I decided on one more episode to study about the enemy. Why? Because if we forget we have one, we are going to fight the wrong war.
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 6:12
It’s vitally important we don’t forget there is someone unseen who wants our hearts. With this episode, we dive into the origins of the mind and actions of our enemy.
My reading in this episode was from Epic, pages 24-27
Meanwhile, please share below so other can see parts of your story and maybe we can talk on the podcast!
Some of the most engaging — and dangerous — stories I have encountered spent time introducing the villain. I mean with detail and emotional punch. By the time the sequence is over, the viewer or reader almost feels like it will be impossible to defeat this enemy.
As I mention in this episode, the main villain toward the end of phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Thanos. I will never forget watching Avengers: Infinity War the first time. From the beginning, the momentum he gains culminating (spoiler alert) in getting all the of the infinity stones, the whole thing ends and it feels overwhelming as if Thanos can’t lose. Like he’s invincible.
If you slow down and take in the scene, contrasting the two main characters in this part of the story — a woman and a hideous dragon — at first glance and by all appearances, it’s no contest! At least if one only considers pure apparent power.
Arriving at the middle of the chapter, however, and you will notice that God’s people aren’t helpless at all. The apparently vulnerable aren’t. In fact “they conquered” or “they overcame” is the past tense of the future fulfilled found in letters to the churches found in chapters 2 and 3. I will spend more time on this in a future episode.
I recently listened to this message by a great teacher, Ty Gibson, entitle “A Personality Profile of Lucifer” that captures well what I am trying to say in this and the next episode check it out!
Meanwhile, please share below so other can see parts of your story and maybe we can talk on the podcast!
Before this photo I may have heard, "She's so cute!" because my hair was much longer back in the 70s.
All stories must have a beginning. This episode is mine.
Read Revelation, get to chapter 12 and you will notice a shift. In the middle of the book, this chapter is the reader’s glimpse into the larger story. It’s both an origin story and preview to the end of time. It begins to orient us to know where evil came from and how evil will end.
Here are some resources I mention in the podcast, including some for my biblical research:
Wild at Heart by John Eldredge, which I cannot recommend enough.
Facebook Commentary on Revelation 12 by Jon Paulien, PhD. – this a collected set of notes in PDF format with other chapters he’s worked on linked here at his website.
Meanwhile, please share below so others can see parts of your story, and maybe we can talk on the podcast!
I believe every one of us loves a good story. And it doesn’t matter where and when someone has lived, story impacts all of us. And there’s a reason why. The story of our earth and humanity has its roots in purity and goodness. But today (obviously) our world is quite the opposite.
Every story has a basic structure and only gets more complicated and dynamic. I have Donald Miller to thank for this, from a blog post he did many years ago now — I do not believe it’s available anymore. But in that blog he shared a simple structure of story that keeps the listener/reader/watcher engaged from beginning to end, provided it’s done well:
A character
Who wants something
And has to overcome an obstacle
To get it
Add a few layers of other characters, smaller aspirations to help move the character along in his or her development and of course more conflict and tension and a story could be drawn out over years or decades, a lifetime — or millenia.
I love how Pixar does it. Is it just me or does nearly every movie have the viewer so emotionally involved with the character and hero, you hardly notice the next 90 minutes as the story unfolds and reaches its intended climax? My favorite of all of them is Toy Story 2. You can’t create a better opening scene than one of Toy Story’s original heroes, Buzz Lightyear getting half of his little body vaporized and cutting to Rex trying to play the game! I must have watched that with my kids 50 times.
In this first episode, I share a little about how got to where I am now in Colorado with a precious little family of four. I’ll include, until all is updated to now, my story within The Story for a few episodes.
However, I want this ministry to go beyond me telling my story. I want to be sure and include yours. I’d like for us to spend time hearing more on your story. Yes, I’d like to interview you on my podcast! I have two or three questions to answer for you to consider how to share:
How does your story fit into and integrate The Story?
What part of your story do you believe can help others in our audience with their story?
(Bonus) How has your story been healed?
Finally, this ministry is also me living out my own calling, as you’ll hear about. That is, a ministry of teaching. From the very first weeks of my Christian experience, I believe God was calling me into teaching his Word. There were seasons when I would do it weekly or more and years when I would simply be learning more myself. But as I enter middle age and after nearly three decades of being a Christian, the season I hope never ends is me teaching from the Bible and especially on how this Story is winding down.
“But wait there’s more!”
Not only is The Story winding down, as I read from in this episode from The Chronicles of Narnia, this Story of Redemption is but a small interlude — an emergency of crisis — carved out of an otherwise perfect eternity and Creation. There’s so much more after this Story is over. And by the grace of God, he has given me a few snippets of pictures of what is to come. I realize more than anyone, these are only glimpses of what could be. I may be way off. I’m sure even if what God has revealed to me is a speck of truth, the reality will be infinitely more than any infinitesimal picture I have in my mind. I can’t wait to share those on the podcast.
Please share in the comments you’d like to be on the podcast. Please include a valid email address and I’ll be in touch. I look forward to hearing your story!
