Why the Royal Wedding Matters

At 4 o'clock this morning, I mozzied on into my living room, and turned on the television to watch the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton - the royal wedding of a couple from a country I've never even been to. Many people have been in an uproar over the royal wedding for months now; some more excited than others, of course. Ask a Englishman why it's exciting, and he'll probably tell you it's a proud moment for their nation, which it is. Ask the rest of the world, however, and you'll receive an almost universal response: "It's a fairy tale come true!"

At that point, many men and the more cynical women roll their eyes, snuggle back into bed and fall back asleep. I tell you the truth, though. What I saw was incredible. Not just because of the sheer scope of the wedding or the extravagant Westminster Abbey, or the beautiful Kate Middleton (grins), but because I believe what I saw there was one of the clearest, most beautiful representations of Christianity there is and can be.

Before the Service
Everyone who supports the Prince is lining up. They're going to his place - the chapel where he will marry his bride. They're so excited. Every passing day leading up to the wedding of the Prince and his bride makes them more and more excited. Then, when the day comes, they are ready and exuberant.

This is how a Christian life should be. As the church is the Bride of Christ, the Prince of Peace, so was Kate Middleton the Bride of the Prince of England. The people could hardly wait for it to begin, and that is how we should feel as a church - sitting at the edge of our seats - proud and smiling, waving flags and cheering - for the arrival of Christ to the Wedding of the Lamb and the Bride.

The Prince and his Bride
Then, after everything is perfect, the Prince takes his place. Everything is perfect down to the last detail for this day. Not a person, not a leaf, not a note of the organ or the clamor of the bells is out of place. Then, the princess is ready - adorned for her groom, and she is called up to meet him at the alter where they will wed.

In the end, the same will happen to the church. When God's timing makes it so, the end will come, and the wedding of the Lamb and His church shall begin. We will be called up to meet him, scripture tells us, and then the ceremony begins.

The Ceremony
There is the Prince and his Bride. Standing at the altar, waiting for it all to begin. Scripture is read. Songs are sung. And logistics take place. Documents are signed. Vows are taken. They are offered a chance to admit to any wrongdoings or mistrusts.

The Bible tells us that when we go meet our King, we will do the same thing. We will give an account of our actions. We will be in the presence of divine royalty and we will see the life we've lived until that point. Having accepted Jesus's proposal (much like a wedding proposal), we're invited and actually in the wedding - what a wonderful thought!

Then, when it's finished, it's declared. They are together - not EVER to be put asunder.

The Kiss
Oh, the kiss. What they all wait for. What people fill the courts of Buckingham Palace waiting to see. The final seal on the marriage. The Prince and his Bride walk out onto the balcony, all smiles, and the Prince leans in... and kisses his Bride. The people cheer and celebrate. They are together now - they are wedded.

When everything is made new again, and we are there because Christ would have US be with Him, Revelation 21 tells us that there will be no more crying, sorrow, pain or death. Joy. Joy will fill out hearts. And with the King at the throne and his Bride beside Him, we will experience this ultimate form of wedded bliss.

Let the Party Begin!
Then, the party begins.

Tonight there is said to be a feast of... well, royal proportions! A three course meal featuring all the royal family eating together, celebrating this union of the Prince and his Bride. The Bible tells us that, too, this will be one of the first things we experience in Heaven - the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.

Then, it's been said, and Prince Harry (William's brother and best friend) will be throwing a very 'knees-up' party that will feature rock 'n' roll and dancing and lights and will be the biggest and most fun dance party Buckingham has ever seen.

We have that ultimate celebration to look forward to as well! Once we are united with the Bridegroom, the party begins. A celebration that will out-do even the most massively conceived party. And we're not just invited to it - we're in it. We are the Bride.

---

Many people may feel that the Royal Wedding is some extravagant fairy tale that could never really happen except in this one instance with Kate Middleton, but the reality is that, if you've accepted Jesus Christ's marriage proposal, you're in for something much more glorious and spectacular than the Royal Wedding we saw this morning. The truth is that nothing can or will compare to it - the Bible, being the word of God, can not even do it justice.

So if you encounter some negative people that don't understand just how important the royal wedding is, remember that it's simply a reflection, like all weddings should be, on what's in store for us, when our King returns to whisk us away in our carriages and we can, like the storybooks say, "Live Happily Ever After."

The End!

Final Fantasy and Jesus

I know that I do a lot of the "____ and Jesus" blog posts, where I take some popular movie or book or video game and begin to find some spiritual significance in it or some way for it relate it to the Bible. I've done Harry Potter, Kingdom Hearts, Lord of the Rings, and even Mario Kart. The title of this one is 'Final Fantasy and Jesus.'

Now, I could go through the story and talk about the spiritual allegory and Christian significance (which there is quite a bit), but today, I'm going to be talking directly about the game itself. As in, the actual cartridge the game is on. Let me explain.

I have a game for the portable Nintendo game system, the Nintendo DS, called, like the title of this blog, is 'Final Fantasy III.' It's, you know, one of those fantasy games boys like with magic and swords and adventure, monsters, pirates, duels, and all that. Since it's on the Nintendo DS, and is portable, I can literally play it anywhere I want.

Well, this past Saturday night, I was packing for a four-day vacation to Savannah, Georgia. Savannah is an amazing place that has it all - an amazing historical city, a wonderful beach, lots of neat places, and all that. It's a five-hour drive from here to there, and luckily, I didn't have to drive. I was going with my mom and dad, and dad was driving, so I got to hang out in the back seat and just enjoy the scenery.

So, I wanted to bring my Nintendo DS and Final Fantasy III - one of the best games I own for the system. So, while I was packing, I began looking for it.

And looking for it.

And looking for it.

AND LOOKING FOR IT.

For hours, literally HOURS, I was looking for it. I ended up gutting both of my rooms, cleaning out both of my closets, and deep cleaning every corner of every place I've been in the past three month trying to find this video game. I spent all afternoon and well into the night looking for that game. At about 1:30 am, after having looking from about 2pm that afternoon (almost 12 hours), I had not found it. I was about to go crazy.

So, I decided to pray about it. Normally, I do not like to pray about petty things like that. Like, 'Lord, please let me get to my movie on time' or 'God, please don't let the internet die - I have things to do!' I never like to pray like that, because I don't find it very respectful to the God of Creation to treat him like a vending machine. But I was pretty desperate. I was on the last stretch of my sanity. All for... a video game. (That I didn't even pay for - it was a gift.)

So, I prayed. I said, 'God, please... I'm at my wits end. I just want to enjoy the car ride down to Savannah tomorrow. Please let me find this game.' So, after that, I began looking again, knowing God would come through for me.

He didn't.

At least, not in the way I expected.

It was about 2am when I gave up the search. I plopped down on my bed thinking of the wasted day of cleaning and searching and hunting for that blasted game. And I even prayed to God, who didn't even help me! I wasn't really angry, just kind of upset.

Then, I think I heard God tell me something. Not audibly, of course, nor did some magic cloud fill my room, nor did I begin speaking gibberish and needed people to interpret my 'prayer language.' Sometimes, we get thoughts that feel so powerful that we know we can't come up with on our own, and I believe these to be actual words from God. He spoke to me in that moment.

"If only you'd look for me like you did that video game."

My response, of course, was. "But I do look for you, Lord. I spend time with you everyday."

"In a ritualistic kind of way - not always because you enjoy it. Image if you lost your Bible. How long would you spend looking for that?"

Ouch. He was right (as He often... er... always is). I had spent so much time and energy looking for, pursuing, something that mattered way too much to me. I spent HALF of a 24-hour day looking for... a video game! It made me wonder... what other things do I spend far too much energy or time on pursuing? I wouldn't say that video games are taking away my time with God (though I know some people who do actually have that problem), but I was thinking...

What things in my life am I pursuing harder that God?

Friendships? Sometimes, when I have a scuff with a friend (happening a lot lately), or just wanted to connect on a fellowship-like level with people, that I put a lot of energy and time into pursuing those relationships.

School? I spent $1000 and 360 hours of my life in the past six months pursuing, chasing, a degree in an undeclared major. I put so much energy and time and effort into making sure that I got that all-powerful 'A' on my grades.

My hobbies/career? I spend a lot of time watching movies, playing games (like I mentioned), making movies, writing and reading... and I spend a lot of time learning and practicing and enjoying things like that. Time. Lots of time.

Are any of those things bad? No! NONE of those things are bad. Friends, school, a career, hobbies - all of those things are good and are great gifts from God... but the question remains.

What are we chasing, pursuing, looking for... more than God? Are we willing to spend half a day looking HARD for a DS game... when we're reluctant to spend 30 minutes reading our Bible? Are we willing to spend three or four of our paychecks on a new LED television... when we're reluctant to tithe a tiny 10% at church? Do we talk on our cell phones or Skype or AIM... more than we talk to God?

Ask God. Ask Him, "God - is there something in my life that is taking the place of you?" If that's not the case, ask Him, like I did, "God, what can I do to pursue you more... more completely? More often? More thoroughly?" It's a dangerous prayer to pray, and pretty uncomfortable when He... actually answers. Then, we don't have any excuses.

So, try it. Ask God. He wants you to be closer to Him, but even more so, He WANTS you to WANT to be closer to Him! His word says...

"The Lord is close to ALL who call on Him; yes - to ALL who call on Him in truth." (Psalm 145:18)

He will come closer to those who actually call on Him - who WANT him to come closer, and those who abide in Truth - God's word.

So, ask Him today. Ask Him how you can become closer to Him.

By the way, I never found that game. I ended up learning a valuable lesson and sleeping all the way down there anyway, hah.

Thanks for Reading!
-Matt

Better Without You and Better than You

First off, maybe this is just a 'Matt' thing. I actually don't know if a lot of other people think about this, and if you don't, I'm sorry in advance. Allow to talk about myself for a few paragraphs.

One feeling that seems to rear its ugly head every so often with me is a feeling of insuperiority. Actually, that sounds wrong. That makes it sound like I'm whining when someone is better than me. That's not it at all, really. It's more of a feeling of 'You try so hard... and yet, you can't accomplish what you try... and here's someone else who can.'

I've talked about about lies of the Enemy to degrade ourselves to make us think the worst about ourselves, but this one is tricky. I'm not saying this one is not common, but it's easy to misunderstand by ourselves (and others) as selfishness. Here's a good example.

There's an amazing scene in the newest Harry Potter film, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One' where Ron Weasly and Harry Potter are standing, together, preparing to destroy the Horcrux. If you don't follow the series, you're probably like 'What.' but that's that's okay. The Horcrux is basically the soul of their greatest Enemy, which they are basically battling for seven movies now. Sound familiar?

There they stand with the sword promised to be able to combat the Horcrux, and to destroy it, they must expose it (The allegory is unmistakable). They open the locket, and a flood of darkness and shadow encircle Ron and Harry.

(Note: this is an illegal video someone recorded in the theater, and the title of the video... might detour you from watching it, but it's the scene I'm talking about. Listen to the dialog.')

Wow, huh? How often have we heard the same lie? 'You are nothing... compared to him?'

Voldemort (the Enemy, in our case) uses the same tricks to get us to believe the worst. Poor Ron is attacked over and over again in this scene: "Least loved by your mother who craved a daughter..." "Least loved by the girl who prefers your friend..." Ouch. Voldemort, are you sure you're not talking to me, Matt Walker? It goes on.

A vision appears before Ron. His best friend... saying something that kills him inside. "We were better without you. Happier without you..." Then, Hermione speaks. "Who could even LIKE you..." "What are you... compared to [Harry?]" "What woman would take you... you are nothing..." Yikes.

Seem familiar? Have we not all had the same attacks laid against us before? Have we not all been through exactly what Ron is dealing with in that scene right there? The Enemy telling us things that we know aren't true... but that seem more true than anything else?

"Your friends are happier without you." "Your not at all what your parents wanted." "What woman/man could ever love you?" "So-n-no is superior; why do you even try?" "You are unlovable." "You are nothing."

I know, personally, I deal with at least half of those on a daily basis. The Enemy has a way of digging into the quietest openings in our heart, and despite the Proverbs urging us to 'guard them above all else,' (Proverbs 4:23), he finds a way in. He exploits our weaknesses. He plants thoughts and ideas that turn on us, and eat us alive. Our most clever Enemy knows our heart better than we do it seems... and he knows how to destroy it.

What do we do? How do we stop it? All these lies feel so true. You know they do to Ron Weasly. You know they hurt him deeper than anything. What on earth does he do now? What on earth do We do now?

We have to destroy it.

Like Harry in that scene, we have our friends and people that love us shouting 'It's lying!' or 'Kill it!' but what about when they don't? What about when they let it happen? What if they don't even seem to realize it's happening? What if it seems they don't care?

"Though an army might encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war may rise against me, in [God] I will be confident." (Psalm 27:3)

God is willing to fight with and for you. When the Enemy comes and begins his attack, God is on your side. He wants you to know the truth. He wants you to know your worth. He wants you to know the plans he has for you are for good, a hope and a future; not disaster. (Jeremiah 29:11). He wants you to know that YOU are here because YOU are the best person God could think of, in all of eternity, to do what the work he has planned. Isn't that something? Not only that, but to God, you and the plans he had for you were important enough to die for, before you even knew Him.

Nothing is better without you. Nothing is better than you. God doesn't think so; don't think so yourself. You would not exist had God not said 'They are worth it.'

You are worth it!

How, then, do we fight the Enemy? We attack back. With our own swords (Hebrews 4:12), like Ron did. We attack back.

And we will always be victorious.

New Jars of Clay Album - 'The Shelter' - Review

"Ar Scáth a Chéile a Mhaireas na Daoine."
"In the shelter of each other, the people live."

Jars of Clay is one of the older Christian rock/pop bands, and are extremely gifted songwriters and performers, loving and active humanitarians, and humble, talented Christians who have been entertaining, moving, and loving on people for over a decade. Yesterday, they released their eleventh studio album, called 'The Shelter.'

After pre-ordering the album, I got it in the mail today, and I was absolutely blown away by this album that I had ridiculously high expectations for. The pure artistry and work that went into this album must be beyond measure.

"'The Shelter,' Dan Haseltine of the band explains, "is a record about community, and how we get to be Jesus for each other. A shelter is refuge from a storm. It is peace in the midst of chaos. Something that cools our fear when we are afraid. I think what I like about the image of a shelter is that it is not something that is apart from the storm, but is something that is placed IN the storm, and yet it is something that keeps us from harm's way, but it's not so far away that we lose sight of it."

The theme of 'The Shelter' is, without a doubt, community. Friendship. Fellowship. Christians coming together, loving one another, and being/living like Jesus for one another and the entire world. This album came at an extremely important time in my life where I've got that very theme on my heart constantly. About isolating myself. About not feeling loved. About giving up. About not having a group friends, a family, or a community I feel I can belong to. All of this is completely ridiculous, though. I know, in my heart, I have all those things, but we have an Enemy that has made it his job to destroy every relationship we, as Christians, have. 'The Shelter' is a battlecry against that. A hymn against isolation. Sadness. Lonliness. A message of hope, love, friendship, and God's grace played out through 11 expertly crafted tracks.

Jars of Clay is not alone on this album, either. To go with the theme of community, Several artists have added their song-writing and musical abilities to the band's own this time. What had the potential to be a cheesy collab of standard Christian fare is everything but that. With Jars of Clay, you have Brandon Heath, Thad Cockrell, Audrey Assad, Gungor, Mac Powell from Third Day, Derek Webb from Caedmon's Call, Burlap to Cahmere, Sixpence None the Richer, TobyMac, Mike Donehey from Tenth Avenue North, David Crowder, Amy Grant, and more that I can't even remember. Wow. That's a lot of folks. Still, this is Jars of Clay's album, and these artists just add to that instead of making it a mishmash of songs and styles.

The album begins with the extremely poignant track 'Small Rebellions.' The opening lyrics set up the entire album beautifully. "God of the break and shattered... hearts, in every form still matter. In our weakness, let us see, that alone we'll never be lifting any burdens off our shoulders...." It sets up the whole idea of a community, and that it's not going to come easy. The chorus makes that clear with it's words. "If our days could be filled with small rebellions... senseless, brutal acts of kindness from us all... If we stand between the fear and firm foundation... push against the current and the fall... We will never walk alone again..."

The next track picks up with 'Call My Name.' It's all about one of the simplest Christian principals, in yet, it's the one all of us struggle with on a daily basis. Being called by God to do something extraordinary. Have purpose in our lives. Jars of Clay has already hit two very important topics in Christianity, and we're only two songs in.

'We Will Follow,' track #3, is like a direct response to track #2. If 'Call My Name' says 'God has a plan for you,' 'We Will Follow' says '...and we're going to follow it!" It's an incredibly happy and hopeful song that has a very simple chorus, but I've already found myself singing it over and over again. "Where you lead us, we will follow..." A little bit of their Nashville roots come out with some epic violin, too.

The next track, 'Eyes Wide Open,' features the voice of Dan Haseltine, but then the instantly recognizable voice of Mac Powell from Third Day. It's a song simply out asking God to keep our eyes open to where he's working. Keep our eyes open to where we can show love. Keep our eyes open to how He can shine his light through us, which should be our prayers daily.

I'm going to skip the title track for now.

'Out of My Hands' is a song about surrendering to God, first, foremost, and obviously. This is a topic Jars of Clay has touched on several times in past albums, but this song perhaps personifies it the best. It speaks of all God has done for us, which is more than we can imagine.

'No Greater Love' is a song about the power of sacrifice. It has, perhaps, a double-meaning. Like John 15:13 says, "There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." There is no greater love than bearing a burden, taking some of the pain, sacrificing for a friend. The other meaning being the same thing, only in the context of what Christ did on the cross. The question features the prayer 'Show me the beauty of a life laid down...' Powerful stuff.

'Run in the Night' is based on my favorite Psalm in the Bible - Psalm 27. It follows closely to the teachings of that chapter, and begins slow and contemplative, but near the end becomes a redemptive piece of love and perfection.

Track #9, 'Lay it Down,' is perhaps my favorite track on the entire album. It speaks of exactly what I've been dealing with for some time now. The senseless, counter-productive attitude of 'isolation will help me.' The song touches on the idea that if you are a Christian, you are a part of the most loving, understanding, welcoming, warm family conceivable. You have a father in heaven you adores you. You have brothers and sisters all over the world that belong to the same father you do, and there's deep connection in that. "We'll never be short on people," they sing, "but we'll never be short on trouble." The hard times always come along. The Enemy always attacks again. The chorus begs the question, "Why carry on our own?" they ask "Why drag this bag of bones to Hell and back again? Look around -" they say. "Lay it down." God puts people in our lives to love us, to build us up, to support and encourage us. We should absolutely allow them in and let them do so, as we are to do the same for them.

'Love Will Find Us' has a message that can be summed up in the chorus. "Run to these arms, be not alone;

Light is leading, love will find us all..." Beautiful.

Now, we'll go back to the title track, then touch on 'Benediction,' the closing track. The title track, 'The Shelter,' sums up the message of the Church in a beautiful way. Now, I did not say it sums up Christianity - it talks about us as Christians, and our roles in that. "To all who are looking down," to song speaks, "holding on to hearts still wounding... for those who've yet to find it: the places near where love is moving... cast off the robes you're wearing, set aside the names you've been given... may this place of rest in the fold of you journey bind you to hope." The idea that we, as Christians, are to be there for each other as the Church. Fellowship. To build each other up. To pray with and for one another. To help out in crisis. To comfort in despair. "God has given us each other..." the song says. In our hearts, hopefully, we have a group of friends or a family we know those words ring true about. I certainly know who God has given me for the purposes of this song. I feel their love and warmth whenever I hear this song. The chorus features the words of the old Irish proverb quoted at the top 'In the shelter of each other, we will live."

And then, in the end, there's 'Benediction.' It's a simple, quite song that basically says 'Now that you have the love of God, the strength of others, and the hope of life, go and spread the word.' Tell the world he loves you.

This album is an amazing collection of talent, meaning, and music that shines even above Jars of Clay's last album, 'The Long Fall Back to Earth.' I have already been blessed with the message and love of this album. It's an absolute must have for anyone.

Small Rebellions - 8/10

Call My Name - 9/10

We Will Follow - 10/10

Eyes Wide Open - 7/10

Shelter - 10/10

Out of My Hands - 8/10

No Greater Love - 8/10

Run in the Night - 7/10

Lay it Down - 10/10

Love Will Find Us - 7/10

Benediction - 9/10

Album as a Whole - 9/10

Highly Recommended.

Kingdom Hearts and Jesus

"They'll come at you out of nowhere. The Heartless have great fear of [you]... That's why they'll keep coming after you no matter what." -Leon, Kingdom Hearts

A young boy, barely a teenager, sits on the beach he's known his whole life, and stares out at the ocean as the sun slowly sets. Near his closest friends, he says to them this. "It's just... I've always wondered why we're here on this island. Why did I end up here? And suppose there [is more]... [we are] just a little piece of something much greater. So we could have just as easily ended up somewhere else, right?" Sora, the boy, is questioning his destiny. Why am I here? What is my purpose? Isn't there more?

One night, he begins to learn it.

Awakened, he comes face to face with darkness itself. It looks uncomfortably like himself. He tries to fight it, but fails miserably on his own, and sees just how sinister darkness can be, but he also, by divine providence, is given a weapon. A blade, but not only that. A blade used for fighting evil, and unlocking the Hearts of people. The darkness separates Sora from his friends - especially the girl it seems he loves, named Kairi.

What follows in an extremely thrilling, epic, creative and hilarious adventure video game that takes both elements from the popular video game series 'Final Fantasy' and mixes it with the nostalgia and legacy of decades of popular characters and worlds from Disney films. I know I do posts like this quite often - finding spiritual significance in pop culture - but I really thought some things in Kingdom Hearts was profound enough to share with you all.

The game came out in 2002, and I got it about 2005, and just now completed it. The story is marvelous, and it's extremely fun to play, but it seems, especially near the end, there's a lot deeper meaning and spiritual themes coming into play.

First, we have the Enemy. Spoilers follow.

The Enemy, Ansem, sees every person, every being, every man, woman, child, as being inherently evil. He believes, thrives, and plants darkness in people's hearts... so much so, that they begin to loose their heart completely. Oooh, boy - see where I'm going?

They become The Heartless - a creature that shows no emotions, that is void of all love and life; all because of the darkness once deep has been exposed. Ansem thrives on darkness - his power depends completely on the Heartless, for without hearts, they are manipulable and controllable. Those who still have their hearts, he seeks to implant darkness and seize their heart.

Sora, though, has been given a mission. He's been given the Keyblade - a sword said to unlock people's hearts, and destroy darkness itself. With it, he embarks on a mission to seal the worlds from darkness with the power that is in his sword.

Near the end, Sora confronts the Enemy who has taken the form of his friend, Riku. At his feet lies the girl Sora has been searching desperately for since they were separated by darkness, Kairi. Riku explains that his power cannot be made full unless this girl, this princess, this bride... has completely lost heart.

"The Keyhole cannot be completed, so long as the last Princess of Heart still sleeps," the Enemy says. As Sora triumphs over the evil, he realizes she still sleeps. In a dramatic and heart-churning scene, Sora willingly and without reservation gives his life to save her.

Watch the cutscene yourself

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But, as the story goes, death could not hold him under. He returns, fully alive, and though the doors are sealed, and the world has almost been saved... he still has an Enemy to destroy...

Sora travels to the End of the World where he meets the King of Darkness himself. Ansem. He is beginning to set things in motion that will completely destroy the hearts of everyone, and darkness will sweep across eternity and all will be his. As he's about to fill himself with the power of Darkness, Sora proclaims the Truth to combat Ansem's lie.

"I know now... without a doubt... that Kingdom Hearts... is Light."

Or, allow me to paraphrase for my own purposes: "I know now, that without a doubt, the key to the heart... the key to the kingdom... is Light."

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

Ansem is defeated. In a beautiful cutscene, we see Sora promise Kairi, his girl, his Bride, that nothing can ever truly separate them. As the music plays, and the light of the Hearts are returned to the people, new life sweeps across the land, and everything is made new again. The Kingdom, literally, is restored, and the Bride is safe, thanks to the one who is Light. The Enemy vanquished, friends reunited, and the Hearts are set free. Wow.

Now, okay, to be fair, I have not played the sequel, though I will be soon. Chances are significant that any sort of plot device that is in the sequel could very well shatter the spiritual significance I've found in the first game, but just for a moment, feel the story the game is telling. I got pretty specific, but the overall message of Kingdom Hearts seems to be "The Heart is being attacked by darkness... the only thing to save and restore it is with the Light.'

Just as Sora has an enemy trying to steal the hearts of people and use the power of darkness to gain power, so do we. Our very real Enemy, Satan himself, has the same motivations. He wants to cripple and destroy your heart. Why? The same reason Ansem wanted Sora stopped - he wanted to stop him. If our hearts are set free with the Light, the Enemy fears us, because he knows what we're capable when we realize that 'Kingdom Hearts is, indeed, Light.'

Armed with Keyblades, swords, of our own (Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. - Hebrews 4:12) - the truth, we are to combat the Enemy as well. We must remember the sacrifice Jesus made to set us free, and we must remember how death could not defeat him. We must remember how, in the end, the Light of the World will ultimately triumph over evil once and for all, and the Kingdom will be restored, and everything made new again. It's a powerful truth, and it's ten times more epic than any video game you could ever play.

Remember the story you're in, remember the battle you're fighting. Remember to fight the lie with the Truth of the Light. Don't surrender your Heart to the darkness. You play a far too important role to allow that to happen.

Now if only we had our own Gummi Ships. That would be sweet.

Thanks for Reading,

-Matt

Lord of the Rings and Jesus - The Battle for Helm's Heart

"The dark tide flowed up to the walls from cliff to cliff. Thunder rolled in the valley. Rain came lashing down.

Arrows thick as the rain came whistling over the battlements, and fell clinking and glancing on the stones. Some found a mark. The assault on Helm's Deep had begun but no sound of challenge was heard within; no answering arrows came.

Then the Orcs screamed, waving spear and sword and shooting a cloud if arrows at any that stood revealed upon the battlements; and the men of the Mark amazed looked out, as it seemed to them, upon a great field of dark corn, tosses by a tempest of war, and every ear glinted with barbed light.
Brazen trumpets sounded.. The enemy surged forward... The lightning flashed, and blazoned upon every helm and shield the ghastly hand of Isengard was seen. They reached the summit of the rock; they drove towards the gates..." JRR Tolkien, 'The Two Towers'

Thus begins one of the pivotal battles in the story of 'Lord of the Rings.' The enemy of the free peoples of Middle Earth has forged an army of the foulest and most sinister soldiers imaginable, and they're going for where the people from the city of Edoras had hidden themselves - in the heart of a mountain; a fortress known as Helm's Deep.

What follows is an epic, devastating battle in which the Men of the Mark fight the Orcs of Isengard in arrow-firing, sword clashing, blood-shedding combat. If you've read the novels or seen the movies, you know how big of a deal the Battle for Helm's Deep was. Why did the evil wizard Saruman decide to send his soldiers and minions to attack the free people of Rohan? Why them, and why attack their settlement in the heart of the mountain?

I believe it's because Saruman could not stand, evil and powerful as he was, to be engaged in a war he would ultimately loose. He looked at those people, those free people led by a King, and felt such hatred that he wanted them dead, knowing he had already lost them.

Sounds a lot like our Enemy, doesn't it?

The thief, who comes to steal, kill, and destroy, looks upon the free children of God with such hatred, he does the same thing to us; he attacks us at our Helm's Deep - the heart. The heart, which is the very core to our life. The very thing Christ has set free - the very essence of our being. The good thing God put in us - the core of who we are, and who God is in our lives.

"Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life." - Proverbs 4:23, HCSB

We see in Lord of the Rings that the Rohirrim do just that - mustering up their courage, their strength, and, being led by the King, they attempt to guard their heart - they begin to fight off the Orcs attempting to seize Helm's Deep. Do you ever think of the battle for the heart in the same way? I'm going to capitalize that - it's so truly epic, it deserves it. Do you ever think about the Battle for the Heart in the same way? As the Enemy is ramming into the gates of the hold, they scream and shout as they rain arrows down upon the people and bang their spears and clash their swords. They obviously want to get in there. They want to kill. They want to steal. They want to destroy.

At that point, the people inside open their doors and say 'Come on in!!'

No, I'm kidding. Could you imagine? And yet... that's what so many of us do, don't we? Instead of guarding our hearts, we leave the door unlocked. Heck, sometimes, we let the Enemy in freely, don't we? We will sometimes invite him in. Scary thought, when put in perspective, isn't it? We invite him him by opening the doors and gates to the heart by the things we do, the things we say, the things we watch, read, listen to - the lives we live... like what's inside doesn't matter to us. Well, wait, what exactly is in the Heart?

"Do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?" 1 Corinthians 6:19 HCSB

So.. what?

"Okay - each of us is now the Temple of God, so where, then, is the Holy of Holies? Your heart." -John Eldrege, 'Waking the Dead.'

Think about that. Your heart is the very place where the Holy Spirit dwells - where the Holy Spirit is, if you've put your faith and life in Christ. That's what they mean when they say 'You've got to let Jesus into your heart.' They mean that quite literally. God Himself comes to dwell in you the moment you put your faith in Him. The wonderful counselor makes His home within you, to always be with you. Cool stuff, huh?

Why are we so... lazy... in guarding our hearts, then? Why do we let the Enemy in so freely? What would have happened is the Rohirrim had just flung the gates to Helm's Deep open and said 'We welcome you, Enemy?' I think we don't realize how much of an attack we're under, and even if we did, I think we'd be scared. Makes sense - it's a scary thing fighting the one who wants to steal your happiness, destroy your life, and kill your spirit. The men of Edoras probably felt the same way. Scared. Unable and unwilling to defend the hold.

"So much... death..... what can men do against... such reckless hate?"
Aragorn, the True King speaks to him.
"Ride out with me. Ride out with me and meet them."

Fighting alongside the King, Theoden leads his men into battle with the Orcs of Isengard, and the epic Battle for Helm's Deep begins. "The sun is rising..." Gimli says.

We act like Theoden sometimes, don't we? Scared. Wondering what good fighting will really do in the end. What guarding the fortress, the Heart, will really be for. The King reminds us that the Heart is worth fighting for. He, himself, gave his very life to set it free - why wouldn't we try our hardest to guard the Heart from the enemy?

I believe that the Enemy doesn't have to do much to get into our hearts. He plants a tiny seed, and we water it. He gives us the tiniest bit of pain, or the smallest essence of doubt, and we latch onto it, and we let it grow. By believing his lies, we have let our guard down; we've swung the doors to Helms Deep and wide open and said 'Hey Satan! What are you trying to sell me?' and he comes in, and, literally, all hell breaks loose in our lives.

It is crucial to guard the heart. We are to do it 'above all else.' Why? Because it is the essence of our life, and the very dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

In Lord of the Rings, eventually, the Men of the Mark were able to drive away their attackers. Yes, the Enemy got in for a split second because Rohan let their guard down, but alongside the King, they had their victory. The enemies ran screaming to hide in the forest, Tolkien writes. The same, too, shall happen to our enemies, if we defend, if we guard our Hearts with the help of the King.

"Let this be the hour... we draw swords together!" - Theoden, Lord of the Rings

" Don't assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." - Matthew 10:34 HCSB

"For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints, and marrow..." - Hebrews 4:12 HCSB

Jesus has come to fight for and defend the Hearts of His people. He also says, to us, that the Bible is a sword. What better to defend the temple, the sanctuary, the hold, the castle of the Heart from a reckless, ever-attacking Enemy... than with the Sword of the King?

The enemy is coming. No, scratch that. He's already here. Let this be the hour you draw your sword. The hour is late, and the Enemy is breaking down your door. Trust and follow the King. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the source of life. To arms! CHARGE!

"This is a call to arms; gather soldiers! Time to go to war! This is a battle song; brothers and sisters, it's time to go to war!" - 30 Seconds to Mars, 'A Call to Arms,' - THIS IS WAR Album

Are you ready?

Here they come...

-Matt

Harry Potter and Jesus - Connecting the Dots

Warning: this blog post contains spoilers for Harry Potter, Lost, Narnia, The Princess Bride, Star Wars, Saw, and Lord of the Rings. You've been warned!

This past month at my church, we've been doing a series called Dot 2 Dot - "Connecting the Dots to see the Big Picture." The whole idea behind it all is how God can use seemingly insignificant, tiny things and people as a part of his big picture, working them all together for the story He's trying to tell.

I have loved this series because of that very idea - the tiny, seemingly unimportant things actually being very significant when all is revealed in the end. Don't you love that, too? I think most people, Christian or not, love that aspect of stories, books, movies, television, etc.

How did 'Lost' remain on air for six seasons? After plot twist after plot twist; after turn after turn; after revelation after revelation, we find out little details we learned early on were significant after all. We see the identity of the skeletons in the cave revealed, we find out what the island is, and we find out that Jack Shepherd and the Oceanic Six have a crucial role to play.

How did JK Rowling get professors of literature to read a Scholastic Childern's novel series? After seven whole books in the Harry Potter series, we see that, thousands of pages prior, we learned the secret (knew all along) to the defeat Voldemort, who up until now sent fear to those who dare speak his name. We see that a friend-turned-foe-but-not-really was actually fighting for righteousness all along. We see the secrets of the Hocruxes revealed, and we see that not only Harry, but all his friends and allies had crucial roles to play.

We see it in Narnia, we the Pevensie children stumble into a brand new world - four seemingly unimportant orphans who were to become kings and queens of the realm. We see it in Lord of the Rings' Middle Earth, where Aragorn, a seemingly unimportant and mysterious ranger of the forests and plains surrounding the Shire, is actually revealed to be the heir to the throne of Gondor. Heck, we even see it in the popular horror franchise, 'Saw! (mature content warning on that link)' Despite being overly gruesome, horrifically grotesque, and atrociously vulgar, we see a complex tapestry of brilliant story and plot twists take shape in a world where people hide in fear from evil. It is revealed who his accomplices were. It's revealed who he was working with, and who has carried on his work after his death. It's revealed that a detective who had been working to find the killer since the beginning actually has a crucial role to play. (Just take my word for it... you probably shouldn't see it. ;) )

We see it all around; we see see little dots being connecting in ways we'd never see coming. Why do we love it so much when a tiny forgotten detail turns up to be something important?

Because we long to be that dot.

We all have probably hear Romans 8:28 before. "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Or, as 'The Message' says it, "...we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." Every detail... every seemingly significant detail... every small, little thing... can and will be working into God's story for good, for those who love him. Wow, huh?

Let's look at someone who was seemingly insignificant, but who turned out to save the world from Sin, set captives free, justify the world, and bring about the end of the reign of evil on Earth. Jesus Christ.

In the dead of night, on a chilly night, a virgin girl, not even married yet, but engaged, gave birth to a child. Despite that being a physical impossibility, it happened, quietly, in a barn of all places. A single angel from heaven informed this girl, Mary, who this miracle child would be, and what she should name him. She followed the angel's instruction, and named the little newborn 'Jesus.'

Jesus was raised as a carpenter. A rugged job for the son (or step-son, as it were) of the rugged man who was Mary's husband, Joseph. Carpenters weren't exactly taught the fullness of Jewish law like other, more 'important' children of religious leaders or what-have-you, but Jesus was meek and humble before starting his ministry.

But, eventually, start it he did. And it was a shock to the world.

Some of the things he said, some of the things he taught, the people he criticized, the people he healed, the people he saved from the grave itself spread like wildfire across the area, and later on, literally, across the Earth. Governments feared him. Religious leaders abhorred him. People loved him, but there were some who wanted him dead.

And in the end, they killed him. Or so they had thought.

Which leads us to the plot twist: the Resurrection. The savior is dead, and in his grave. His people grieve as evil sweeps across the land. In JK Rowling's final book in the Harry Potter series, we see Voldemort, the Dark Lord, invoke the dreaded Unforgivable Killing curse, the Avada Kedavra, and kill Harry Potter, as he stands before him, preparing to die without a fight. Then, he, Voldemort, is seen gloating over the body of Harry Potter, who was supposed to be 'The Chosen One;' the one who would save the Wizarding World from the evil one. We see Voldemort displaying the limp body of Harry to his friends and allies, who all recoil in horror as they see his body, before them, dead. He was not dead, though; no, not at all.

When all hope seemed lost, when the end seemed near, when all was about to end, Harry sheds his Invisibility Cloak (a veil or sorts), and is standing, fully alive and standing before the Dark Lord. His allies cheer - 'HE'S ALIVE!' they scream.

Wand in hand, standing in the radiant, shimmering sun rising over Hogwarts castle, it's down to Harry and Voldemort - the climax has arrived.

Maybe it's just the little boy in me, but I love 'Final Showdowns.' Sure, epic wars and big battle scenes are awesome, but there's something about two individuals, locked in combat, that seems to awaken to little warrior in me; the little boy that used to own the plastic lightsaber, the foam sword, and the Nerf gun.

We see Luke engage in lightsaber combat with Vader. We see Frodo and Gollum struggle on the teetering ledge over the fires of Mt. Doom. We see Jack Shepherd and The Man in Black, disguised as John Locke, duke it out on a mountaintop on The Island as a storm wreaks havoc around them. We see King Peter face King Miraz and Aslan, the White Witch. We see Inigo Montoya duel Count Rugen, the man who killed his father. And, as I was talking about a moment ago, we see Harry face Voldemort.

Harry and Voldemort face each other. Voldemort, though still boasting his foolish pride, is actually quaking in fear because he realizes this could very well be the end. With one flick of his wand, he casts, once again, the Avada Kedavra, the Killing Curse, at Harry.

Harry, though, cannot be conquered.

With a flick of his own wand, he casts the Disarming Charm at his enemy, which does more than makes him loose drop with wand. It disarms him for good. The evil one is dead. Hogwarts celebrates their freedom and victory.

Harry Potter. The orphan who started in book one as the little 11 year old boy who lived in a closet under a staircase with his horrible Aunt and Uncle. A person probably can't feel more insignificant than that, can they? Harry was seemingly unimportant, but that's been a recurring word here in this blog post, hasn't it? 'Seemingly.'

He discovers that that little scar on his forehead - that little mark, that little dot - plays a crucial role to the story he's found himself in. He discovers that a prophecy has been made on his behalf, and that he has an absolutely crucial role to play in the destruction of the Evil One and the saving of the world from Death (Eaters...).

I think a lot of us feel like Harry Potter sometimes. Nothing we do could possibly matter. Serving in this small capacity couldn't possibly mean anything in the 'big picture.' Allowing God to use me in this tiny way can't be worth anything.

Oh, but it can!

Never believe you are insignificant. As Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us, God has plans for you. BIG plans. GREAT plans. For Hope, and a 'good future,' the NCV tells us. " I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for." The Message says.

God KNOWS what he's doing! It's up to Him to connect the dots, and he will. It's up to you to remain faithful, to keep your heart, mind, eyes, and ears open to God, so that he can connect your dot to the right dot it needs to be connected to. Trust him - He knows what He's doing.

Thanks for reading!

Mischief Managed,

-Matt

The Legend of YOU - Finding Spiritual Truth in Hyrule

So, there's a little Nintendo 64 game you might have played before. 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.'

Claimed by some to be the greatest video game ever created, 'Ocarina of Time' is the first 3D installment of the popular 'Legend of Zelda' game franchise, and is a massive, huge, epic adventure of mythical proportions. It was an ambitious game - nothing like it had ever been made or even attempted. Many people have many fond memories surrounding this game. As I was sitting here, I started thinking about some of the big picture stuff regarding the game, and, slowly, some very spiritual parallels started forming.

The Kokiri Forest - The Beginning

When you start playing through ‘Ocarina of Time’ for the first time, you see how much fun it is. You begin your journey, and there are little tasks and missions for you to do everywhere. You have little victories here and there, you slay some monsters, and you win some battles. You meet new people, and you do realize you’ve just begun a huge, awesome, epic adventure. Everything feels safe, and you're just starting to learn about the world around you, known as Hyrule

The Adventure and the Evil One

Then, after playing a while, the initial spark and enthusiasm wears off. Your adventure is getting harder and harder, but eh – you can handle it. You also discover that you, who at first appear to be nothing more than a weak child, have a very real, very evil enemy – Gannondorf. They call him the Prince of Evil and the 'Demon Thief.' He want’s you to kill you more than anything – why? He realizes you’ve received a gift from Heaven, the Triforce, and that with it, you have power… and this scares Gannondorf to death. He begins throwing every enemy and obstacle he has at you. Monsters, dungeons, enemies, dark magic – everything he can throw at young link because he fears what he’s capable of. He's ready to fight.

Still, though, Link marches on. It’s getting tougher and tougher, but Link is still fighting. It seems, though, after trekking through temple after temple, you get gets stuck in a rut. Things are getting more and more frustrating, and that initial spark you had when you first started playing is almost gone, if not completely gone. You’re now just going through the motions, trying to get from point A to point B. Things aren’t as magical as they seemed at the beginning.

Then, suddenly, you’re faced with the Water Temple.

The Water Temple

The Water Temple is so freakishly hard and frustrating. There are creatures lurking in every corridor. There are brain-melting puzzles that are almost impossible to solve by yourself. There are twists and turns that leave you, the player, devastated. In fact, the water temple is so tough that… you feel like you could just give up. In fact, a lot of players do. The water temple is tough, and they can’t handle it.

The funny thing is... that’s exactly how Christianity can be.

You start off, when you first become a Christian and you get on fire for God. You have small victories here and there, and you’re just so captivated on this new adventure God has invited you on. You stay on your ‘Jesus High’ for a while - where everything is seen in a new light, and life if abundant and exciting! You start going to church, you meet new people, God blesses you in little ways, and everything’s just awesome. You feel safe in his hands, and you get comfortable.

Then, after a while, you realize ‘Whoa. There’s a world outside the Kokiri Forest. There’s an enemy that hates me – wants me dead – and he’s REAL.’ You see this, and things in your walk with Christ gets more difficult and repetitive. Things get almost boring… dull… repetitive. Yeah, you’re still a Christian, but that magic and wonder you felt when you first became one is gone, and things are getting tough. Really tough. You might be faced with the choice to step outside your comfort zone, and do something new (leave your own Kokiri forest), but you don't want to. It's comfortable where you're at. You're just going through the motions at this point. The magic is... gone.

Then, suddenly, you face your water temple.

That obstacle the Enemy has placed in your path that just seems… unconquerable. Impossible. You’re surrounded by demons that seem undefeatable. You’re surrounded by puzzles, doubts, and questions that just rattle your mind that you feel defenseless to solve. Everything is coming crashing down around you, and you don’t know what to do. You feel like you want to give up. In fact, a lot of people do. The water temples in our life can be tough, and some people can’t handle it.

But I’m here to tell you… don’t lose heart.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." 2 Corinthians 4:16

In Ocarina of Time, when you’re faced with the water temple, the temple you feel you cannot possibly solve on your own, there is something that can help you. There is a book, and it’s called the holy… Nintendo Player’s Guide. (Hahahaha)

The Guide

The Nintendo Player’s Guide is a book written by the Creator of the game itself (Nintendo) and is filled with advice, information, maps, encouragement, and is a guide made especially for the players to get them through the tough spots.

I’m sure you can see the parallel I’m painting, but I’ll state the obvious and say this: the Bible is the guide for us as Christians.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:105

It shows us where to go, and it tells us what to do in our time of trouble. It is our map when we’re lost – it’s God’s love letter and gift to mankind so we always know what to do. When we face our water temples, the Bible is always there to tell us what to do. That’s why it’s so crucial to spend time with God and spend time in his Word daily.

In Zelda, though, even with the guide, it’s still a fight. But now that you know what to do, you only have to follow the guide, and eventually, you beat the Water Temple. You move onto the Shadow Temple, and beat that, too. You go to the Spirit Temple, and conquer that as well. You make it to the end, and you’re standing face to face with the enemy himself, who wants you DEAD because of the power given to you by the Almighty.

In Christianity, with your guide (the Bible, and God is our guide as well), you can beat your water temples. You can conquer them, and you can be victorious. You could try and beat the water temple by yourself, sure, but it’s hard, and you don’t have the strength or understanding to beat it.

That’s why we…

‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.’ Proverbs 3:5-6

So, you defeat the Water temple, the Shadow temple, the Spirit temple, and in the end, there’s the final Showdown. But don't be afraid. Go ahead; read the back of the book. God wins. And so does everyone on his team, fighting for him.

In Zelda, it’s the power of the Triforce (which is interesting – our God exists as the Trinity), that ultimately defeats the wicked Gannondorf once and for all. Link sees the ending. It’s a beautiful world once again. It begins with a massive party featuring all the tribes of the world celebrating the defeat of the evil one. The kingdom of Hyrule is restored, finally, once again. There is no more darkness, no more pain, and no more evil. All is well.

The super amazing, wonderful news is that is what awaits the life of a Christian as well. In the end, the evil one is defeated. The kingdom is restored! And it all begins with a massive party – ‘the wedding feast of the lamb,’ as Revelation calls it. We’re reunited with our savior once more, and all is made right once more. Beauty is restored.

Think back to when you first beat Ocarina of Time, and you saw Gannondorf killed and sealed away, and that party play out on screen as the music played and the credits rolled. Remember how happy you were? That same feeling, that same victory, is made available to you, only amplified infinitely higher than the feeling of beating some old video game. YOU can be a part of that wedding feast.

'And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”' Revelation 19:9

All you have to do is keep following him. Stay in his word – do not lose heart! The end is coming, and when it’s all finished, because you didn’t give up, the Lord Jesus will look at you and say ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’ and you will be welcomed in and… the party can begin.

Don’t give up! The 'Water Temples' in life seem huge and undefeatable, but you’ve been given a sword and a mission. With your Guide guiding you, you can fight and win this war. In the end, it’s all worth it.

So, thanks for reading my extremely nerdy, but, I think, spiritually meaningful post regarding the spiritual truths there are in 'Ocarina of Time.' Now, excuse me. My Nintendo 64 is calling.

-Matt