Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Spiritual Application on Smallville

It is the 1oth & final season of Smallville, a television drama about Clark Kent before he became Superman. The character is in his early 20s, so he should be able to fly by now, but I think when the producers decided "no flights, no tights" they didn't realize the show would last 10 years! Nevertheless, I am a loyal fan.

The actor who played Lex Luthor was only on the show for 7 years (he got tired of shaving his head), so for the past few years the writers had to get creative because Lex is Superman's most well-known villain. Now in the final season they are incorporating another Big League villain, Darkseid, the Lord of Apokolips. They are giving it an interesting twist, though. At this point Darkseid draws on the darkness within people & uses them for his evil bidding.

The truth is, all people do have a darkness within--the sin nature. Temptation does not come externally but internally, as we read in James 1:13-15. We all sin because we are sinners. Jesus Christ died to take the punishment for our sin, and He rose from the dead & is alive now to enable those who have trusted Him as Savior to overcome temptation.

Like Darkseid on Smallville, Satan can use the sinful desires within you against you if you let him, but the sin is already in you. If you accept Jesus' sacrifice for your sins you will be forgiven, & once you are forgiven the Holy Spirit will live in you to convict you of sin & enable you to live godly!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

A good boy, but not too bright

I was thinking about Joseph, the son of Jacob, whom we read about in Genesis. We usually remember him for all the hardship he went through & how God used him through it. Remember what happened before his brothers threw him in the pit, though? I don't know if he was being proud, but it kind of seems like it. Even if he wasn't proud--he was just saying it like it is--it probably would have been better for him to keep it to himself. Sure, God used it for the good of His people, Israel, & for His glory, but this is a good example for us today of what not to do.

This reminds me of something Pastor Duane Pease said once: don't say everything you know, & don't feel like you always need to "be right," even if you are right. That would have been good for Joseph to know (I'm sure he learned it as he got older), & it's great advice for us today!