Media Philosophy

I read a Spiderman & Captain America comic book last night (just a short one). I really didn't ever know the story of Captain America - I just remember that I had an action figure because my mom & dad couldn't find me a Spiderman & thought Captain America was close enough... Anyway, he was a soldier in World War 2 who was given a serum to make him a super-soldier, but the formula for the serum was never duplicated & the guy who came up with it died, so Captain America was the only one. After being a hero in World War 2, Captain America was frozen in a glacier in the Artic which held him in suspended animation for about 30 years. Anyway, in the present he was telling Spidey that back during World War 2 it was easier to be a superhero because you knew who the good guys & bad guys were & what you were fighting for, & today it's hard to tell. As "Boris the Butcher" (Russian hitman on The Man Who Knew Too Little) said, "I like being butcher! At least you know who you are killing, & why." There is great philosophy to consider in comic books & movies if you take the time to think about them ... If you can find it, read Batman: Absolution. It doesn't come to the right conclusion (like the movie Pleasantville, but kind of to the opposite extreme), but it's good to think about these things.

"With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility"

This catch phrase was made famous in the Spiderman comics & even more so in the Spiderman movie, & as with most catch phrases, it kind of loses its meaning from overuse in varying contexts (for another instance, "WWJD" doesn't mean as much to us now as when In His Steps by Charles Sheldon was written); but this phrase really means more to us as Christians than anyone! The principle is really from Scripture in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 (among many other places).
I've started reading Isaiah for my devotions recently, & as I was thinking about how Israel was unfaithful to God so many times, it occurred to me that we should remember that they did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit at that time. The Holy Spirit filled certain individuals for a time for special purposes, but not like it is today for the church. The people of God still knew right & wrong & were still responsible for their actions, but they only had the promise of grace which we now have. In the church age (today) everyone who accepts Christ's death on the Cross as the substitutionary payment for his or her sin is immediately indwelt by God's Holy Spirit, who will never leave, therefore receiving the power to overcome sin & do right. Christians today have more power than God's children in the age of Law, so more is expected of us!

Stewardship

We just started a series in church about being good stewards of what God has given us, & seeing "treasure" the way God sees it. Whenever I hear people talking about being a good steward, I tend to think it refers to using stuff well, & I think, "Yeah, I want to make the best use of everything God has given me." But I looked up the word "stewardship", & it means more than that:

stew·ard
–noun 1. a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.
2. a person who has charge of the household of another, buying or obtaining food, directing the servants, etc.
3. an employee who has charge of the table, wine, servants, etc., in a club, restaurant, or the like.
4. a person who attends to the domestic concerns of persons on board a vessel, as in overseeing maids and waiters.
5. an employee on a ship, train, or bus who waits on and is responsible for the comfort of passengers, takes orders for or distributes food, etc.
6. a flight attendant.
7. a person appointed by an organization or group to supervise the affairs of that group at certain functions.
8. U.S. Navy. a petty officer in charge of officer's quarters and mess.
–verb (used with object) 9. to act as steward of; manage.
–verb (used without object) 10. to act or serve as steward.

When you look at it that way, it means everything you have does not belong to you; it belongs to God. If you have a proper relationship with God, that is a freeing feeling!

Needs met

This morning I read Psalm 37:1-6 for my devotions. This is a relatively familiar passage, but the Holy Spirit showed me a new application today: The fact that the Lord gives us the desires of our heart-- that through Him we desire what He wants us to desire-- is a way He meets our needs.
I realized that in my nature I am a literal, factual, & materialistic guy. I never thought I was a materialistic guy because I always saw having a lot of things in a negative light, but even seeing materialism negatively is still being materialistic; in the same way that feeling sorry for yourself is still pride (self-centeredness). God wants me to focus on the spiritual/ eternal, not the material/ earthly.
With this natural mindset, I guess I always limited "needs" to referring to stuff we have to have to live. Today I realized that just as much I need to have peace & a good attitude; thoughts & feelings are just as important as food & air! I appreciate that my wife has always understood this, but this is a new concept for me.

The Purpose of Prayer

I've always known that it's important to pray, & to pray according to God's will--& I have always prayed out of obedience. I have to admit, though, that I didn't quite understand why God commanded us to pray, knowing that He knows what we need better than we do, & also that He will do His will whether we ask Him or not. God is eternal & in control, & He has known exactly what He's going to do in every situation from way before we prayed for it. (I know that it's more complicated than that, because the Old Testament does talk about God changing His mind sometimes, but that's not the point...) I had thought that God wants us to ask Him to meet our needs even though He already knows them because He wants us to acknowledge our dependence on Him, & I think that's part of it. But I heard something John MacArthur said that I hadn't thought of from this perspective before: We pray because that makes us a part of what God does, & when we see an answered prayer we glorify God! I don't think we have the power to change God's mind or move Him to do something He wasn't going to do already-- He doesn't need us to ask Him before He can do what needs to be done-- but He commanded us to pray so that we can recognize that when our needs are met it's from Him, & so we will glorfy Him; that's what He created us for!

Don't just watch something...

I guess blogging isn't just about introducing yourself & keeping folks up to date, but sharing thoughts, & discussion...
Something I've noticed about myself that is different from other people (I guess I used to think everybody was like this, but not everybody...), is that when I watch something on TV or at the movies, it's not just for entertainment. I like to analyze what's going on & see how I might make applications in real life. I like to find out the background of the story, & I love sequels because they tell you what happens next. Sometimes I might take it too far because I do need to pay attention to real people, but with the right balance I think it's good to try to think & learn in everything you do. I will consider more specific applications later...