Chosen

Green Lantern is different from other superheroes because he wasn't born with superpowers or aspired to become a hero--he was chosen.

Kal-El (a.k.a. Clark Kent, Superman) was born on the planet Krypton shortly before it was to explode, so his parents Jor-El and Lara sent him to Earth where they knew he would have special abilities because of the yellow sun, Sol. They wanted him to be a hero on Earth and carry on their legacy. Because of his powers he knew what he was meant to do. He could be compared to Moses or Elisha, or even as a type of Christ.

Bruce Wayne (a.k.a. Batman) saw his parents killed right before his eyes when he was a young boy, so he devoted himself to bringing justice to Gotham City. He worked hard to make himself a superhero, and he might be compared to a scribe or Pharisee.

Hal Jordan was a test pilot, which was a pretty cool job, but he had no aspirations to be like those "capes." It was the Green Lantern ring that chose him and gave him the power to be a superhero. Now this is just an analogy, so don't take it too seriously, but those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior were also chosen in God's eternal plan and foreknowledge to live for Him, and we have the Holy Spirit to empower us to carry out God's will for us.

"They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:8b-9 NLT)

Guess what! Season 10 is the last season of Smallville!

Apparently Tom Welling spilled to some people that season 10 is going to be the last season of Smallville, and I guess he's been given a hard time about it, but it's not like it's any secret. Smallville has already been going longer than anyone expected it to, and it can't go any longer because it's time for Clark to be Superman! I suppose Clark could go a few more years without being called Superman, but he was supposed to be able to fly when he was 18, and he's already 23 and still not flying. When they made the "No Flights, No Tights" rule when the show started in 2001, I don't think they expected it to still be running 10 years later. They probably didn't anticipate including other members of the Justice League, either, but that was a great decision. Superman without other superheroes is kind of boring, but he's a great leader for the others because he is the conservative one who brings balance to the team.

I am a loyal fan of Smallville, and I've been watching it ever since I saw "Bo Duke" was playing Jonathan Kent. I think it would be great if the show continued with Clark as Superman working with the rest of the JLA, but it can't be Smallville any longer than another season, because Metropolis is his city. Smallville is just where he grew up, and he's all grown up now!

Already shared on facebook

I have been learning about the importance of a credit report, and it reminds me of my salvation. Even though I, like you, have sinned, Jesus Christ paid for my sin with His death on the Cross, so now there is no sin on my record. Anything done through me by the power of the Holy Spirit is credited to my account. My record is clear no matter what, but I want to live to match my record!

Someone said that the Bible says God will not hold it against you if you did not have a chance to know about him, but I'm pretty sure the Bible does not say that. God does not send anyone to hell--we are all already going to hell because of our sin, and only by accepting Christ's sacrifice for sin are we saved from hell to go to heaven. God has revealed himself to the world through his creation, and the law of God is written on our hearts (i.e. we know right from wrong), so there is no excuse. I believe the punishment for those who have heard the gospel and rejected it is greater than for those who never heard it, but only those who have accepted Jesus Christ alone for there salvation will go to heaven--so it is very important for those of us who know him to share the gospel with the whole world!

True Story!

I understand that the products you buy at Walmart are more likely to break, even if they are the same brand, than the same product bought anywhere else. For instance, Mongoose is a good brand of bicycle if you buy it in a bike shop, but the ones sold at Walmart are lower quality. In addition to that, the people at Walmart who assemble the bikes are not professional bike assemblers, so good luck.

I bought a watch at Walmart almost 2 years ago and I really liked it and had no problem with it, until this weekend. A friend of mine who used to work at Walmart was explaining how scientists at Walmart take otherwise good brand name products and figure out ways to make the ones at Walmart cheaper. Just as she finished saying this, my watch spontaneously broke apart beyond repair! What's up with that?!? I guess I'll just have to look at my cell phone to know what time it is until I find a place that sells quality wristwatches.

Free Comic Book Day

I know I'm a little behind, but today was the first time I ever went to a comic book store on Free Comic Book day, so I didn't really know what to expect. Would I have a choice of any one comic book for free, would there be a selection of free comic books to choose from, or could I get lots of free comic books? It turned out to be a combination of B & C--there was a table on which there were a lot of free comic books to choose from at one's leisure, but the rest of the comic books in the store you still had to pay for. There were also discounts on used comics, but it's too much work to sift through them all. I got a good selection of free issues that I wouldn't have taken if they weren't free, and I bought a few new issues, too. It was a fun experience!

Let's go save the world!

A lot of my friends and family members like to play games like "World of Warcraft," "Axis and Allies," and "Age of Empires," but for some reason I never got into those games. I was thinking about why that is, and about the kind of things that I like. My first passion is to follow Christ and live to please Him, and in that to be a good husband for Angie, but I know that most of my friends and family share that kind of passion. One can be a Christ-follower and still fantasize about conquering the world if he/she is into that, but that's not really me.

I really like superhero comic books, mostly DC Comics, because for the most part these are heroes who want to save the world, but they will not kill the bad guys. I came to the conclusion that it is my desire to save the world, not to conquer it. Either way, that's a lot of responsibility!

The truth is, I'm the one who needs saving, and Jesus is my Savior. [Read ch. 7 of Wild at Heart by John Eldredge.] I'm actually pretty useless on my own, but Jesus Christ died on the Cross to take the punishment for my sin, so I am no longer guilty. He came alive again, defeating death, so He can give me the power to live for God's glory. When I try to do things in my own strength I mess up every time, but when I give up God will use me. (Sometimes He still uses me when I mess up because He is that great, but it is better when I give myself to Him!)

Paul was talking about how he had a weakness that he wanted God to take away from him, but 2 Corinthians 12:9 reads, "Each time he said, 'My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me." (NLT)

As I said, I'm useless on my own, but God is powerful enough to use me when I yield to Him. (Still, it's fun to imagine I have superpowers and can save the world!)

Honor the king

"My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?" (Proverbs 24:21-22 ESV)

Even though in the United States of America we call our Commander-in-Chief the "President," for all practical purposes he is our king. Whether or not we agree with everything he does or if all his motives are godly, God has appointed him to be our leader for the present time, so it is not for us to rebel against him. We have the right to state our views and convictions, and it does make a difference, but we are obligated to obey the law. The only time to disobey the law is when it requires us to disobey God, and for now we are able to live godly and obey the law. Sure, people get away with things that are ungodly, but they must stand before God for the choices they make.