Film Comment: Race With the Devil

Race With the Devil is a low budget 1975 film produced during an era when numerous films were being made about Satanists and Satanism.  The idea (think of Rosemary’s Baby) is that you really don’t know if the nice couple next door are really a nice couple or if, in the dark, they kill and eat babies while worshipping the Dark Lord.

The plot of Race With the Devil: two couples (portrayed by veteran B-movie actors Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit, and Lara Parker) are travelling from Texas to Colorado in their SUV (sport utility vehicle).  While parked overnight in the desert, the four witness a group of nude people ritually murdering a woman.  To complicate matters, the murderers quickly realize that they are being watched and the chase is on.

As the couples run, it becomes increasingly obvious that everyone in the area, including the police, are members of the cult.   Unable to trust anyone, the couples go into survival mode.  The film becomes intense at that point with car chases, gunfights, animal mutilation, and increasingly sinister events.  The couples come to see their SUV as the only safe place and their only means of escape.  From a Christian viewpoint, I think that the SUV can be seen as the people’s attempt to save themselves under their own power.  Many people cling to the belief that they are strong and can handle life on their own with no need for “some God.”  They put their faith in themselves, politics, money, education, their ethnicity, their weapons, tradition, non-Christian works-based religions, or some other vague “spirituality.”

Race With the Devil has over the years generated much internet discussion including this statement at Better Geek Than Never (profanity alert!): 

“I also like how even though they are running away from murderers, and that is absolutely the right thing to do, but our main characters seem to believe that as long as they are in their RV, then they don’t really have to believe anything else that’s going on. Their vehicle is supposed to protect them from all outside influences, including belief systems that don’t fit into their specific worldviews. This conceit is proven wrong time and time again, yet they still cling to it like a life preserver. Sound familiar to anyone? Perhaps in some ways, we all have our own big ass RV that we use to shield us from things we don’t like to look at or think can’t possibly happen.”

About the Satanists.  While there are people who do worship the traditional Devil of the Bible, most modern Satanists would tell you that to do so means to acknowledge the reality of the Christian God, whom they reject. The modern Church of Satan, founded by Anton Szandor LaVey, is really worship of the self as the ultimate deity.  I believe that the modern Satanists are wrong and that the biblical Satan is a very  real being.  Jesus said that he was real.

The good news for spirit-filled Christians is that we have the Mind of Christ.  If, in the name of Christ, we resist the Devil, he will turn and run (James 4:7).

Jesus Hats

JesusHats,com is a site which sells Christian baseball hats and T-shirts.  The idea is that the hats and shirts will cause someone to ask about Jesus.  This can be seen as a subtle form of evangelism; "a witness you can wear."

Whenever I visit a Christian website I always gravitate toward the statement of beliefs to see who the people behind the site are.  Dalen (Dale) Garris, of Waxahachie, Texas is the patriarch of this family-owned business.  I found that I can agree with some of Brother Dalen's beliefs and strongly disagree with some others.  This does not stop me from thinking that Jesus hats are a very good idea.

What They Think of Us: George Carlin

"The only good thing that ever came out of religion was the music," comedian and social critic George Carlin (1937-2008).  Carlin was raised as a Roman Catholic but as an adult was an atheist and harsh critic of religion.

Another Light Bulb Joke

How many Goths does it take to change a light bulb?
None.  Goths embrace the darkness.

Hello, Algeria!

مرحبا، الجزائر! مرحبا بكم في مجموعة من القراء من مئة وسبع دول أخرى الذين يزورون أيضا هذا بلوق.وآمل أن تجد بعض من وظائف مفيدة أو ذات مغزى.
"ترجم هذه الصفحة" أداة مباشرة فوق "عرض صفحة مجموع" عداد لديها القدرة على ترجمة النص الإنكليزي من هذا بلوق مباشرة إلى لغات أخرى عديدة، بما فيها اللغة العربية.

مائة وثمانية بلدان هي: ألبانيا، الجزائر، الأرجنتين، أروبا، أستراليا، النمسا، البحرين، بنغلاديش، بيلاروس،بلجيكا، بليز، البرازيل، بلغاريا، كندا، جزر كايمان، تشيلي، الصين، الجمهورية التشيكية، كولومبيا، الكونغو،كوستاريكا ، كرواتيا، قبرص، جمهورية التشيك، الدنمارك، جمهورية الدومينيكان، إكوادور، مصر،السلفادور، استونيا، إثيوبيا، فنلندا، فرنسا، جورجيا، المانيا، اليونان، هونغ كونغ، هنغاريا، أيسلندا، الهند،اندونيسيا، ايران، العراق، أيرلندا ، اسرائيل، ايطاليا، ساحل العاج، اليابان، الأردن، كمبوتشيا، كينيا،الكويت، لاوس، لاتفيا، لبنان، ليسوتو، ليتوانيا، لوكسمبورغ، مقدونيا، ماليزيا، مالي، مالطا، المكسيك،مولدوفا، المغرب، ميانمار، هولندا، كاليدونيا الجديدة ، نيوزيلندا، نيجيريا، النرويج، باكستان، بنما، باراغواي، بيرو أوكرانيا، الفلبين، بولندا، البرتغال، قطر، رومانيا، روسيا، وسانت كيتس ونيفيس، والمملكة العربية السعودية، السنغال، صربيا، سنغافورة، سلوفاكيا، سلوفينيا، جنوب أفريقيا، وجنوب كوريا، أسبانيا، سري لانكا، السودان، السويد، سويسرا، تايوان، تنزانيا، تايلند، ترينيداد وتوباغو، تونس، تركيا، أوغندا،،الإمارات العربية المتحدة والمملكة المتحدة والولايات المتحدة، فنزويلا، فيتنام، اليمن، زيمبابوي

What Does It Mean?: Wimple

The word "wimple" occurs in the King James Version of the Bible in Isaiah 3:22.  What in the world is a wimple?  The wimple is the cloth linen muffler which nuns in traditional habits wear to cover their necks and breasts.  It winds around the head and the face and loops under the chin.  In medieval times it was a common part of secular female clothing.

The Hebrew word is "maatepheh", "a piece of clothing that covers."  Instead of a neck covering, it was more like a shawl, a garment which could cover the entire body.  It was often used for covering while sleeping.

The English translators of the King James Version of the Bible may not have been entirely sure what to do with this word.

Hello, Bangladesh!

Hello, Bangladesh!  Welcome to the group of readers from one hundred and six other countries who also visit this blog.  I hope you find some of the posts useful or meaningful.

The “Translate This Page” gadget directly above the “Total Pageviews” Counter has the capability of translating the English text of this blog directly into numerous other languages, but sadly, not Bengali.

One hundred and seven countries: Albania, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France,  Georgia, Germany,  Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kampuchea, Kenya, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg,  Macedonian, Malaysia, Mali, Malta,  Mexico,  Moldova,  Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan,  Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Vietnam,  Yemen, Zimbabwe.

Marketing Ministries

Marketing Ministries  is a full service Christian advertising agency which targets churches, Christian ministries, and businesses as customers.  They offer graphic design (logos, signs, posters, banners, etc), web design and support, audio and video production, print services (brochures and catalogs), advertising services, social media strategies, and business consulting.

Ash Wednesday On the Street

Today is Ash Wednesday, observed mainly by the Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran denominations.  A smudged cross of black ashes is drawn on the forehead of the believer as a sign of repentance at the beginning of Lent.

Since 2007, many Episcopalians have participated in a practice begun by Reverend Teresa Danieley in St. Louis, Missouri.   Rev. Danieley decided to offer the ashes to people on the street.  Now over 70 Episcopal parishes in 18 USA states offer ashes to anyone who asks at train stations, street corners, coffee shops, libraries, parks, and other public places.  They say that they view it as an act of evangelism.

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the taking of the ashes is a solemn event which should happen within a church, during a religious service with Scripture, prayer, and calls for repentance.  

Extra-Biblical Evidences of Biblical Persons and/or Events: The Mortuary Temple of Rameses III

The Medinat Habu Mortuary Temple of Pharaoh Rameses III of Egypt is a massive complex 150 meters long.  On its walls are inscriptions praising Rameses and listing his military triumph over the Sea Peoples in a great land and sea battle which occurred about 1191 BC/BCE.  One of the tribes composing the Sea People was the Philistines, who were Israel’s mortal enemies.  They are believed to have originally come from Crete.

The temple site is near Luxor (al-Uxxor) in Egypt.

Mardi Gras

Today is Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday).  The celebration is named for the eating of rich, fatty foods before the fasting of the Lent season beginning on Ash Wednesday.  The idea is of a cycle a feast before a fast.  The celebration is associated especially with Roman Catholicism but many non-Catholics participate.  There are annual celebrations in the following countries; Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States.  In the United States there are major celebrations in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin.

The celebrations include, of course, overeating, but also dances, parades, the wearing of masks, sporting events, and the wearing of costumes.  Sadly, some also bring binge drinking of alcohol, drugs, and promiscuous sexuality into the mix.

Mardi Gras was brought to the future United States by the Lemoyne brothers, Pierre LeMoyne d'Iberville and Jean-Baptise LeMoyne de Bienville.  The brothers were sent by King Louis XIV to claim Louisiana (modern Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana) for France.

The brothers founded several cities along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico: Biloxi, Mississippi in 1699 by Pierre; Mobile, Alabama in 1702 by Jean-Baptiste; and New Orleans, Louisiana in 1718, also by Jean-Baptiste.  Mobile became the capital of New France and today has the longest-celebrated Mardis Gras festival in the United States.

I must confess that I personally do not understand this holiday.
 

Extra-Biblical Evidences of Biblical Persons and/or Events: The Merneptah Stele

The Merneptah Stele is also known as the Israel Stele or the Victory Stele of Merneptah.  A stele (plural: stelae) is an ancient stone or wooden slab put into place for a funeral or as a commerative, usually for the declaration of the deceased's glorious accomplishments.  They were sometimes placed at borders to denote national ownership of a territory.

The Merneptah Stele, dated to about 1205 BC/BCE, declares the glories of the Egyptian pharaoh Merneptah, who ruled from 1213 to 1203 BC/BCE.  The stele lists all the nations conquered by Merneptah, including "Isrir" or "ysri r."  Many believe that this stone, now housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, is the earliest known extrabiblical mention of Israel, though an earlier mention, dating to 1400BC/BCE may have been found in 2012 on a random piece of a statue pedestal which for years lay uncataloged and unexamined in the hundreds of fragments held by the Egyptian Museum in Berlin, Germany.

The Merneptah Stele says "Israel is wasted, bare of seed." (Actually, it literally says, "Israel waste (negative) seed/grain his/its.")

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Why Don't We Understand?

"I went to church and sat on the velvet pew.  I watched as the sun came shining through the stained glass windows.  The minister dressed in a velvet robe opened the golden gilded Bible, marked it with a silk bookmark, and said, "If any man will be my disciple, said Jesus, let him deny himself, take up his cross, sell what he has, give it to the poor, and follow me."  Soren Kierkegaard

Dutch Prince Survives Avalanche

Prince Friso of Orange Nassau (born 1968), a son of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands was almost killed on Friday 17 February 2012 while skiing off marked trails in Austria.  The sport is considered to be especially dangerous because rescue personnel and equipment are not readily available in such areas and, since the areas are not developed, access is very limited.  Prince Friso was caught in an avalanche and was buried under several feet of snow.  He is in critical but stable condition at a hospital in Innsbruck.  The members of the family are Protestant Christians.  Please pray for Prince Friso's recovery.

Eternal Security of the Believer

The funeral of Whitney Elizabeth Houston (1963-2012) was held today and was broadcast online and on numerous television, cable, and satellite channels in the United States.  Whitney Houston was an internationally known singer, actress, music producer, and model who sold more than 170,000,000 musical albums, singles, and videos during her lifetime.  On 11 February 2012, she was found dead in her room at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California (USA).

Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey, the daughter of noted Gospel music singer, Cissy Houston.   She was of African-American, Native American, and Dutch descent and was raised in a Baptist/Pentecostal background.  In her early and teenage years she was a singer in her local Baptist Church.

Her death, at least at first glance, appears to possibly have been the culmination of years of substance abuse.  It also appears that only legal prescription drugs were found in her hotel room.  The official toxicology reports are still pending.   Regardless of the cause of her death, Houston’s life seems to have gone into a downward spiral from which she could not recover.

Whitney Houston’s death brings up troubling questions for those who are members of the ἐκκλησία, the Body of Christ.  Was she, as some claim, truly a Christian?  If she was a Christian, how could she so obviously go into so precipitous a freefall?  Was Whitney ultimately saved despite her questionable final few years?  What does the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer really mean?  Paul was quite adamant that eternal security does not mean that Christians can live in whatever way they wish (Romans 6:1-2).

Dr. Harry Ironside, on 24 April 1934, in Chicago, Illinois, said, 

“When we speak of the eternal security of the believer, what do we mean? We mean that once a poor sinner has been regenerated by the Word and the Spirit of God, once he has received a new life and a new nature and has been made partaker of the divine nature, once he has been justified from every charge before the throne of God, it is absolutely impossible that that man should ever again be a lost soul. Having said that, let me say what we do not mean when we speak of the eternal security of the believer. We do not mean that it necessarily follows that if one professes to be saved, if he comes out to the front in a meeting, shakes the preacher’s hand, and says he accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior, that that person is eternally safe. It does not mean that if one joins a church or makes a profession of faith, is baptized, becomes a communicant, and takes an interest in Christian work, that that person is forever secure. It does not mean that because one manifests certain gifts and exercises these gifts in Christian testimony, that that person is necessarily eternally secure.

“Our Lord Jesus Christ said to the people of His day, as recorded in Matthew 7:21-23: “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? And in Thy name have cast out devils? And in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” Such people then may have been very active in what is called Christian work--they have preached, they have cast out demons, that is, their influence has been such that men and women have found deliverance from satanic power through their ministrations in the name of Jesus, they have professed with their lips, they have accomplished many wonderful works, but they are found in that day among the lost, and when they plead their great activity and their earnestness in Christian testimony, the Lord says to them, “I never knew you.” Notice, He does not say to them, “I used to know you, but you have forfeited My favor and I do not know you any longer.” He says, “I never knew you.” “

Read Dr. Ironside’s full statement here. 

I cannot even pretend to know the answer to the question of Whitney Houston’s eternal fate.  Only she and the Lord know that.  None of us actually know for sure about anyone else, but we have the assurance that we, as Holy Spirit indwelled partakers of the divine nature, can never be separated from the protection and grace of the Lord.

Another discussion of the eternal security of the believer is here . 

Moral Behavior

"Even though morality cannot be legislated, behavior can be regulated.  While the law cannot change the heart, it can certainly restrain the heartless."  Rev. Martin Luther king

A Man Died And Went To Hell

I do not know the origin of this story.
.........................................................

A man died and went to Hell.  As the flames of Hell began to rise around the man, the Devil walked up and said in a menacing voice,"Hello!"  He was surprised that the man showed no fear.

"Why are you not afraid of me, the Prince of Evil?"

"Why would I be afraid of you?  I've been living with your sister for the last twenty-seven years."

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Jeremy Shu-How Lin: (b.1988, California, USA) Professional NBA basketball player.  Lin is the first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese dexcent in the history of the National Basketball Association.

Mahalia Jacson: (b. 1911, Louisiana, USA – d. 1972; aka: Mahala Jackson; Halie Jackson; “the Queen of Gospel”) Gospel Music singer, civil rights activist.  Louisiana Music Hall of Fasme (2008), Gospe; Music Hall of Fame (1978), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1997), Grammy Hall of Fame (1973).  Baptist.

John Ambrose Fleming: (b. 1849, England – d. 1945) Electrical engineer, physicist, photographer, philanthropist, anti-evolutionist.  Fleming invented the first vacuum tube.  Congregationalist.

Catherine of Aragon: (b. 1485, Spain – d. 1536) Youngest daughter of King Ferdinand and his wife, Queen Isabella.  Bethrothed at age three to Arthur, the Prince of Wales (aged two), a son of King Henry VII of England.  After Arthur and Catherine were married in 1501, he died six months later.  She was then betrothed to marry Arthur’s brother, the future King Henry VIII.  She became the first of his six wives.  Roman Catholic.

Pam Bondi: (b. 1965, Florida, USA) In 2010, Pam Bondi was elected as the Attorney General of the State of Florida (USA).

Fix to prior post

I am not sure what happened to the video on the Valentine's Day post (14 February 2012).  The video is now in place again.

Winter Jam

Skillet is headlining the Winter Jam tour of Christian bands.  The Skillet album, Comatose, reached Gold record status in 2009.

In an interview with Mary Colurso, music critic for the Birmingham News newspaper, Skillet founder and lead singer John Cooper says, "I'm passionate about Christian music; I grew up listening to it.  You don't want to be one of those bands who have success and give up on the Christian world.  I love Christian music.  ... I began my career writing what I would call overtly Christian music - songs that I would say only Christians can relate to.  Then I started thinking: There might be a better way to say what I'm going to say, less blatant, more issue-driven.  Every song doesn't have to be based on a Bible verse.  They're more about my world view.  If you play music that people relate to, it gives them hope.  it makes them more open to what you're trying to say.  Some people will hear your music and say, "I'm not into the Christian thing, but they rock, and I respect that."

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Teddy Bear Valentines

There were at least fourteen Christian martyrs named Valentine.  Any or all of them would be dismayed at some of the more crass things which have developed around the holiday named St. Valentine’s Day.

An example is the television commercial posted below.  It is considered by many to be quite cute and witty.  To a Christian eye it is full of phallic symbols, sexually suggestive poses, and a not so subtle pushing of the giant teddy bear’s groin towards a woman. The spoken text is just as suggestive.  The main impression of commenters on You Tube is that it is insulting to women.

Let’s be clear.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Teddy Bears, even giant ones.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with trying to impress your girlfriend or wife.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the current St. Valentine’s Day, a day dedicated to celebrating romance.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with marital sexuality.  It is a gift from God.

What is offensive about this commercial is its leering, manipulative attitude.  Instead of romance, it is promoting a “game” where you win by getting what you want. 

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She Listened to the Lord

Kylie Bisutti won her dream job as a Victoria 's Secret lingerie model in 2009 in a competition with 10,000 other models.  In 2012, she quit the financially lucrative position because she had come under conviction that the lifestyle she was leading was in conflict with her Christianity .  She is still a model, but now it is not in her underwear.   She had become convinced that "My body should be only for my husband and it's just a sacred thing."

After the Cleansing of the Temple

In every well-known Bible passage there are other, sometimes many, insights "hidden in plain sight."  In the incident of Jesus' cleansing the moneychangers from the Temple, there are other things being said.

1. Jesus has the authority to define the proper use of the Temple.
2. Children are welcome into the previously all-adult world.
3. Jesus opened the Kingdom of God to everyone, including the blemished people, the lame and the blind.  This infuriated the religious leaders who insisted that it was blasphemous for blemished persons to enter the Temple.

"And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

 " And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.   And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,   And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?   And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there." Matthew 21:12-17

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,   Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.   For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,   Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,   Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;   No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.   He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.   Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.   And Moses told it unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.  Leviticus 21:16-24