Risen – A Reflection on the True Messiah

A Resurrection Day Meditation
Risen -2016

From considering false messiahs, a type of the Antichrist in the previous article, to this article which, for this resurrection day (a holiday commonly called Easter), we move on to considering the true Messiah.  On Easter day Christians commonly  say to each other:

Jesus Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!

So we will consider the true messiah in the context of the 2016 movie Risen, a movie that explores the question: what would you do if you had personally seen both the death of Yeshua [1] and then, a number of days later, saw him alive and well and spoke with him, whose touch you felt and in whose presence you ate  and asked him questions. Would that finally move you to faith? Though that question is aimed at skeptics, doubters and unbelievers, the movie also provides encouragement for believers which we’ll get to.

Without going into all the tenets of the Christian faith, like the gospels, this movie gives you ample evidence to believe this section of the Nicene Creed, which is at the heart of the Christian faith and what we’re considering today:

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;

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Dune 2 – Reflections on a Secular Messiah

Dune 2

I went to see Dune 2 this past weekend. I went to enjoy, not take notes for a review, so I don’t consider this a formal movie review. Rather, it’s an informal reflection on themes in this and other movies that deal with control of the world and those who vie for that control, whether those who would control it are presented as a messiah (as in Dune) or a megalomaniac (as in most other Sci-Fi and Fantasy thrillers). Continue Reading

Nefarious – Movie Review

Nefarious - 2023 movie

Are demons real? Is demonic possession possible? Are the actions of this serial killer the actions of someone experiencing a dissociative disorder (split personality), or can it really be a case of demonic possession as he claims?

These are the questions presented to the protagonist Dr James Martin, a brilliant psychiatrist in the 2023 movie “Nefarious.” Dr Martin, both a valedictorian and salutatorian in his school career,  has been tasked with determining whether a serial killer is sane and therefore can be  cleared to suffer his court decreed penalty: death; or whether he is insane and must therefore be remanded in custody until it can be determined he is sane. The movie follows Dr Martin’s investigation, and in so doing presents the above questions and many other Biblical and moral questions to the audience in a manner reminiscent of one of CS Lewis’ masterpieces, The Screwtape Letters. Continue Reading

Correcting “The Origins of Young Earth Creation” Video

Old Earth Bias; Young Earth Fact

Michael Jones of InspiringPhilosophy has put out a cleverly deceptive video ostensibly on, as the title puts it “The Origins of Young Earth Creationism.” In actuality, it’s a hit piece designed to undermine both young earth beliefs and Young Earth Creation (YEC) as a movement in general. Continue Reading

Review: “Unplanned” movie

Abby Johnson sees abortion for the first time.

Abby Johnson sees an abortion for the first time.

Unplanned [1] tells the story of Abby Johnson, who almost on a lark volunteers to help Planned Parenthood’s supposed mission to reduce abortions and rises to become the director of a Planned Parenthood (PP) clinic. She’s a rising star at PP until she’s confronted with the truth of what abortion actually does.

Perhaps what this movie does best is expose all the lies Planned Parenthood promotes from the “we’re primarily a women’s healthcare facility” to what Abby initially foolishly believes – that the mission of PP is to reduce abortions.  The abortion industry is full of lies of both commission and omission.  This movie does a good job of exposing them all. Continue Reading

Review: Paul, Apostle of Christ

It’s AD 67,  some 34 to 37 years after the crucifixion of Christ. Nero, emperor of Rome has recently burned half the city in order to rebuild it according to his tastes. To cover his crime Nero scapegoats all Christians, and as the historian Tacitus tells us, Nero arrests, tries and convicts them not of arson, but of “hatred of the human race,” and puts them to death by “methods calculated to provide lurid entertainment for the public.”[1] Paul, the apostle of Christ is a key figure in the Christian faith and community. As such, Nero holds the Apostle Paul directly responsible for the fire, considering him the “chief enemy of Rome.”

Consequently when the movie opens we find the Apostle in prison awaiting his fate.  Luke, the physician and writer of the Gospel of the same name, and the Acts of the Apostles (commonly known as Acts) arrives in the city with a mission to save and retrieve the last of the writings of the apostle, determined that such important words not be lost. Continue Reading

Taking Pride in Creation: Genesis: Paradise Lost | Movie Review

 

Genesis: Paradise Lost movie

Since the limited run  of  Genesis: Paradise Lost is almost over (there’s a final encore on December 11, 2017), you may be wondering why another review. We’ll get to that in a moment. But first let me note that a number of even handed reviews have already been written. Here are 3 of them: Continue Reading

Disney, Beauty and the Beast, and Boycotts

Emma Watson and Dan Stevens in Beauty and the Beast (2017)

With Disney’s increasing support of the gay agenda (“Gay Days” at it’s theme parks, increasing exposure of gay scenes in its films aimed at kids) and now with a “gay moment” overshadowing Disney’s new live action version of its classic “Beauty and the Beauty” it has some wondering out loud, “Is it Time to Kiss Disney Goodbye.[1] Sadly, I have to say “yes” as I note in this tweet. And to further note my opposition to Disney’s move toward encouraging the gay agenda, I encouraged others to boycott Disney’s new Beauty and the Beast film: Continue Reading

“Silence” – A Review of Scorsese’s latest attack on the faith

A scene from Scorsese's

A scene from Scorsese’s “Silence”

Most Christians should skip Scorsese’s “Silence”

 

 

 

 

If you were expecting an uplifting  film for Christians from Martin Scorsese’s “Silence” you will be sorely disappointed. Because this film is neither made for Christians nor uplifting. To clarify my point, let me define my terms.

As a Christian, I expect a film made for Christians to:

  • Be supportive of the Christian faith
  • Proclaim the gospel; or at minimum Biblical principles
  • Show the benefits of faithfulness and the punishments or pains for  rebelliousness
  • Show the ultimate triumph of the gospel, Christ, and of the Christian living faithfully
  • Not recommend anti-Biblical actions
  • Not put anti-Biblical words in the mouth of  God the Father or Christ

Silence fails on all counts save for some small support of the first item by showing a number of poor Japanese peasants, who are believers and are martyred for their faith – preferring death over denying their Lord and God Jesus by “apostatizing” – a formal denial of their faith done in this case by trampling on a plaque with an raised relief image of Jesus. Continue Reading

Review: The Atheist Delusion

In his latest evangelistic movie “The Atheist Delusion – Why Millions Deny the Obvious” Ray Comfort is once again out among atheists in what I’d like to say is his inimitable style – but that would be a very inaccurate description. Because it is clear that Comfort has developed an easy to use approach that he’d like every Christian to use when confronted with atheist claims of “there’s no evidence of God”. Continue Reading