What can you do?

Greetings Warriors and Scholars!

Happy summer! This summer is going by really fast.

Earlier this week my Mom and I continued our viewing of Stargate SG-1. One of the episodes we watched that night was "Maternal Instinct" from season 3. In this episode, they find out that Apophis is back with the army formerly committed to Sokar. He had attacked Chulack in his search for his child, a "harsesis" who has been hidden from him so he does not use the child as a new host and then gain all the knowledge of the Goa'uld. In their search for the child, the team goes to Keb, a spiritual destination for older Jaffa who are done fighting.

Here, they meet a monk and Daniel goes into a long discussion with him about many things. The monk, who never gives us a name, tries to get Daniel to use his mind to do things but is also talking about a "Oma Desala". At first Daniel thinks this is just a phrase for mother nature, but we later find that she is what would later be described as an "ascended being". Daniel realizes that his tricks of controlling small flames and moving things with his mind were not him at all. It was all Oma's doing. She then fights the army for them and takes the child away to safety.

Although there are obvious Buddhist parallels in this story as they use a similar setting and phrases by the monk are similar, there are some significant parallels for us as followers of Jesus as well. Jesus told us about a "Counselor" he would send us. This Counselor is known more commonly as the Holy Spirit. During the Old Testament He often came upon men and women God had called out for very special works but after a day we call Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon all who follow Jesus.

In 1 Corinthians 12 we find a description of what we often call the Gifts of the Spirit. These are abilities God chooses to dispense to us through the Holy Spirit and yes I do think they can be called super powers. We learn a few things here:

• The Holy Spirit gives gifts as he chooses to all who believe.
• The gifts include "miraculous" things such as healing and "mundane" things such as administration.
• All gifts are given for the common good, not for show-boating.
• There is no formula to what gift(s) you get. 

Most importantly, we understand that these gifts all come from the Holy Spirit. If you are unsure about your gifts, I recommend 2 things. First, pray about it. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you your gifts and to empower you to serve. Second, ask other believers who know you what they think your gifts are. There are some online spiritual gifts surveys out there that can be uses as tools to help you discover it, but that is not the first place I would start. 

Daniel did not light a candle with his mind or have any super powers. It was Oma Desala doing that. But in real life the Holy Spirit does make Himself and some gifts available to us as we serve Jesus. What can you do?

The Asgard and the Holy Spirit

Greetings Warriors and Scholars!

I have been watching Stargate SG-1 with my Mom lately. We just started season 3. Now you might remember in Season 2 there was an episode where Col. O'Neill interacted with a "headsucker". From this interaction, a large cache of data was downloaded into his head. He started speaking in Ancient rather than English and it was to much for his head. He would do things he didn't understand and it was overwriting his brain to the point that the doctor feared for his life.

Eventually he used the information in there to create a device that enabled a one-time trip through the stargate to an Asgard planet in another galaxy. The Asgard realized his situation and downloaded the info from his head so it would not endanger his life. In his conversation with them, he learned they had studied Earth and humans. "What did you learn?" he asked. "You have great potential." Eventually, the Asgard, especially Thor, begin a relationship with Earth, and specifically the SGC, that assists and even trains SG-1 and others. We even see an Asgard named Hermiod working on the Tau'ri vessel known as the Daedalus in Stargate Atlantis.

Jesus knew we had great potential. He spent years teaching thousands and even mentoring 12 men. But He wasn't done there. He promised a helper. A comforter. Enter the Holy Spirit.

"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you." John 14:26

Now, the Holy Spirit had been working before this. He had been with various prophets and kings of Israel, such as David and Jeremiah. But this was different. Eventually he came on a day known as Pentecost. This was about 50 days after the Resurrection. If you read through Acts you will find many instances and anecdotes where the Holy Spirit gives guidance and brings hope and healing. But He also oversaw the writing of Scripture, including both Old and New Testaments.

But The Holy Spirit did not stop there. He is available for you and me. When we need wisdom and help dealing with sin. When we don't know what to choose. Listening to him is not something that comes easily for everyone. Just like any other relationship or skill it takes time and development. But Jesus and the Holy Spirit and the Father are available. However: you have to respond.  Here are a few helpful hints:

Don't expect every leading to be comfortable. He will ask you for things outside of your comfort zone. Deal with it.

Recognize that Prayer is a time to listen as well as talk. Often He will prompt you with an idea during prayer. Prayer is more than reciting a list of wants and needs. It is a conversation between you and God.

Expect the Unexpected. I remember watching The Amazing Spiderman 2 in the theater. The end, where a kid steps up in a Spidey costume right before Spiderman arrives, was a teachable moment between me and the Holy Spirit. "See that, when you step out in my name, I'll move." He might speak in other ways as well. It might be through a song or when you are walking your dog.

Character Study: Rey from The Force Awakens

Greetings Warriors and Scholars.

How are you today? Well, by now you have probably seen "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens". I've seen 3 times so far with different people. I am still waiting to work out a time for my Mom and I to go see it. Warning, spoilers ahead.

Found at www.starwars.com

Today I want you to consider Rey. Daisy Ridley has certianly gripped our hearts with her stellar performance of this new character. What can we, as Christians, learn from her story? We find her living a rather difficult lifestyle. Collecting parts from old Imperial ships that were destroyed in some sort of battle years before this to get food from a very untrustworthy fellow. I almost feel like she is a slave.

Jesus once told a story about a good Samaritan who helps an injured Jew that was ignored by religious people, who seemed to have authority, passing by him.  We soon learn that Daisy has the heart of a good Samaritan. She hears the whistles of droid BB8 when another scavenger is trying to take him for parts. Not only does she help him there, but she reluctantly agrees to take him with her for a while and moves on to get him back to the Resistance.

Her experience in the inn run by Mas is quite interesting. She has a vision showing herself on Jakku as a little girl being left behind by someone and sees many other things. Her dream points to quite a legacy and a future, but she is terrified by it. All she wants to do is run back to Jakku as she is convinced her family will come back there for her.

Thus, we have one of the most teachable moments in the film. Mas comes to speak with her. "You won't find fulfillment in the past anymore. Your family is not coming back there and you know it." This moment is about holding on to what is behind us. A similar moment is mentioned in the first verse of the song "Beyond Belief" by Petra:

We're content to pitch our tent when the glory's evident
Seldom do we know the glory came and went
Moving can seem dangerous in this stranger's pilgrimage

Read more: Petra - Beyond Belief Lyrics | MetroLyrics

We have a choice to move or not. If we move, the adventure might be larger than we can possibly imagine. If we stay, it is nice and comfy. Unfortunately, Rey did not get to choose, not at that time. She was captured but that led to it's own moments.

Kylo Ren was interrogating her. He even showed her his face. But, she was much stronger in the Force than many people he had used it on and he did not get much out of her. This was our first notion that she has the Force, aside from the vision. This is the first time she really uses it.

Then she showed more Force ability. She escaped using a Jedi mind trick on none other than James Bond. Yes, that was Daniel Craig in Stormtrooper armor, one of many cameos in the film. Oh, and this troopers designation was JB-007, but back to our story. She reconnects with our heroes and soon ends up meeting Kylo Ren again.

I found it interesting what happens as she fights him in a lightsaber duel. He offers to train her in the Force and then she looks surprised. She had not even realized what she was doing this whole time. Back when she had talked with Mas, she had been told to be calm and open herself up to the Force. This is exactly what she does. She closes her eyes and briefly calms herself...and then she comes back with all the power of the Force. The rest of the fight is amazing, wasn't it? What she could do when she knew it was the Force she was using was spectacular.

Just like the Force, God has given us an amazing gift. His Holy Spirit. That comes with a vast array of powers and abilities. Just read 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. Jesus Himself said we who follow Him would do more amazing things than He did (John 14:12).

Rey does choose to go on to amazing things. In fact, she goes on the mission to find Luke Skywalker. We do not yet know what she will learn from him, but think about finding a man you once thought was a myth, a story. How would that feel? Maybe you feel like Jesus is a myth. Many people think that way. In my experience He is real, powerful, loving and trustworthy. He'll do what is right by you, but not necessarily what you want. Will you go beyond belief?

God's Time and Legacy

One of my newest game purchases was Legacy: Gears of Time. This game is all about time travel and the goal of influencing technology in the past. It is very strategic. In order to effectively run some tech you have to make sure that certain prerequisites are set further in the past. It is a fairly quick game running in 4 rounds of 4 turns per player.

The only luck in this game comes in with the draw. Aside from that it is all about your own decisions. You have to pay for establishing cards with other cards, so it takes a lot of figuring to make it work.

I don't think the Holy Spirit needs luck...but I do think He works in a similar prerequisite standpoint. I think He tries to get certain works done in our lives before doing certain other works. This can be so frustrating for us though. Sometimes we feel like we are stuck and like God is doing nothing while in reality He is doing many things to change us or challenge us.

Take for example the perception of His work in revelation that we call progressive revelation. Essentially this suggests that God revealed certain pieces of His plan and redemption over time depending on when man was ready to hear them. So Jesus said some things. Paul was informed of other things through the Holy Spirit; and other things were established before either of them through the prophets of old like Jeremiah. Between the Old Testament and the New Testament there was about 400 years of waiting. Think about this. 400 years with no prophetic word or written work of God. Imagine the frustration of waiting for the Messiah while various human empires and kingdoms on Earth kept fighting for superiority. It's no wonder that people were confused about the role of the Messiah when He came. Yet He did come; and Romans tells us it was at just the right time.

God stands outside of time. I wonder what it looks like from that perspective. Seeing all of eternity and history from there. He goes and wiggles something in the 10 century BC, fixes something twenty years after this writing, and then plays around in the year of my birth. Is that what it is like? I don't know. But I know He is trustworthy (more so than us players messing with stuff when we play Legacy). I know sometimes He sits with me when life is terrible and walks with me through it; such as when I went through some rejection by women. Other times He changes things; such as when He healed me of a headache when i needed to concentrate on the English classes I was giving tests to in Amman.

I remember times when I only handled certain things well because I had already learned something somewhere else.

God is creating a legacy throughout time. He wants you to be part of this legacy. All you have to do is ask Him to include you and believe in Him. He will challenge you to change some things; yet you will be part of a much larger legacy and a much more amazing one than you can create on your own.