Quick Update

Yet another new look adorns the Batcave. This one will probably stick for a long while. (we'll see) To the left, you will find a section called "Sounds From the Batcave". It is actually my YouTube channel feed. I plan to upload samples to it, so you can then have easy access to the sounds coming from the Batcave. Currently, the only song on there is reThink's and my song, "Redeem the Day".

Bridge has laid down vocals for Jeremiah 17. We'll hopefully lay down some others this weekend as Christmas is too quickly approaching. I hope to have a sample of that song within a couple of days. Check out Babione6 for all the latest family blogginess.

R.C.

BTW,
the movie quote was from Ace Ventura, Pet Detective

Obsessed?

Maybe. I like the movie, so I think about it from time to time. Ask my wife about Pride and Prejudice. I've been re-reading my previous post. Man, the movie is good. God has given me a mind for things. I think part of it is discernment in areas that not everybody sees. Sometimes when I read scriptures, things just leap out at me. At first it was quite frightening, but I've developed cat-like reflexes. I can also see things in movies, tv shows, songs, books. Even a dream or two. Allow me to draw from the movie a little more.

WARNING: If you haven't seen The Dark Knight, and would like to, then take caution in reading on; I may spoil a few things for you. Also, if you haven't seen it, and can't get anybody to go with you, buy my ticket and I'm there. I don't know if my wife will let me buy any more.

Not only is the movie great allegory for the fight between good and evil, I can see Batman as a Christ-figure. No, Batman did not, nor does he, die on a cross for our sins. No, he is not God's only son. No, it is not a perfect representation; there is only one of those. I shall now explain:

In the movie, Harvey Dent is seen as Gotham's white knight. He is the new district attorney, and he is taking a stand against corruption and the mob. The mob comes after him. The Joker gets to him. He loses a very dear loved one, half his face, and his mind. He becomes "Two-Face". He ends up killing a few people. Batman inadvertently kills him.

Jim Gordon and Batman are down and almost out. The Joker "took the best of us and tore him down," says Gordon. Batman says the people must never know what Dent did. Batman tells Gordon to say that he (Batman) killed those people. That he can be whatever Gotham needs him to be. In order to sustain the reputation of Gotham's white knight, Gotham's dark knight becomes the "bad guy". Sounding familiar yet?

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." - 2 Corinthians 5:21

Batman basically said to put it all on him. Gordon says they'll have to chase him. Batman says he can handle it. Jesus took on our sin. We chased and crucified him. He handled it. In fact, Gordon's son says, "why's he running, Dad?" "Because we have to chase him." "But he didn't do anything wrong." Gordon then goes into a great little speech about being "the hero Gotham deserves but not the one it needs right now."

Jesus didn't do anything wrong. He is the hero mankind needed and needs. Now and forever. Do we deserve it? No. But that's the gift of grace. Did Dent's reputation deserve being spared. Not necessarily, but the hope of Gotham depended on it. The hope of the world depends on Christ. More than a white or dark knight. He is THE TRUE KING!

Obsessed? Sure. But not with what you think. Just the King and His stories.

Storm's Coming

As I sit to write this morning, a nice little storm system is rolling in from the west. A little thunder, but nothing too severe. We need the rain.

Have you seen The Dark Knight yet? 3 times, here. It's simply the way things have worked out: 1st time with my dad and a few buddies, 2nd time with a couple different buddies including my boss, and 3rd time with my mom, sis, and bro-in-law. Wife hasn't seen it yet, so maybe there's a 4th time in there somewhere - if I can talk her into it.

The movie is that good. It paints a vivid picture of how chaotic and hopeless evil can make the world seem. There just comes a point in the movie when it all seems pointless to go on. Reminds me of our non-movie world. Evil, when left unchecked, can sustain a great level of chaos, anarchy, hopelessness, hate. But neither in the movie, nor in real life, is evil left unchecked.

Batman, Gordon, and Dent, with the help of others, stage an epic "battle for Gotham's soul" against the Joker and others (don't want to spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it yet) in the movie. Jesus Christ won an even bigger battle, the war in fact, for all mankind's soul in our world. IN OUR WORLD.

But as the movie points out, evil doesn't go down without a fight. That would be our enemy. He's lost the war, but he's bound and determined to take down all that he can before he goes. "Some men just like to watch the world burn," says Alfred. So, Satan has unleashed his hounds. The closer we get to Christ's return, the worse it's going to get. "It's always darkest before the dawn." Jesus is on His way back. But... He's not here yet.

So, that leaves the church, the body of believers in this world, as the guardians of culture. Frankly, we've done a poor job. However, "the Holy Ghost would never suffer the imputation to rest upon His holy name that He was unable to convert the world." (Charles Haddon Spurgeon) So, we, like Batman, must stage an epic battle with evil. The good news is, we've already won, and we fight with the power of the Holy Spirit. God equips us for the fight. The daunting news is, this is an everyday battle. Just like the movie seemed ongoing and almost hopeless at times, life can feel that way, too. But, remember the good news. We must fight for our culture. We must redeem this world. It is, after all, the one in which we live.

Satan will continue to put up his fight. But not easily. The Joker was a formidable foe for Batman. We have one, too. And just like the movie, the forces of good were starting to hurt the forces of evil, so they struck back. As we advance the Kingdom of God, the enemy will strike back. He will bring the storm. But we're covered. The storm's coming. I, for one, want to face it head on. Let's roll.