I recently saw the movie "Jurassic World-Fallen Kingdom" and I have been thinking a lot about the whole idea of mankind trying to bring back the dinosaurs.
I think the "fallen kingdom" in the title is OURS! Our kingdom has fallen and I will explain as the blog rolls along, stay with me!
I also got this sweet tyrannosaurus pendant at a yard sale! I like it because it reminds me of a very important truth that is reflected in the movie. One about the illusion of control and the freedom of the believer in Jesus.
Let's start with today. At this point in history, dinosaurs are just a bunch of bones. We found them buried in the dirt and we have been trying to figure out what happened to them and what they may have looked like with actual muscles, skin and internal organs.
We are guessing at a lot of things because we were not around to take selfies with the brachiosaurs of the Jurassic period, so not much evidence as to what they may have looked like on Instagram.
We just have the bones, scattered around and in a general state of disarray. Something bad happened and they are all gone. It looks like it was quick, so they didn't suffer, that should bring comfort to ancient animal rights activists.
It's not good enough for us to just look at the bones.
We want them back again, so we turn to science.
Science needs money, money comes from rich people, rich people attach an agenda to their money and so research becomes corrupted and the next thing you know, you are running for your life with a patch of your skinny jeans ripped off your butt, wondering why you wanted to post a #dinoselfie in the first place!
It all went wrong, but why? The illusion of control and vice of greed.
Let's connect this with the Bible, specifically to the New Testament, our time, our own Jurassic period you might say!
Christianity finds it's basis in the bible. The scriptures, written over many years by various authors with diverse backgrounds, hang ups and perspectives. All of the writing in the scriptures points to the Messiah, Jesus. For thousands of years, the scriptures provided the "bones". Bones are the structure on which the body is built. Similar to the dinosaurs, none of us were around during the bible events like parting of the Red Sea, feeding the 5000 and the battle between David and Goliath. All epic stories that have been preached about and put into movies with cheesy special effects.
On these "bones" we have built our beliefs and have a pretty good general outline of what it's all about. Just like paleontology, the finer details can be fuzzy and just a guess. Sometimes they can be the subject of all out division among dehydrated, dusty archaeologists.
Christian people fall into the same situation when we disagree over finer details that we are all just guessing on. You can fill in your favorite controversy here, everyone has one. As time marches on, more things written in the bible about future events become clearer and clearer, and truths that were penned in the years before TMZ prove themselves to be reliable again and again.
Here's my main point.
When we think we have a handle on spirituality, God, the Bible, Jesus, faith...etc, that's where we are in for a rude awakening. When we want to take something that is wild and un-tameable and put in a box for OUR OWN purposes, get ready to run, cause it will eat you alive!
Remember the scene in Jurassic Park where the T-Rex was not showing up for the main characters? They were all in two vehicles in front of the paddock but the Rex was a no show. The park then put a goat in the paddock to coax it out of hiding. At this point Dr. Grant says "T-Rex does not want to be fed, it wants to HUNT!"
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| Yummy! |
It's such an important truth to remember! The whole plan of God is meant to be wild and spread over all the earth! It can't be contained and merchandised for entertainment! It's way bigger and more awesome than anything we could dream up! When we think we have God all sorted out, something huge will happen to blow our minds! The Good News of the gospel is not the property of a select few. It's for everybody. It's wild.
Working in Christian radio, I see this a lot! We broadcast songs and messages filled with God's word, it goes out and we don't know who's listening, we have NO CONTROL over who tunes in and when, all we know is what Jesus said, "The seed is The Word of God." We get it out there, it runs wild and instead of causing chaos, like the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, it causes people to have hope and faith!
It's wild!
It breaks loose and chases down those who are on the run!
It's meant to be free!
We need that perspective in our churches, small groups, families and nation!
When we invest in organizations putting out God's Word, that's what's happening!
It's way bigger than us, it's not meant to be caged up, quantified or regulated and it will never be!
