Well, It's March and things are springing forward, but not the weather in Colorado Springs. It's still a cool 60 degrees in the day and 40 degrees at night. I'm told that Colorado gets most of it's snow in the March and April, so we will see. It's also March Madness Time (GO FGCU!) and this election is unbelievable. I'm predicting it's going to be Trump vs. Clinton for the final show down in November. Not the candidates I would have liked, but it seems like things moving in that direction.
After Oklahoma I went back to Colorado Springs to work on my next trip. This past week a bunch of us went to a showing of The Young Messiah.
So, I'm going to give a bit of a spoiler here...not really, just my critique. If you have a (biblical) brain, then there are a ton of things in this movie that you will criticize (not constructively...just being honest), as did I, but there is one message that rings true through the entire film that redeems it.
First, I know Anne Rice wrote the book, and yes...I know she hates the Roman Catholic Church and is the author of Interview with a Vampire, and the other vampire books, and yes, I know she is a self avowed secular humanist that says she loves Jesus...not really sure how that works...but all that is out on the internet for your reading pleasure. I'm not going to sugar coat those facts or justify them in any way. They are what they are, and if that is enough for you to cry "HERESY" then, I say...you have a point.
At the very same time, at the beginning of this movie, you are informed that it is FICTION and you are asked to IMAGINE what it would be like for Jesus to be a kid. I don't know if I would imagine Jesus exactly the way Anne Rice or the producers of this film would imagine him to be, but that's not really my point.
This movie was entertaining, it was also controversial, it was clean, and it's single message was: Jesus is the Son of God!
Some of you are thinking, "Well if they said it was fiction, doesn't that defeat your point?" Maybe...I don't know ;-)
You can't miss this message. All throughout the film each character seems to hint to this fact. This message builds and builds even to the end.
Film is a very powerful tool of communication. Sometimes it has a way of piercing our thoughts with it's images in a way that is hard to do with words alone, while other times it is a poor substitution.
If nothing else, my prayer is that this movie proves to be a catalyst to cause it's audience to question who Jesus really was. I pray that God uses it to draw his people unto himself. The Bible records crazier ways than this where God saved souls. I pray that it will cause believers to go to God's Word and read it! Yes, simply READ IT PEOPLE! Go see the movie and you be the judge.
On another note...
Last week my son, George, competed in the ACSI Speech Meet. We talked about speaking very clear and pronouncing your words correctly. We also talked about making eye contact with your audience, and we prayed that God would help him to do his best.
Well...what do you know...George brought home a SUPERIOR Blue Ribbon. So proud of you son!
I had a great weekend because my beautiful wife, Louise, came to visit me in Colorado Springs. The first night she arrived I picked her up from the Denver Airport and we went on a date to our favorite eatery...Maggiano's Little Italy. Heck Yeah!!! Denver has our very favorite restaurant. Can you say RIGATONI D? One of the great things about this restaurant is that we always leave with left overs so we get to have this amazing food two nights in a row.
While shopping in Colorado Springs, we stumbled upon a Mardel Christian Store. So, I knew the Green family (or the Hobby Lobby family as you might know them) owned this store, but I had never been inside one before. It was cool, and had a lot of great deals (unlike other Christian bookstores where everything is more expensive than Amazon).
If you stock Wayne Grudem's and John Frame's Systematic on your bookshelf, you get my endorsement...just sayin...Yes, I know I'm a nerd, no need to make that comment. Isn't it scary that I know what you're thinking? :)
Anyway, another great week!
Book Buzz:
Saint Patrick: The Man and His Mission by John Holms $.99
Patrick of Ireland by Michael Hayken $1.99
50 Days of Heaven by Randy Alcorn $2.99
The Compelling Community by Mark Dever $2.99
The First Days of Jesus by Andreas Kostenberger $3.99
Who Am I? Identity In Christ by Jerry Bridges $1.99
Is Hell For Real or Does Everyone Go to Heaven? with contributions from multiple authors including Timothy Keller and Albert Mohler $5.99
Scandalous: The Cross & The Resurrection of Jesus by D.A. Carson $3.99
Deeper Christian Life by Andrew Murray FREE
Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray FREE
School of Obedience by Andrew Murray FREE
Finally, if you like John Piper the Cross-Points website has put together a list of 28 books by John Piper that you can download for FREE! Pretty Sweet!
Psalm 16:11 says, "You make known to me the path of life;
Be Edified!
