1 John 5<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> Truth is not irrelevant to my life; it is my life.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> Lord God, I acknowledge you as the truth. You are reality at its deepest level. Guide me into all truth -- into you.<br /><br />APR 11</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-6926313358553105412009-05-23T07:35:00.000-05:002009-05-23T07:36:22.230-05:00Apr 10<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What a revelation, what an eye-opener, to see that one must be a disciple of Jesus Christ and put into practice his teachings in order for truth to set one free. No wonder the world is frustrated at the lack of success of all its religions and philosophies to make it any better. It cannot be done outside of Jesus Christ. This is an absolutist claim that the world refuses to accept.<br /><br />The world seeks salvation in education. It believes that if we could only educate our children and the nations of the world, the world would be a better place and eventually come to be paradise.<br /><br />This approach can trace its origin all the way back to the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they disobeyed God and we have already seen from the two verses in John 8:31, 32 that it is impossible to know the truth apart from obeying God.<br /><br />Yet the world continues to go on seeking truth without obeying God, just as our first parents did. No wonder we find life so dissatisfying in this world: We are seeking that which we can never obtain.<br /><br />The answer? Quit disobeying God and start doing what he says. Then we will know the truth and the truth will set us free from ourselves and our proud, self-reliant search for that which God gives us freely in Jesus Christ.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scripture for today:</span> John 8:31, 32<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> The roots of searching for truth in the wrong way go all the way back to the Garden.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> I thank you, Jesus, for being the truth that sets me free from the falsehood that came into this world through disobeying God.<br /><br />APR 10</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-28487467201294110862009-05-23T07:33:00.000-05:002009-05-23T07:35:35.140-05:00Apr 09<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The two verses from John 8 regarding truth, verses 31 and 32, should never be read apart from each other. For they form what is called in computer logic an <span style="font-style: italic;">if-then</span> statement. The <span style="font-style: italic;">then</span> part of the statement will function only if the <span style="font-style: italic;">if</span> prerequisite is fulfilled. In other words, for the <span style="font-style: italic;">then</span> conclusion to be true, the <span style="font-style: italic;">if</span> part must also be true.<br /><br />Now we see why the world cannot be improved simply by looking to words or teachings, even if they come from God himself. There are constant warnings throughout the Bible to not only hear God's Word but to do it. Unless the teachings of the Bible are put into practice, they remain just one religious teaching among many in the world.<br /><br />The world is ready to accept all kinds of religious and philosophical teachings in the hope of repairing the moral and religious decay so rife in the world's societies. But in the name of tolerance and diversity it puts all these teachings on an equal footing and declares that no one is any better or more true than<br /><br />The truth is that truth is exclusive and that only one truth can really be true. Two plus two is four and only four. It cannot be any thing else. There is only one answer that is true. Truth will not share its basic reality with all the lesser pretenders that proud man declares are its equal. There is only one truth, only one way to that truth, and that way is Jesus Christ, who IS the truth.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scripture for today:</span> John 14:6<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> Truth is absolute, not relative.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> Lord, keep me from falling for the pretenders to truth that are so prevalent in the world. May I cling only to you who are the truth.<br /><br />APR 09</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-69845450036189586352009-05-23T07:32:00.000-05:002009-05-23T07:33:34.107-05:00Apr 08<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There is a statement in the Bible regarding truth that is quoted often, including in the CIA headquarters building. That statement is this:<br /><br />"You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free."<br /><br />This quote is from John 8:32. But what is almost always left out of this quotation from God's Word is one little word at the very beginning of the sentence. That little word is the word "then".<br /><br />The word "then" implies that there is a condition to be met for the words that follow it to be true. For simply knowing the truth will NOT set a person free. It takes more than knowledge to be set free. A person must ACT on what he or she knows for that knowledge to do any good.<br /><br />In fact, knowing truth or any other knowledge may not lead to freedom but to the reverse: More knowledge often leads to more bondage, not less. This too is a true statement from the Bible.<br /><br />"The more knowledge, the more grief" (Eccl. 1:18).<br /><br />What is the implied prerequisite for knowing the truth being able to set one free? What is that crucial requirement that one must put into action for truth to be of benefit? The answer is found in the verse immediately prior to the famous verse so often quoted about truth. John 8:31 states the action essential for truth to set one free:<br /><br />"IF you hold to my teaching, THEN you really are my disciples."<br /><br />Jesus spoke these words and there is no freedom in truth apart from Jesus Christ.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scripture for today:</span> John 8:31, 32<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> Truth does not bring freedom apart from discipleship to Jesus Christ.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> Lord, help me to see the truth about truth, that only in you am I set free, and not by any teachings of man that exclude you.<br /><br />APR 08</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-44689242788849045922009-05-23T07:31:00.002-05:002009-05-23T07:32:29.647-05:00Apr 07<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It is not enough to seek truth: We must want to know it so much that nothing else matters. We must desire truth with all our heart.<br /><br />It is one thing to say that we want something, whether it be to know the truth or to desire anything else. It is something else to be so committed to obtaining this desire that we let nothing stop us in the pursuit of our goal.<br /><br />Many people may claim to want to know the truth, but when confronted with the effort it might take to find the truth, they quickly abandon their search for truth.<br /><br />Others give up because they have no real love for that which they pursue. The more demanding something is that we desire, the more it will cost us to obtain it. Only a love for the object being pursued will sustain us until we actually attain it.<br /><br />A high school athlete may train hard and win a title in his school. To win a state championship requires even greater dedication and training. Fewer are willing to undergo the discipline for that. But an Olympic or world title requires the most of all. There is no higher level to aim for and the desire to achieve at that level demands a rigor of dedication that few are willing to accept.<br /><br />The things of God, including knowing the truth, are the highest things of all. If we would know truth, we should not expect that this noble goal can be obtained by a casual pursuit. God himself declares that we must search for it with all our heart.<br /><br />That is the hard news. The good news is that if we are willing to give our all to this pursuit of truth, we will find it. That is his promise to us.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scripture for today:</span> Deut. 4:29; 1 Chron. 28:9<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> I am to seek God and truth with all my heart.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> Lord, strengthen my heart's desire to search for you every moment of every day.<br /><br />APR 07</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-80017670497868351862009-05-23T07:31:00.001-05:002009-05-23T07:31:42.439-05:00Apr 06<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Not everyone wants the truth.<br /><br />This has always been a hard truth for me to accept, because I do want the truth very much. I have always sought out the truth about reality all my life. That not everyone does the same and that some run away from the truth, or even try to kill it, has always made no sense to me.<br /><br />I remember the thrill I felt the first time I walked down the marble-lined, gigantic hallway in the library at the university I attended. With its high, vaulting archway, that long hallway gave the impression of a solemn, yet joyous atmosphere of learning and searching for truth. I was just entering into that atmosphere right out of high school, and I was excited and thrilled to have that opportunity.<br /><br />At the end of the hallway, there was a huge stone wall. Engraved upon those blocks of stone, in gigantic letters, was the brief mission or goal of that university. I do not recall exactly what those words said, but I will never forget one section of that brief statement. It said something to the effect of "to seek truth". That was my goal and I was so excited to be given the opportunity to pursue that goal.<br /><br />God has given all of us not only the opportunity to seek truth but to find it in Jesus Christ.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scripture for today:</span> Deut. 4:29<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> Seek truth while it may be found.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> Put in my heart, Lord, a desire for truth, a desire for you.<br /><br />APR 06</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-9843843814888977422009-05-23T07:29:00.000-05:002009-05-23T07:30:54.495-05:00Apr 05<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It makes sense. If Jesus is really who he says he is, the truth, (John 14:6), and a person really wants to know the truth, then this person will recognize Jesus as the truth. What you desire in your heart sensitizes you to that which you desire.<br /><br />"Thou desirest truth in the inward being" (Psalm 51:6 RSV).<br /><br />What Jesus is saying is that those who truly desire truth will come to recognize him as that which their heart desires. It is God's will that every human being which he created come to know the truth about Himself and reality. And Jesus says that if anyone chooses to do God's will, that person will find out that Jesus and his teaching is of God.<br /><br />But notice that Jesus uses the words "will find out". It is not always an instant acceptance of Jesus that occurs when the gospel is preached. In fact, many times it is the opposite: It may take many preachings of the Word to others before they accept it. People come to know the truth; they don't always recognize it instantly.<br /><br />Notice also that Jesus emphasizes the exercising of free will in this: "If anyone chooses . . ." We all have the choice of choosing to hear God, choosing to hear the truth, or to shut our ears and turn away. But those who love the truth and desire it will not turn away but stay with the truth who is Jesus.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Scripture for today:</span> John 7:17<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> Those who desire truth will find it in Jesus.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> Jesus, I have found the truth that is from God in you.Help me to spread that truth to others.<br /><br />APR 05</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-7766732901710961102009-05-23T07:28:00.000-05:002009-05-23T07:29:34.006-05:00Apr 04<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Does the world really want to know the truth? The answer to this question can be found in Jesus' remark to the religious leaders who opposed him, as recorded in John 8. There, Jesus asked them:<br /><br />"If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me?" (v. 46).<br /><br />Indeed. Many in the world claim to be seekers of the truth. Yet when the One who is the truth enters into this world, they reject him. Why? It is more than just the human weakness of arguing over the nature of truth and who can really say who is right and who is wrong. God is powerful enough to make truth known to whomever is truly searching for it.<br /><br />I ran into this problem while counseling a young man who asked this very question. How could he know that Christianity is really true? There are so many religions in the world, how was he to know that Christianity was really the one that was right?<br /><br />I referred him to John 7:17. This is a very powerful verse that reveals such a deep truth about reality and existence that it is easy to pass over its deep meaning. We do not always recognize the deepest truths because we are not sensitive to their appearance amidst common words or situations.<br /><br />John 7:17 records Jesus as saying, "If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own."<br /><br />If you really want the truth, you will recognize it in Jesus.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scripture for today:</span> John 7:17<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> Jesus is the truth.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> I love you Jesus, because I love the truth and you are the truth.<br /><br />APR 04</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-8511143426636572662009-05-23T07:27:00.000-05:002009-05-23T07:28:41.709-05:00Apr 03<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Children follow their parents' example. Jesus called the religious leaders who tried to trap him children of the devil:<br /><br />"You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire" (John 8:44).<br /><br />Earlier, (v. 40), he went so far as to accuse these opponents of Jesus' ministry of wanting to kill him. What was it about Jesus and what he said that so enraged a group of supposedly pious religious leaders that they would want to kill Jesus? Jesus told the truth. Because of this one, simple fact, Jesus' life was in danger.<br /><br />Speaking the truth in a world that does not want the truth is a very dangerous proposition. The world will even seek to kill the one who dares to expose its hypocrisy and phony religious life.<br /><br />Jesus went on to reveal the true nature of the devil as a liar and one who opposes the truth. He also described the devil as a murderer who seeks to destroy the messenger of truth.<br /><br />Is this not the way of the world as well? When it cannot stand up to truth, it seeks to do away with the one exposing its true nature -- as though truth somehow would go away and disappear simply because the messenger has been done away with.<br /><br />But truth is not so easily dismissed. In fact, it cannot be killed. It has a habit of resurrecting when the world thinks it has been put to death.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scripture for today:</span> John 8:37-47<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> Jesus is the truth; he was killed; he arose. Truth can be killed, but it cannot stay dead.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> I praise you, Jesus, for being the truth that is stronger than death.<br /><br />APR 03</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-2470931421766002322009-05-23T07:26:00.000-05:002009-05-23T07:27:47.895-05:00Apr 02<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Just as there are children of God, so there are children of the devil. Jesus acknowledged this as he addressed some of them dressed up as children of God. They claimed that they were children of Abraham, but Jesus told them that their actions did not back up their claim, that if they were indeed children of God through Abraham, then they would do the things Abraham did (John 8:39).<br /><br />The matter of lineage, whose children we are, is a crucial concept throughout the entire Bible. Constantly it refers to the origin and actions of two lines of people throughout history: those who belong to God and those who don't.<br /><br />These two lines of human beings have been in conflict continually and will continue to be until the end, even as they were in this confrontation with Jesus, described in John 8.<br /><br />There, Jesus focuses not only on the antagonism confronting them at that moment, but, having the eternal vision of God, he declares to them the source of that antagonism and the resultant consequences.<br /><br />Human beings tend to focus on the problem. God, being the foundation of all reality, sees the underlying root problem that gives rise to the surface problem that so occupies human attention.<br /><br />Jesus, being God, dealt with not only the surface conflict but the underlying cause of the problem. We would do well to pay attention to this method when confronting problems of our own in our daily lives.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Scripture for today:</span> John 8:37-47<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> Sometimes the children of the devil dress up as children of God.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> Lord, I ask for discernment to know when those who claim to belong to you really do not.<br /><br />APR 02</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-53147583610461568292009-05-23T07:24:00.000-05:002009-05-23T07:26:24.579-05:00Apr 01<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters" (2 Cor 6:18).<br /><br />"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! Now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him" (1 John 1:2).<br /><br />As incomprehensibly wonderful as it is to know that through faith in Christ we are now children of God, there is yet something even more magnificent waiting for us when Jesus comes again. Our glory will increase even more. We do not kow what this will be or yet see it, but we have God's sure word that it will be for all of his children.<br /><br />"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Cor 2:9).<br /><br />Knowing this, that such unimaginable glory awaits us as children of God, let us strive to be in reality, in our lives here on earth, what we are said to be by the Word of God: children of God.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scripture for today:</span> 2 Cor. 6:18<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> I am a child of God; God himself is my Father.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> Father God, I cannot comprehend the awesome gift you have given to me of letting me be your child. I cannot fathom the depth of this gift, but I do thank you for it and praise and worship you, my Father.<br /><br />APR 01<br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-36581519378371194272009-05-22T06:29:00.000-05:002009-05-22T06:30:08.245-05:00Mar 31<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“He will see his offspring . . .” (Is. 53:10).<br /><br />How can this be? First Isaiah laments the fact that Jesus died on the cross before seemingly accomplishing anything, not even producing descendants to carry on his mission. Yet only a couple of verses later he mentions the fact that he will see his offspring. So which is it?<br /><br />We already know which it is. We have already seen that the only way to produce children for the God who is spirit is to do so spiritually, not physically. Therefore, Jesus will indeed see his offspring -- spiritually.<br /><br />By his death and resurrection he will produce many spiritual children for his heavenly Father. One day, he will march up to the throne of God and say to him:<br /><br />“Here am I, and the children God has given me” (Hebrews 2:13).<br /><br />But how is it that God gave him these spiritual children? Did we not hear previously that the Holy Spirit is the one who initiates the work of drawing people to faith in Christ? Yes, but as in all other aspects of spiritual reality, though we may speak of the triune God and separate the activities of each person of that trinity, in reality, it is still one God and unity in all God's workings.<br />Therefore, it is proper to say that God the Father himself gave Jesus the spiritual children for whom his heart desires. The Holy Spirit draws people to faith in Christ; so does the Father.<br /><br />Jesus said: “No one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him” (John 6:65).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scripture for today:</span> Hebrews 2:11-18<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> Jesus is my brother -- in reality and in suffering, because reality involves suffering.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> Thank you, Jesus, for being one of us and sharing in our suffering and for making me a child of God.<br /><br />MAR 31</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-22696311066141033192009-05-22T06:28:00.000-05:002009-05-22T06:29:04.808-05:00Mar 30<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">From a human perspective, it would seem that Jesus failed in his mission to create children for his heavenly Father. He died alone on the cross, forsaken and abandoned.<br /><br />“He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, . . . by oppression and judgment he was taken away And who can speak of his descendants?” (Isaiah 53:7,8).<br /><br />Who can speak of his descendants? No one: There weren't any -- despite the blasphemous writings of some human beings. For Jesus died on the cross, the sacrificial lamb of God, without ever having produced human children for the Father.<br /><br />But, then, as we have already seen, we should not expect to see spiritual children produced in the same way as physical children. No one can speak of physical children from Jesus because there were none. No one can speak in this manner of his descendents.<br /><br />Yet, if we raise our eyes and open them to see the spiritual reality behind the physical realm, we see just a few verses later in this same passage from Isaiah:<br /><br />“He will see his offspring . . .” (v. 10).<br /><br />Jesus did not fail. It is human vision that fails to see what God has accomplished through his Son Jesus Christ.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scripture for today:</span> Isaiah 53:7-10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> Jesus sees his offspring in me.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> Jesus, rejoice that your suffering on the cross has indeed produced offspring for you and the Father in me.<br /><br />MAR 30</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-27184742747168632252009-05-22T06:27:00.000-05:002009-05-22T06:28:13.557-05:00Mar 29<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God -- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12,13).<br /><br />Here is stressed the radical difference between natural human birth and the spiritual birth of children of God. Further emphasis on this is given in John 3:3-6:<br /><br />“I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. . . . unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”<br /><br />Only the Spirit of God can create children for the Father. He does this through Jesus Christ. A person can become a child of God only through faith in Jesus Christ. And a person can come to faith in Jesus Christ only through the work and activity of the Holy Spirit:<br /><br /> “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:3).<br /><br />So it is that once again we see how the various members of the one triune God work together to accomplish their purpose. The Father desires to have children. He sends his Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to accomplish this. The Holy Spirit works in the hearts of human beings to create faith in Jesus, so that they can become children of God.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scripture for today:</span> John 3:3-6<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> There is unity in the triune God I worship -- and therefore unity in the diverse aspects of my life.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> I worship you, Lord. Your diversity in your unity makes all that exists exciting in its diversity, yet solid in its unity.<br /><br />MAR 29<br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-60956318375251541922009-05-22T06:26:00.000-05:002009-05-22T06:27:20.971-05:00Mar 28<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What is that one thing which God would have us be concerned about? It is whatever God is concerned about. And what have we seen that God is concerned about? What does he want? He wants children for himself, godly children to be his family and to whom he can be a Father.<br /><br />We need to be aware that we should not expect how God goes about producing a family for himself to be exactly the same as we do. God says of himself in Isaiah 55:9 that his ways are not our ways: They are higher.<br /><br />The very nature of God, which is so different from us should lead us to expect something unique and different when we examine this matter of God making a family for himself. Nevertheless, we should also expect some similarities, because, as we know, we are made in his image.<br /><br />"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus" (Ph. 2:5).<br /><br />Jesus shows us how to become children of God. In so doing, we see how the Father creates a family for himself. If the natural birth process in human lives is amazing -- and it is -- then certainly we should expect even more astounding things to be seen as we examine the way God, who is spirit, makes spiritual children for himself.<br /><br />Jesus is the key. He is the crucial factor in God the Father producing spiritual children for himself.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scripture for today:</span> Philippians 2:5<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> Jesus shows me how to be a child of God.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> Thank you, Jesus, for showing me how to be a child of God.<br /><br />MAR 28</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-42038807309113892982009-05-22T06:25:00.000-05:002009-05-22T06:26:25.389-05:00Mar 27<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">God does not desire us to accept his Son only for his gifts to the outward life or even the life of the soul (mind, will, emotions). First we are to make him Lord of the deepest part of our being, the spirit, and then all else will follow.<br /><br />When Jesus asked the disciples who the crowds said that he was, he redirected their attention away from those external things, which did not necessarily affect them, to what did affect them: He asked them who they considered him to be: "'But what about you?' he asked. "Who do you say I am?'" (Luke 9:20).<br /><br />And so he did with Nicodemus as well. Jesus directed his attention away from the external signs which anyone could see concerning the coming of the kingdom of God -- the miracles -- to the one sign needed to see and enter that kingdom: the new birth in Christ.<br /><br />If we would know true fulfillment in life, then we must quit looking at what we want and start looking at what God wants. We want many things in life, some seemingly very pious, such as serving God. But when a person with such a view was confronted by Jesus, he told her plainly, "Martha, Martha, . . . you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed" (Luke 10:41, 42).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Scripture for today:</span> Luke 10: 41, 42<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> Jesus is the one thing needful.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> Help me, Jesus, never to lose sight of what is important in life: you.<br /><br />MAR 27<br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-74152116945988874152009-05-22T06:24:00.000-05:002009-05-22T06:25:10.507-05:00Mar 26<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Nicodemus, like many in the crowds following Jesus because they saw his miracles, may have been caught up in those miracles. It is easy, after all, to stand by the side and admire unusual, interesting phenomena from a safe distance. Such seeing does not personally affect us.<br /><br />That is how many prefer to view God. They do not want that close, personal encounter that threatens their supposed independence from God.<br /><br />But God will have none of that. Jesus revealed to the crowds the true reason they followed him. "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill" (John 6:26).<br /><br />How many people come to Jesus because there they find mental or psychological satisfaction, get "filled up" and satisfied, with the byproducts of knowing Jesus, instead of knowing him in full as Lord of their lives?<br /><br />There are levels of knowing Jesus. At the bottom level, he can, since he is God, provide for physical needs. Then, at the next level, that of the soul, he can, indeed, satisfy the human soul as no other can.<br /><br />But neither of these levels of satisfaction is meant to be a substitute for knowing Jesus at the deepest level, that of the spirit. Once he is surrendered to there, the fullness of life he came to bring will become available at the other two levels external to the spirit within us.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scripture for today:</span> John 6:25-29<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> The bread which Jesus offers me is the bread of life.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> Thank you, Jesus, for breaking yourself for me on the cross as my bread of life.<br /><br />MAR 26<br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581409919645962724.post-11284826239209340012009-05-22T06:23:00.000-05:002009-05-22T06:24:19.863-05:00Mar 25<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">No doubt neither Nicodemus nor Herod had on his mind and on his list of miracles that of God wanting children and acquiring them. Yet John the Baptist seems to have considered that a miracle. When challenged by the religious leaders who trusted in their earthy descent from Abraham being enough to make them children of God, John rebuked them:<br /><br />"Do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham" (Matt. 3:9).<br /><br />It would be no more of a miracle for God to make children out of dead stones than to make them as he does, through human beings who are just as dead spiritually. For it is certainly a miracle of God's grace that human beings dead in sin become living children of God in Christ.<br /><br />And it is to that miracle to which Jesus directs Nicodemus's attention. Ignoring the path of discussion which Nicodemus suggests with his opening comment about Jesus being a teacher, Jesus begins to truly instruct this man walking about in darkness. And he begins by redirecting his attention from miracles in general to the one miracle needed: to be born again. <br /><br />"In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.'" (John 3:3).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scripture for today:</span> Matthew 3:8-10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thought for today:</span> Earthly birth, heavenly birth--both are miracles.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prayer for today:</span> I thank you, Father, for giving me both my earthly birth and my heavenly birth.<br /><br />MAR 25</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0