As Nick and I watched TMNT yesterday, (an average kid movie with a couple of laughs), I realized something existential as the movie progressed.

The 4 Super Turtles- Michaelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael- were truly never in any danger whatsoever. There was no “real” risk of them dying, or really even being “hurt” too much at all. Bullet proof, self healing, mutagenic reptiles of good, much less Ninjas of dexterity.

In 2 of the final scenes, one with a super elongated slide/fall down an icy mountain with a cliff at the end in an 18 wheeler, and one a top a skyscraper in NYC, with all the flipping and falling and jumping and crashing, there was no doubt, not even a fleeting tiny temporary thought that any of these lovable teenage turtles would actually be hurt, much less killed. Not possible.

It really dulled “life” it seemed. Now… I can’t take this too far, like to the Garden nor to Heaven, where there was nor will be death or pain or tears.

Yet, in this life,… the saving of the city, the girl, the Sensei rat Splinter – really lacked a strong “saving”… like say in the movie “Saving Private Ryan”. It made me really contemplate- without the real ability to be lost – or die – then saving seemed dulled, maybe redefined, or totally deconstructed completely,.?!

If you can jump from the Golden Gate Bridge with no bungee and be ok… is there truly a sensation of falling, are counseling phones needed every 100ft?
If a fireman can save a cat from a tree… that wouldn’t truly die, is he really just wasting good card playing time by showing up to “save”?
If a band of soldiers risks everything, for a mother of 5 who has lost 4, but one still remains… somewhere out there… isn’t it much more of an actual “saving” when he is found though Captain John Miller is “lost”?

It makes me contemplate whether the risk of love and freedom and life and happiness is worth it here in this real world – with all the hate and enslavement and death and suffering – but without the later – how much of the former would there be?

Hmmmm, and it took a silly movie about Turtles for me to contemplate Kierkegaard’s thoughts and existentialism and a Savior again.

Whatever my thoughts on the movie and this existence… here I am… here I sit… in this reality that I am forced to confront, like it or not,… and I see the lost… and I’m thrilled there is One who seeks to find them!

Praise God to be found!

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Mormon asks- “Do you think I’m going to hell?”

August 8, 2014 admin Leave a comment

I ate lunch with a friend today… and he said he was with a Mormon friend, and the Mormon asked him “Do you think I’m going to hell?”

Wow!
Let’s put it right out there on the table! I appreciate that. I wish we all talked more seriously, and then respected each’s opinions.
Anyway… my friend is doing a good job answering him, looking up some more stuff for the next time, etc.

But it had me thinking. Ok. So I’ll let God be God, but I’d turn around and ask the Mormon to respond to some thought provoking questions, and consider if what he believes, and what a Christian believes, are the same.

1) Are Jesus and Lucifer really brothers? Did Jesus come up with the better plan on how to start and save the world, so YHWH chose Jesus’ plan?

2) Was YHWH really a man like me a long time ago… who progressed to be the God of his own Universe (ours)?

3) Can I really be a god myself one day… if I live the righteous life?

4) Will Joseph Smith judge with Jesus Christ?

5) Will I also decide if my wife makes it to heaven?

6) Is Jesus really Moroni the angel?

7) Then… if the first 2 Testaments, Old and New, reveal all contrary answers to the Mormon’s answers to the above… do you and I really believe in the same God?

I had a couple Mormon Elders visit my house. One was very sincere, the other one not so much. I asked them… so here you are, working hard, I commend you for that, but… What do you want from me? What do you want from this visit if I never see you again?
They struggled for an answer. Really struggled.
Finally… they conjured up an answer, only cause I forced it, of their hopes that I’d maybe let another Elder come… or that I’d come to their Church.
I then requested if I could share with them what I would want if I was going door to door, or actually, what I did truly want from them right there in my den. They said I could share.
And I very simply, clearly, shortly, presented the Good News of Jesus to them… requesting their conversion and salvation on the spot.
It didn’t happen.
It made me sad… all the work they were doing… and they didn’t even know what the end goal really was. They were just out slugging it door to door, getting rejected and blasted, riding bicycles, … for 2 years… to try to earn their approval with God. Dang.

So… I was just thinking about it.

God I love Mormons… and I know You do… help me to understand them… and be used to draw them closer to You!

In Christ,
Mark

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