Suspense

   Picture you are watching a movie. Eerie music is playing and the person in the movie is walking toward a door. The person walks slower and slower. When she gets to the door she stops. You can see the fear on her face. Her hand reaches for the door handle but she pulls back. Finally, she works up the courage again and quickly grabs the handle and opens the door.
   How did you feel during that part of the movie? Did you find yourself yelling at the person to not open the door? The people who create movies know that people like suspense. We even start to tell the people to not do things, but the characters don't typically listen to us for some reason. Usually, movies all work out in the end and that's something we tend to rely on when the characters in the movie are at their lowest.
   What about our lives? Do our lives ever feel like a movie? I can picture God in heaven watching us make choices. He is hoping we will choose the right thing. Now, some of you may be saying, "doesn't God know what I will choose? Isn't he all knowing?" He is all knowing but he gives us free will. We get to choose what we will do each day. God doesn't force us to make choices. He knows what will happen based off of the choices we make.
   God walks with us and will help us if we ask him to. We can choose to walk with him and follow his word rather than following our own desires. In the end of our movie, if we follow God, we will have a happy ending. However, if we choose not to believe in God and not to walk with him then our ending won't be so happy.
   So, do you believe that God cares about you and walks with you? Will you choose to ask God for help when you need it? Are you going to have a happy ending?

   Proverbs 3:5-6 and 1 John 3:20

   Image from here.

You Don't Know What You Have Until You Lose It

   My sister had the experience that many of us have in our lifetimes: she got her wisdom teeth out. Over the course of the next week she lived on the supply of applesauce and pudding my mother got her. We would eat burgers and other solid food while she ate soft things. After about a week she was able to eat solid food, somewhat.
   During that week she would stare at what we were eating and her mouth would water. I finally said to her, "it kind of makes you appreciate what you have right?" She, of course, glared at me and we moved on. But it make you think: what do I have that I take for granted?
   Imagine if you had no teeth. Imagine if you only had a few pairs of clothes, or only one. Imagine if you didn't have a bible or the ability to read the word of God. We are blessed with so much. Sometimes I think we forget everything we have because it's always there.
   During the last week of the school year I like to give my students a challenge each day. Here is your challenge, should you choose to accept it: pick one day, you can do more if you want, and think about or write everything you have to be thankful for. You have blessings all around you if you just look. If you write down your blessings keep that list handy. In the future, when you have a bad day, get your list out and think of all the reasons you are still blessed. Then thank God for those blessings.

   James 1:17 and 2 Corinthians 9:8

   Image from here.

Satisfaction

   I enjoy musicals. That may surprise you a bit considering some people think musicals are strange. Why would people randomly sing about what is going on in their lives? I believe I know some reasons, but we won't go there today. Instead, I'd like to talk about a specific musical that has been popular recently: Hamilton.
   Hamilton is a show about Alexander Hamilton and his life. There is a song in the show which talks about Alexander, Angelica, Elizabeth, and their relationships. Angelica sings at the end: "And I know (Be satisfied, be satisfied, be satisfied),
She'll be happy as his bride (Be satisfied, be satisfied, be satisfied), And I know (Be satisfied, be satisfied, be satisfied), He will never be satisfied, I will never be satisfied." 
   Angelica is talking about Alexander and his ambition. She says that he will never be satisfied. 
   Let’s relate that to us. Is it wrong to go after what you want and desire? There is a fine line here. The answer is it depends on what your heart's desire is. 
   If you are going after what you want, or your personal heart's desire, then that is a problem. When you focus too much on yourself: getting what you want, earning more money, satisfying your fleshly desires, and so on your life is meaningless. 1 Timothy 6:9 says, "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction." Reread that verse. If your heart's desire is to be rich, then you are headed for doom and destruction. It may not seem like you are headed for destruction on earth, but you cannot escape it after death. Luke 9:25 says "For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" If you follow your heart's desire and you are only thinking of yourself then you will miss out on the most important thing in life: a relationship with Christ. And you will spend eternity without Him.
   If your heart's desire is to follow God, then ambition can be good. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." We are to give our best in everything we do. Our ambition should be to follow the Lord and emulate Him to the best of our ability. As long as our hearts desire is for ourselves, we will not be satisfied. Craig Groeschel, who is a pastor and author, says "Anytime we allow our souls to be consumed with anything other than God, we will never be satisfied." The only way to be satisfied in this life and the next is to follow God and glorify Him in all we do.
   So, are you satisfied with your life right now? What is your heart's desire? How can you glorify God today? Image from here.

Expanding Your Horizons

   There are many movies out there that get a bad reputation by Christians. Most of those movies have to deal with sins that we think are too far gone from God. I'm not saying that there aren't some bad movies out there; what I am saying is that we can still look for the good messages in those movies. Last year the movie Dr. Strange came out. While the movie does deal with death, corruption, and magic there are some really profound quotes and messages in the movie.

   1. The Ancient One: [to Dr Strange] "You're a man looking at the world through a keyhole. You've spent your life trying to widen it. Your work saved the lives of thousands. What if I told you that reality is one of many?"
   Sometimes we fall into the trap Strange fell into. He thought he knew everything. He thought he was the best at everything. Yet, he also kept searching for new knowledge. He was hungry for new knowledge and truth. Yet when some knowledge came along that seemed too fantastic, or like a fantasy, he refused to believe it.
   It seems crazy to think that God would care so much for us that he would send his son to become a human and die on the cross. It also seems crazy to think that all we have to do is go to Jesus, believe in him, ask him to take our sins, then we are washed white as snow. But, it is true.
   2. Dr. Stephen Strange: [on magic] "I control it by surrendering control? That doesn't make any sense."
   The Ancient One: "Not everything does. Not everything has to."
   Humans like to be in control. We like to have a plan, security, and know what we are doing. If we want to follow God we must submit to him. That means we must give up control. We must trust in his plan and do what we are called to do. If Strange can learn this lesson then why can't we?
   3. The Ancient One: "We never lose our demons, Mordo. We only learn to live above them."
   Along with control, sometimes we have sins that we hold onto. We think that this sin is not going to control us, or it's not that bad. But, to God, sin is sin. If you continually lie it is the same as if you get drunk every night to God. We must give our sins to God and ask him to help us overcome those sins. Only then will we "live above our demons."
   4. Dr. Stephen Strange: "I'm not ready."
   The Ancient One: "No one ever is. We don't get to choose our time. Death is what gives life meaning. To know your days are numbered. Your time is short. You'd think after all this time, I'd be ready. But look at me. Stretching one moment out into a thousand... just so that I can watch the snow."
   We only have one life to live. God created us for a reason. We all have a call and a job to do while on earth. We must choose if we will follow that call that God has given us or not.
   5. The Ancient One: "Arrogance and fear still keep you from learning the simplest and most significant lesson of all."
   Dr. Stephen Strange: "Which is?"
   The Ancient One: "It's not about you."
   This is probably the most profound quote in the movie. Many people walk through this life filled with pride thinking that they are the greatest and it is all about them. That is until they reach the end of their lives and they are all alone. That's not to say we should care about others just so we aren't alone. We should care about others because that is what we are called to do. God said we should love him, then love others, and finally ourselves. If our priorities are not in that order then we are not following God.
   As you can see, this movie opens up into many spiritual aspects. When the writers wrote the story they probably were not thinking that this could relate to Christianity, but that doesn't change the messages we can get out to others because of this movie.
   So, will you choose to expand your horizon? Will you give control of your life over to God? How will you show you love God and love others today?

   Proverbs 19:21, Jeremiah 29:11, John 13:34

   Image found here.