book of eli – The Arrow Preacher

Forging Steel

From birth we are being taught new things, how to write, read, how to get along and play with others, share our toys, and many other various traits we learn. One of the hardest lessons is the difference between right and wrong. How hard is it to teach those lessons, and how hard is it to learn? I’m sure many of you have experienced hardships that taught valuable lessons. We learn by doing most of the time, we value experiences in our life. The phrase sometimes we have to learn the hard way is one of the truest statements we’ll ever experience first hand. We see events around us, we feel them some more deeply then others. Sometimes we are the cause and other times we are collateral damage to hard lessons. One of my favorite shows has a quote I love to use. “Living is not for the weak.” (Arrow) It takes a great deal of courage to face the cruelty of this world over and over. Some people happen to face more challenges then others. The strength to carry on is largely one of faith.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 “¹¹For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹²Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— ¹³each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. ¹⁴If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” How often is the term forging faith through fire used? Our daily lives and struggles can be considered a crucible. “Most believe there are two types of people who go into a crucible. The ones who become stronger from the experience and survive it, and the ones who die. But there’s a third type. The ones who learn to love the fire and choose to stay in their crucible because it’s easier to embrace the pain when it’s all you know anymore.” (Sabastian Blood, Arrow) How do we face our fire? How do we face our challenges? Do we allow the fire to burn us and break us down?

The thing with good and evil is a certain matter of perspective. In the best stories the villain is often considered the best villains when they are believable or when we can see their point of view. Thus just because something is used for good, or evil you cannot dictate an object. In the movie the Book Of Eli the main villain wants to use the Bible as a weapon to control the towns people. The thing about objects are it’s in the use of the owner. “One mans tool is another man’s weapon.” (Bruce Wayne, Dark Knight Rises) This perspective is interesting and put into the right context explains a good portion of the human condition. We often see things as good or evil. We often see based on perspective, such as a quote from yet another episode of Arrow. “Tot zhe molot chto drobit steklo, kuyet stal.” The same hammer that shatters glass forges steel” (Tayana, Arrow)

I would like to think that as people we could understand both sides of a conflict to better ourselves. We must learn to communicate instead of arguing. We must learn to better ourselves to minimize our judgments. As we go through our own fire, our own crucibles, we must understand that to follow Christ we must learn to allow our old selves to be burnt away, allow our sinful imperfections to be burned away and allow ourselves to follow the Lord. “It’s not enough to just feel the flame You’ve gotta burn your old self away” (Hard Love, by NEEDTOBREATHE) We live by the sword and die by the sword. We must not let the world turn us into hateful, vengeful people. We must learn to Love all, to remember not to allow ourselves to be burned by the fire, instead allow it to burn away anything and everything that isn’t used to live a Godly life. While fire can burn away a life, it can create wonderful pieces of art. A sword for instance is a beautiful creation, a hand-crafted piece of steal that is forged in fire. A sword can break under great pressure, or can withstand the persistent blows it may endure to be used in protecting ones self. Philippians 4:11-13 “¹¹Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. ¹²I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ¹³I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” In all things take comfort, and allow yourself to embrace a trial, and stand firm in the fire and allow it to burn away what is necessary to be burned away in accordance to Gods will.

What’s On Your Duty Belt?

The other day I was asked if I had a Letherman on my belt (affectionately known as the bat belt). Sadly I hadn’t yet picked one up to be an accessory. The man whom I’d been having a very nice conversation with had to walk a mile to the Walgreen’s down the street. This saddened me. I always prided myself on being prepared for as many things in my day as I could. That night on my way home I was so convicted to change that I stopped at Walmart on my way home and I picked up a new utility tool. I found one to fit my needs at $10.00. I felt good about that and didn’t hesitate to put it in the cart. Two days later another family needed a screwdriver and his time I was able to come to their rescue. I see our walk with Christ to be similar.

When we face problems in our walk through Christianity we’ll often face these trials and it’s important to have the right knowledge, the right scripture, the right weapon the right tool for the right job.

Having the right tool however isn’t just enough, you have to be able to know how to use that tool to be able to use it effectively. If you had a saw and you didn’t know how to use it as a carpenter that wouldn’t do you very much good. If you had a chainsaw you needed to cut down a tree but you had no idea how you might cut down the tree and have it fall on you or you might cut down the tree and have a go through your window or you might get lucky and it might fall exactly where you wanted to but you have to have knowledge of how to use the tools and not just have them.

The tempting of Jesus:

Matthew 4:1-11

3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

It’s not just having the Bible as a weapon on your belt. You must know how to use it when the time comes. Knowing the Bible is there for you is great, but when tempted do you know what scripture to read? Do you know what the teachings are? Jesus knew exactly what to say to Satan to turn him away. Satan knows scripture, he knows the Holy word of the Lord, but he will try to tempt you, try to trick you to false doctrine. If you aren’t educated on scripture what chance do you have against Satan who knows it all? You must not just have a Bible, you must know your Bible, you must read it, and study it. There’s a scene in the Hunger Games the 1^st one where Katniss is up in a tree and the Careers try to use the bow to shoot her down. Every one of them missed because they didn’t know how to use it. Another example is ‘The Book of Eli’. Eli’s mission is to get the ‘book’ west. Carnegie a town overlord knew what the Bible was and wanted to use it as a weapon. In the movie Eli was protected by the Holy Spirit and he knew he would be protected by God.

In every situation we find ourselves in we can ask ourselves a few questions. First, is what I’m about to do to glorify God or myself? And second if I ask my pastors advice on this would they approve? If the answers to either of those are yourself or no, chances are you shouldn’t be doing it. This world will tempt you with all manner of promises of joy and satisfaction, but in every circumstance nothing is new under the sun. Anything you think you may face today can usually be found in scripture.

Know your Bible, be able to fight off the Tempter when He comes knocking at your door. Be able to use scripture when you have to make hard choices. Be able to use scripture when you must defend your faith. 2 Timothy 3:12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” When the day comes to stand trial amongst men stand ready and rebuke any claim made against you with scripture. Then you will truly have the Armor of God on your Duty Belt.

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