Essays

These essays are my opinions but they are based on the Bible, the KJV in particular. They include scripture and occasionally news stories.

Movie Review of Fire Down Below

            Fire Down Below is a Stephen Seagall movie about an EPA official investigating a tip of illegal chemical dumping in a small mining Appalachian town. The investigator comes with the disguise that he is doing some good works through the church. He is trying to get their confidence so he can go after the rich man that is doing the dumping. 

            Fire Down Below is not a Christian movie, but I liked it. I saw a contradiction between liking it and how the Bible evaluated it. I asked God. “Why do I like it if it is a bad movie?

            Within a couple of weeks, He answered by showing me that the main character, Jack Taggert appealed, to me like a type of Jesus. This alarmed and made me feel somewhat ashamed, but I knew it was true and immediately started seeing points about the movie that answered to the Bible.

1.      The story starts with Taggert being sent on a mission by the person in charge above him, just as the Father sent the Son on a mission.

2.      Taggert served people in the small, poor, Appalachian town by rebuilding porches, roofs, etc. of individual families, just as Jesus served the people around him.

3.      He does not go on insulting tirades like a lot of modern action heroes do. Jesus did not either.

4.      Taggert fights with six or seven of the bad guy’s flunkies and comes out on top with ease and without a scratch. Normally this irritates me in a movie because it is so unrealistic, but this time I did not mind. It was one the first indicators that made me wonder why I liked the movie when I should not. I now believe the reason is the ability to fight so many without a scratch answers to Jesus’ supernatural power to overcome enemies.

5.      An old man named Cotton admits he called the EPA, but he “didn’t want to tip his hand too soon”. That has been my attitude for years toward allowing God into my life before I was satisfied I could trust Him.

6.      Taggert “ate with publicans and sinners” by befriending a woman who was considered a social outcast.

7.      Taggert helped the woman by buying her groceries she could not afford, and all the honey she produced for income. However he did not show off by doing it in front of her or tell the grocer why he was doing it. Someone described meekness as “strength under control”. We know this description is true of Jesus. This scene came after the fight seen, showing both his strength and humility.

8.      After a little research, Taggert figures out why the woman is afraid of her brother. Taggert confronts the brother about molesting the woman, murdering the father, and blaming his sister. The brother neither admits nor denies it. This answers to Jesus’ supernatural ability to know the thoughts of the Pharisees.

9.      The bad guy tries to get Taggert legally. Taggert tells the sheriff, “I can arrest you as easily as you can arrest me.” Then he fights off a half dozen deputies, holds one at gunpoint, and asks the sheriff whether he will leave him alone or have 300 EPA agents investigating the town. The sheriff backs down. This answers to Pharisees attempting to trap Jesus in a religious argument. Jesus finally asks the Pharisee, “If the Messiah is David’s son, how can it be that the son makes David’s enemies his footstool?” The Pharisees cannot answer and the sheriff had trouble answering too.

10.  The bad guy tries to bribe Taggert, just like Satan tried to bribe Jesus with the kingdoms of the world.

11.  The bad guy puts a contract out on Taggert. Taggert is not killed, not even a scratch. The Pharisees tried to kill Jesus too, but He supernaturally escaped.

12.  The church is sponsored by the bad guy. Taggert walks in on the service after the contract fails. He confronts the people with the truth about toxic waste being disposed of in their mines. At all times, he continues to show respect for the people of the community and admits to their financial situation which led to the problem.

Jesus never hurt the dignity of the individual more than was required to confront the individual with truth.

13.  The preacher says he will be a witness for Taggert, then dies in an arson fire of the church. This answers to Christians’ persecution when they turn their backs on the world.

14.  The first arrest made is within the EPA department. Judgment will begin at the house of God.

15.  Taggert goes after the bad guy’s wimpy son who is in charge of operations in the town. After fighting off all the body guards, Taggert barely touches the son, who says, “What do you want me to do?” Taggert’s gentleness answers to God’s attitude toward mankind in general, and a broken and contrite heart in particular.

16.  Taggert goes to the heart of the bad guy’s empire to serve papers. After fighting off a few more body guards, he gets to the bad guy. Bad guy pulls a gun, shoots an agent with Taggert. Taggert shoots the gun out of the bad guy’s hand. Bad guy pulls out another gun. Taggert shoots him in the shoulder. Bad guy rubs it in that Taggert did not kill him. Taggert says, “That could be because I’m a bad shot. Or that could be because I wanted you to meet Tyrone.” (Taggert previously described Tyrone as a prison inmate who would introduce him to the “social graces” of life in prison.)

17.  Toxic waste stored in mines is comparable to the heart, and Jesus searching it out.

Some people would say my points make it a good movie. Such people need to be reminded that Jesus’ name was never named except as a cussword, the church was shown as worse than ineffective, and the role of repentance never mentioned.

I can watch the movie, but it no longer holds the fascination for me because I know the truth. The truth is that the hero of the movie is a pseudo-Jesus. I would rather have the real thing.

Once Saved Always Saved

Reasons for believing once saved, always saved

            --Eph 2:8-9 for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves

            It is the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast.

            --John 10:28-29 can’t be plucked out of Jesus’ or Father’s hand

            --Rom 8:35 what all cannot separate us from the love of God

Versus parable and verses that indicate otherwise

            --John 15:6 branches cast off the vine and burned

            --Heb 6:4-8 especially vs 6, if they fall away

            --Matt 18:23-25, especially 34-35 parable of the unforgiving servant

            --Matt 22:12-14 marriage feast and the person cast into outer darkness

Summary        

1.      Believe it would take a willful act on the person’s part to lose salvation.

2.      I believe it is a narrow way. The main value of knowing things are a narrow way is in recognizing our complete need for grace and dependence on God to obey and grow. I figure the narrow way is like scraping off a spoon between your fingers to get every last drop off before washing it.

3.      James 2: 14, 17, 26, 3:10-12  faith without works needs to be tempered with recognizing how far along a Christian is in their spiritual growth at any given moment in time.

4.      1 Sam. 16:7 God looks on the heart

5.      Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God

6.      A missionary told me the only way to be assured of salvation is to stay in the Bible. I have found that to be very true.

If Questions Lead to Interpretation, Why Ask Any?

            “. . . no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” 2 Peter 1:20. “One Lord, one faith, one baptism one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Ephesians 4:5-6. These verses sum up the oneness available through Jesus. The true understanding of any passage will be in harmony with other growing Christians.

            If it is dangerous to ask questions because it leads to wrong understanding, then is not it also dangerous not to know how to deal with questions when they arise? Not dealing with questions is like shoving dirt under the rug: they do not go away; they just get bigger until you stumble over them.

            Ephesians 6:10-18 makes the battle and equipment clear, but omits comments on practice or learning to use the equipment. That practice is why group Bible studies have so much potential. If the teacher asks the right questions, those questions can be used by the student to sniff our areas need settled in his mind.

            Bible study which regularly uses questions have the following advantages:

1.       Learn to know Bible better by researching basis of position

2.      Other Christians’ help

a.       Cite missed passages or other respected authors.

b.      Point out definition or implications from semantics

c.       Better understanding of each person

d.      Will not be pulled farther off track in non-Christian setting

3.       If questions are clearly settled, it will not keep re-surfacing.

4.      Questions imply importance of individual’s opinion, which might remain hidden and unsettled.

5.      Questions reinforce points by actually going through thought processes rather than just storing in memory.

But questions are hard to completely answer at the one person level. To answer correctly, you need a) to personally search scripture, b) pray for Spirit’s guidance, c) hear fellow Christians’ understanding. If any of those elements are missing, so will some of your confidence in the final answer.