comics

Furry or Fury?

Frank

I’ve been a fan of the comic book character Nick Fury as long as I can remember reading comics. I have a small collection of the Silver Age title Sgt Fury and the Howling Commandos which was followed by Jim Steranko’s brilliant work on Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD. So obviously I was geeked out seeing Sam Jackson’s post-credit cameo in the first ‘Iron Man’ movie.

But no matter how many times I’ve read the name in print, I struggle every time I hear his name in the movies. In my head, his name was always Nick ‘f-uh-ree’ not Nick ‘fe-yur-ee”. What a difference an extra r makes.

Just as jarring to me is describing the love of God with that word- fury. I think of the fury of a storm and picture its wake of destruction. I consider being furious in my heart and I see myself losing my temper. Yet I imagine the love of God and think of furry bunnies.

Imagine that little fuzzy bunny. It makes you go oooh and aaah. You want to squeeze it, pet it, snuggle with it. We treat God that way sometimes (and that level of intimacy is not necessarily a bad thing- I squeeze and snuggle my kids and I consider that one of the highest forms of affection). But we seldom describe God as Rich Mullins is quoted in Brennan Manning’s book, The Furious Longing of God, “the reckless raging fury.” (pg 29)

Instead of ooohs and aaahs, what reaction should we have towards a furious God? Logic would answer fear and trembling. And the Bible does talk about approaching God in such a way. But God typically defies logic. Would you approach this fury with tears of joy?

I’m not a very emotional person (except for the wrong kind of fury) yet I was moved to tears reading how Manning came to experience God’s furious love- waking up on the street, reeking of vomit, hungover and in about as far from a state of grace religion could imagine for this former priest. And God still loved him.

 
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8)

God never stopped loving Brennan Manning as he was enslaved in his addiction. He never stopped loving you or me when we wander far from his loving embrace.

Manning writes, “The furious love of God knows no shadow of alteration or change. It is reliable. And always tender.” (pg 34)

Always tender that furious love. God’s fury is furry.

Consider this:

There is the “you” that people see and then there is the “rest of you.” Take some time and craft a picture of the “rest of you.” This could be a drawing, in words, even a song. Just remember that the chances are good it will be full of paradox and contradictions.

[Manning] listed some fictitious gods presented to [him] in the past: the splenetic god, the prejudiced god, the irritated god. Come up with at least one more, from your history, to help round out the list.

This post continues discussion on Brennan Manning’s book, The Furious Longing of God. Please check out Jason Sasyzsen’s and Sarah Salter’s blogs for more discussion. The “consider this” questions come straight from the book- use them as a springboard for your own thoughts and feel free to share them here.

Hulk Smash!

Frank

In the busyness of the Christmas season, I’ll be reposting some of my favorite posts and scaling back my original content. Leading up to New Year’s I’ll be posting a best-of 2012. This particular post was published in May and had the second most page views of the year.

Everyone has their childhood hero. Someone whom we could look to from our immaturity and relate or find hope. Often we find those heroes in works of fiction; epic poems, science fiction or fantasy masterpieces, movies, or comic books. Me, I was a comic book nerd as a child. And like any other child, I had my favorites and would argue with friends, “Spider-man could beat up Batman!” or “no way Lex Luthor could have fooled my hero like that.”

When Stan Lee and Jack Kirby started Marvel Comics back in the 1960’s, they created heroes with flaws. They wanted their heroes to be human and relatable, in contrast to heroes like Superman or Wonder Woman from DC whose alter-egos were their pedestrian identities, not the other way around. Spider-man was a teenager, with teenage problems of self-doubt and self-discipline. Thor was a prideful rebellious son. Daredevil was blind. The X-Men were surrogates for minorities. And so on.

Because of this it was always easy to be drawn in to my favorite hero’s adventures. For me, it was Daredevil. I related to his blindness (no, I’m not blind, but my eyesight is really bad) and that he had red hair (seriously, these things were important to me as a kid!). I related to his overriding desire to do what was right, even if it often meant doing it the wrong way and causing unintended harm as a result. And I related to his faith.

I went to watch “Thor” with a friend of mine. Like me, his favorite comic book hero shared his character. He related to Thor’s pride and impulsiveness. And he was excited to see that character portrayed on the big screen.

So as I sat watching “The Avengers” with my family, I was reminded of another favorite character, whom I probably relate to more than Daredevil if I was completely honest: the Hulk. Admittedly, I never really got into the TV show, I was more a fan of the Saturday morning cartoon. And I didn’t get into Greg Pak’s recent run that redefined the character. But I read religiously Peter David’s take on the character that focused on Bruce Banner’s split personality and internal struggles with his personal demons.

I didn’t bother watching either attempt to translate the character into a major motion picture, hearing that both movies stunk. But the early reviews for The Avengers all raved about how the Hulk was portrayed. And it was a single moment in the movie that caused me to almost jump out of my seat and cheer because someone actually got it. If you’ve seen the movie, I’ll only give the line and you can fill in the context. “I am always angry.”

I am always angry. That is what I relate to most with the Hulk. I have hurt people in my anger. I have broken and destroyed things. Though I have never turned green. I am always angry.

“‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” (Ephesians 4:26-27)

It took me a long time to accept that it is not a sin to be angry as this verse makes that distinction. I used to beat myself up over my bad temper, thinking God could never forgive me. But there is no sin beyond the grace of Jesus. Yet I need to be careful that my anger does not cause me to sin. I need to learn, as Bruce Banner did, to keep my anger in check. And only let my rage loose when threatened by an alien invasion.

(Stay tuned, true believers, another post to come on the Avengers in a couple of days!)

The Powerful Voice

Frank

In Glynn Young’s generous introduction to the folks involved in our weekly book discussion (yes, I’ve been away that long), he points to my short bio on Blogger that mentions I’m a comic book nerd. To stay true to form, I’m going to use a comic book reference to introduce this week’s discussion on God’s Voice.

In the Marvel Universe (Marvel Comics publishes Spider-Man, X-Men, and the blockbuster Avengers) one of the most powerful characters is the Inhuman named Black Bolt. His “power” is that his voice creates shockwaves that can level a city. It is so powerful that he undergoes strict meditation to ensure that he not only doesn’t speak, but that he makes no audible sound whatsoever. I was always fascinated by this character because he was so mysterious while also being feared by the other heroes for being so powerful.

The Bible talks about how powerful our voice can be. While we cannot literally cause physical damage with our words, we can do significant harm emotionally and psychologically. We cannot speak things into existence like God at creation, but we can bark orders to build massive structures and machines. “Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.” (Proverbs 11:11) And this is inherent in our nature, being created in God’s image. “God is not silent, has never been silent. It is the nature of God to speak,” writes A.W. Tozer in the sixth chapter of the Pursuit of God, ‘The Speaking Voice’. (pg 59)

And like the comic book character, God’s voice is powerful- enough so to speak the world into existence. His voice is so powerful that he is even present in a whisper. In 1 Kings 19 we read about Elijah fleeing and seeking comfort from God. Here we read about God appearing not as a great, thunderous storm, but rather as a gentle whisper.

I said above “we read”. I even said it twice. Personally, I am always looking for that booming voice from heaven; so much so that my ears are often deaf to the whisper that God is speaking through his Word.

I know that God speaks through his Word. It is an accepted fact that I too easily take for granted. Yet I know from personal experience that sometimes the whispers that are easy to ignore become shouts that demand response. I have been going to church all my life, but one Sunday while in college the Scriptures spoke to me as they never had before, sending me on a journey I am continuing to this day. Do I hear that same voice, at the same volume, every time I open the Bible? I only wish this was so! But I will never hear God’s voice if I don’t even open my Bible to listen.

“The Bible is the written word of God, and because it is written it is confined and limited by the necessities of ink and paper and leather. The Voice of God, however, is alive and free as the sovereign God is free…

God did not write a book and send it by messenger to be read at a distance by unaided minds. He spoke a Book and lives in his spoken words, constantly speaking His words and causing the power of them to persist across the years.” (Tozer, pgs 53-54)

“The word of God is living and active…”
(Hebrews 4:12)


God is ever-speaking through his word. Sometimes we hear it, sometimes we don’t. Regardless, God’s voice is powerful enough to change the world with just a whisper.

This blog is part of a book club reading The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. Please join the discussion here and at our hosts, Jason Stasyszen and Sarah Salter. Need a copy of the book? You can get it for free on Kindle.

Defeating Death

Frank

Today, I’m continuing my Avengers theme with a post that has been percolating in my head for a long time. Warning, there be spoilers ahead!

So far I have covered Iron Man and the Hulk. But today I want to key in on possibly the most powerful character to appear in ‘The Avengers’ movie. Did I mention there would be spoilers?

I figure just about everyone has seen the Avengers, having grossed more than a billion dollars, so you’ve had your opportunity.

At the end of the first credits sequence (the animated one, not the traditional scroll) we are introduced to a character who is warned that to take on Earth and the Avengers is to “court death.” The character then turns and smiles at the camera. No, it’s not Hellboy or the Red Skull as those in the audience less nerdy than me speculated (hey, Marvel, just seeing the reactions online tells me you need to do some work post-processing to make this guy purple, not red!). But is instead the character Thanos.

That name doesn’t mean much to the casual fan, but to those of us who have been paying attention, we have been anticipating his introduction since 2010 when the Infinity Gauntlet was shown off at the San Diego ComicCon as one of the Marvel movie props. The Gauntlet later showed up in the movie ‘Thor’. So even though I knew he would be making an appearance in ‘The Avengers’ I still got chills when I heard those words, “court death,” because I knew exactly what that meant. You see, Thanos has an obsession with death, even “courting” a woman who is the personification of death in the comic book universe. Thanos also makes sense as an adversary in the movie universe because his first story in comic books involved his pursuit of the Cosmic Cube (called the Tasseract in the movie). He later rose to fame in the 90’s through the mini-series The Infinity Gauntlet and its many spin-off stories. For more on Thanos, check out this write-up from Comic Book Resources and also his wikipedia page.

So far, we know that he won’t the villain in either Iron Man 3 (who will be the Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley- seriously, how cool is that!) or Thor 2 (who has not yet been identified, but execs have been explicit it will not be Thanos). So Marvel studios have their work cut out for them to introduce this character and give him a meaningful arc.

Which brings me back to the Infinity Gauntlet and the real subject of this post. (for more on the Gauntlet, check out the wikipedia page) You see, there isn’t yet a character in the movies who can stand toe-to-toe with Thanos. The Silver Surfer was instrumental in taking down Thanos in the Infinity Gauntlet storyline, but the rights to that character are still owned by Fox because of his appearance in ‘The Fantastic Four’. So that leaves us with the Surfer’s partner in that story, Adam Warlock. (The golden person behind Thanos with the red cape above; again, check out his wikipedia page) Will he be somehow introduced into the Marvel movie universe? I sure hope so.

So what does Warlock, the Surfer, and Thanos have to do with the subject matter of this blog (“Public Christianity” in case you forgot)? Well personally, I have always been intrigued by Warlock’s character, from his introduction as a man-made “perfect human” called simply “Him” all the way through his first death (more on this in a minute) and up to his adventures following his defeat of Thanos. About that first death… Adam Warlock has a bit of a God-complex. So much so that in order to save the people of “counter earth” he allowed himself to be crucified. By the power of the Soul Gems (one of the baubles on the Infinity Gauntlet- see how this all ties in?) he rose himself from the dead and a cult religion would later rise up to worship him (and try to take over the universe, but that’s another story).

In my comic reading peak in the 90’s, I loved to read both Warlock and the Silver Surfer. They complemented each other perfectly. Though the silver sentinel was conceived as a Christ-like cosmic figure when he was introduced in the 60’s, he is written in more of a philosophical tone. Warlock, on the other hand, because of his background is written as much more theological. So when paired together to take on some cosmic foe, this often led to very deep and worthwhile conversations.

Now I am anxiously anticipating how this may be handled on the silver screen, especially after (in my opinion) the Silver Surfer wasn’t given his full due in the Fantastic Four movie. And all the bluster about Loki pontificating about the weakness of humanity and the slavery of freedom, coupled with the writer’s open atheism, led some to denounce ‘The Avengers’ as anti-Christian and secular. So is it possible that the movies would dare take on a character whose main story arc involves being crucified, buried, and risen from the dead? If the Avengers have any hope of defeating Thanos, we better hope so.

Jesus Wears Rocket Boots

Frank

Last night as I was putting my son to bed, we were tackling all the hard questions in life. My son asked a question about the Bible that I couldn’t answer, so I simply told him that some things in the Bible we can’t explain. They are miracles and we have to take them on faith that they really happened. I said, “take Jesus walking on water. We don’t know how he did that, just that he did.”

“Oh! I know,” my son quickly interrupted. “Jesus was wearing rocket boots, like Iron Man!”

Ok, maybe we can explain everything in the Bible. I suppose when the sun stood still for Joshua, Superman was flying around the Earth so fast that it stopped turning. (It worked in the movie, anyway)

A child’s imagination allows for robot armor, light sabers, men who turn green when angry, and talking animals. There’s room in their little minds to accept raising people from the dead, driving out evil spirits, and.. talking animals. Maybe that’s what Jesus meant when he said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15)

As we grow older, we also grow more cynical and skeptical. It is harder to accept Jesus walking on water; and even if we can make that logical leap, no way do we allow for Peter to do the same. Feeding 5000 with just a few fish and a couple of loaves of bread? Turning water into wine? These are harder to accept. Driving out demons can be explained away with psychology. We no longer have the faith of a little child.

Yet we spend billions to watch “The Avengers” while eagerly awaiting the next “Batman” and “Spiderman” release and speculating online about what, exactly, “Prometheus” is all about. We go in to the latest blockbusters willing to suspend belief for two hours. And then expect the Sunday morning sermon to be preached from science and history books.

I’m not saying we  should check our brain at the door to our churches. But rather we should allow for our imaginations to do just what God intended them to do- grasp at the unknown, wonder in awe at God’s power and creativity, and maybe in some way be inspired to share our unique insights through art, music, or prose.

If we can be child-like watching our childhood heroes on the big screen, why can’t we be child-like, as Jesus commanded, learning about our ultimate hero in Jesus? Miracles cannot be explained. If they could, they wouldn’t be miracles. And as I had to explain to my son, rocket boots weren’t yet invented when Jesus was alive. But I suppose that would have been a miracle too.

This is my first time joining my friend Duane Scott’s blog-carnival “unwrapping His promises”. Click the button below for more.

Man Without Fear

Frank
I’m jumping into the fray. I am fearlessly adding my post to the Pleasantly Disturbed Thursdays carnival at Duane Scott’s blog. Pray for me…

It was just announced that the comic book Daredevil will end in November. I’m a comic book nerd (more excited to see Scott Pilgrim than the Expendables believe it or not) and Daredevil has always been my favorite character. He’s my homie.

It was a Daredevil comic that I remember being the first I ever read (that, or some random issue of Superman, but I remember vividly the issue of Daredevil). I have a nearly continuous run of issues that spans twenty years. The last issue will be #512; I have roughly 350 of those. With a small family, tight budget, and a local comic shop (LCS) that I loathe, I’ve fallen back on my reading. I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve only purchased one issue over the past year.
As a kid I daydreamed about being Daredevil. He was a blind, Catholic red-head who always did what was right. That sounded a lot like me. Plus he fought ninjas and mobsters! As I grew older and I took notice of the more mature themes, I could relate even more. Yes, he always did what was right, but not always the right way. He had a bad tempter, was vengeful, and lustful. Hmm, still sounded a lot like me. I admired him because the fight he waged against his sinful nature to do the right thing was a central part of his character. Some writers sadly miss this point (see the movie as the most glaring example), but I kept on reading. Did I mention that he fought ninjas?
So what’s disturbing about this post? Maybe it’s the fact that I own more than a thousand comic books and live in my mom’s basement. (I’ll let you guess which one of those two statements are true).
Actually, what’s disturbing is the recent news that a child psychologist considers super heroes bad role models. Say what? I was reading The Punisher as a pre-teen and loved his unrestrained vengeance against crime as he racked up a body count in the hundreds. I also loved the movie Total Recall, which at the time was considered the most violent (mainstream) movie ever. This was also towards the end of the Cold War with movies like Red Dawn fresh in my memory. I would daydream during school about being either a super hero, a professional wrestler (now that’s disturbing!), or what my friends and I would do if our school was overrun by a bunch of commie terrorists. “Wolverines!”

I’d like to think I turned out all right. Sure, the line blurs for me sometimes between fantasy and reality, but I suspect that’s true for just about everyone. Yet despite the violence and misogyny present in comic books, I took away their most valuable lesson: we are all screwed up in some way, so we must decide if we should use our powers to be a good guy or a bad guy. We are all anti-heroes. And sometimes we get to fight ninjas.

(for a great summary of Daredevil’s on again/off again religion, check out this article.)

Angels and Demons and Popcorn

Frank

The movie Legion, about an angel (Paul Bettany) fighting against God for the survival of humans, opened yesterday. Both my wife and I were captivated by a billboard advertising the movie and I had to look it up because I didn’t know anything about it. My thoughts on the preview? Meh, it looks like the Prophecy, but with roles reversed. Interesting theology though- God is fed up with humans and wants to wipe them out (despite “want[ing] all men to be saved” 1 Tim 2:4) but has to stand against the archangel Michael. The irony is that some Christian denominations believe the archangel Michael referenced in Revelation and Jude is really Jesus. Or rather, that Jesus is really the archangel Michael incarnate and Jesus does, in fact, save us from God’s wrath. Also, “Legion” is the name of the demon(s) Jesus cast out of a man into a herd of pigs (Mark 5:10, Luke 8:31).

Of course Legion isn’t the first movie of its kind, and the eternal struggle between good and evil is a common sci-fi/fantasy/horror theme as noted by a couple of recent online articles. Some movies and literature take more theological liberties than others, so we should be wary in seeking doctrinal relevance in our entertainment. In fact, oftentimes the only real spiritual linkage is a simple acknowledgement of God, Satan, and/or angels. These themes are familiar enough to appease any viewer, despite their theology, so I also wouldn’t attribute the glut of “religious” movies to any inroads the Christian consumer has made as a demographic. I don’t think the makers of Legion, or The Book of Eli, or The Road are banking on the same customers as The Passion of the Christ.

I recommend the Parallel Universe article because it references several movies categorized by spiritual themes. Some of these are classics (The Exorcist, The Omen) while others are less known (Race With the Devil, The Sentinel) and of course some are personal favorites (The Prophecy, The Seventh Sign). One glaring omission, in my humble opinion, is Denzel Washington’s Fallen. (That should keep your Netflix busy for a while)

As for comics, which aren’t as well known here’s my recommended reading list:
Deathblow (Image): A former special-ops soldier is hired by a clandestine religious order to protect a seal between Hell and Earth from being broken. The location for all you Bible scholars? The plains of Megiddo.

Hellshock (Image): About a fallen angel recruiting a young woman into his battle against evil. But is he who he says he is? (If the story doesn’t grab you, it’s worth checking out for some of the best artwork by Jae Lee ever seen)
Lucifer (DC/Vertigo): About you know who, who is tired of his role in the eternal struggle of good versus evil and leaves Hell in search of a “higher” calling.

Hellstorm (Marvel): A once campy character, was revitalized in a 1993 series written by Warren Ellis (among others). That series alone is worth checking out following a similar theme to Vertigo’s Lucifer, but in this case it is Satan’s son who is rebelling against his father.

Ghost Rider (Marvel): This character has a long history (and no, I have not seen the movie), but was recently retconned (meaning, his history was changed for the sake of story) to no longer being possessed by a demon, but by an angel. I haven’t yet checked out this storyline which started a year ago, but sounds intriguing as the Ghost Rider goes to fight against heaven, angry for being used for so long as a pawn.

Spawn (Image): A soldier dies and makes a deal with the devil to see his wife one last time. The deal? Be a soldier in Satan’s army (that for some reason fights clowns). I only followed this series for the first few years in the 90s, but it has remained popular enough that it’s still published, has had several spinoffs, and of course a visually stunning movie. (The cartoon ain’t bad either)

Of course there are others (I spent the last hour trying to find a comic that I could’ve sworn the movie Legion was based off of when I saw the font of the title in the billboard) so please share favorites. Include movies too! My Netflix queue is only 200 movies long, I could add a couple more!

Angels and Demons and Popcorn

Frank

The movie Legion, about an angel (Paul Bettany) fighting against God for the survival of humans, opened yesterday. Both my wife and I were captivated by a billboard advertising the movie and I had to look it up because I didn’t know anything about it. My thoughts on the preview? Meh, it looks like the Prophecy, but with roles reversed. Interesting theology though- God is fed up with humans and wants to wipe them out (despite “want[ing] all men to be saved” 1 Tim 2:4) but has to stand against the archangel Michael. The irony is that some Christian denominations believe the archangel Michael referenced in Revelation and Jude is really Jesus. Or rather, that Jesus is really the archangel Michael incarnate and Jesus does, in fact, save us from God’s wrath. Also, “Legion” is the name of the demon(s) Jesus cast out of a man into a herd of pigs (Mark 5:10, Luke 8:31).

Of course Legion isn’t the first movie of its kind, and the eternal struggle between good and evil is a common sci-fi/fantasy/horror theme as noted by a couple of recent online articles. Some movies and literature take more theological liberties than others, so we should be wary in seeking doctrinal relevance in our entertainment. In fact, oftentimes the only real spiritual linkage is a simple acknowledgement of God, Satan, and/or angels. These themes are familiar enough to appease any viewer, despite their theology, so I also wouldn’t attribute the glut of “religious” movies to any inroads the Christian consumer has made as a demographic. I don’t think the makers of Legion, or The Book of Eli, or The Road are banking on the same customers as The Passion of the Christ.

I recommend the Parallel Universe article because it references several movies categorized by spiritual themes. Some of these are classics (The Exorcist, The Omen) while others are less known (Race With the Devil, The Sentinel) and of course some are personal favorites (The Prophecy, The Seventh Sign). One glaring omission, in my humble opinion, is Denzel Washington’s Fallen. (That should keep your Netflix busy for a while)

As for comics, which aren’t as well known here’s my recommended reading list:
Deathblow (Image): A former special-ops soldier is hired by a clandestine religious order to protect a seal between Hell and Earth from being broken. The location for all you Bible scholars? The plains of Megiddo.

Hellshock (Image): About a fallen angel recruiting a young woman into his battle against evil. But is he who he says he is? (If the story doesn’t grab you, it’s worth checking out for some of the best artwork by Jae Lee ever seen)
Lucifer (DC/Vertigo): About you know who, who is tired of his role in the eternal struggle of good versus evil and leaves Hell in search of a “higher” calling.

Hellstorm (Marvel): A once campy character, was revitalized in a 1993 series written by Warren Ellis (among others). That series alone is worth checking out following a similar theme to Vertigo’s Lucifer, but in this case it is Satan’s son who is rebelling against his father.

Ghost Rider (Marvel): This character has a long history (and no, I have not seen the movie), but was recently retconned (meaning, his history was changed for the sake of story) to no longer being possessed by a demon, but by an angel. I haven’t yet checked out this storyline which started a year ago, but sounds intriguing as the Ghost Rider goes to fight against heaven, angry for being used for so long as a pawn.

Spawn (Image): A soldier dies and makes a deal with the devil to see his wife one last time. The deal? Be a soldier in Satan’s army (that for some reason fights clowns). I only followed this series for the first few years in the 90s, but it has remained popular enough that it’s still published, has had several spinoffs, and of course a visually stunning movie. (The cartoon ain’t bad either)

Of course there are others (I spent the last hour trying to find a comic that I could’ve sworn the movie Legion was based off of when I saw the font of the title in the billboard) so please share favorites. Include movies too! My Netflix queue is only 200 movies long, I could add a couple more!

Who Watches the Watchmen?

Frank

I don’t know why I didn’t think of this when the movie came out, but I heard this verse listening to a lesson today and I forgot how powerful it is. Speaking of ‘watchmen’, Ezekiel 22:30 reads, “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none” This is a direct challenge to all of us today to be Watchmen for our homes, our churches, and our communities. Who will watch the Watchmen? Well, God of course: “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” (2 Ch 16:9)

Back in the day when I was thinking about starting up this blog, I was considering the name Watchman based on the above passage, but also this excerpt from Ezekiel 33:

The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.’

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself. (Ez 33:1-9)

I went with Public Christianity because of the media emphasis on the infamous Value Voter at the time. But I don’t want to get away from the call in these scriptures either. I pray as the eyes of God roam the earth… he finds you and calls you higher.

Who Watches the Watchmen?

Frank

I don’t know why I didn’t think of this when the movie came out, but I heard this verse listening to a lesson today and I forgot how powerful it is. Speaking of ‘watchmen’, Ezekiel 22:30 reads, “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none” This is a direct challenge to all of us today to be Watchmen for our homes, our churches, and our communities. Who will watch the Watchmen? Well, God of course: “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” (2 Ch 16:9)

Back in the day when I was thinking about starting up this blog, I was considering the name Watchman based on the above passage, but also this excerpt from Ezekiel 33:

The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.’

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself. (Ez 33:1-9)

I went with Public Christianity because of the media emphasis on the infamous Value Voter at the time. But I don’t want to get away from the call in these scriptures either. I pray as the eyes of God roam the earth… he finds you and calls you higher.