We had a movie night at church this past weekend. The adults watched Risen...a great movie that I would recommend. The telling of the Easter Story from the point of view of one of the Roman guards.
If you would like to watch the trailer click on this link:
The children and I watched Beauty and the Beast.
The reason for the showing of both of these movies was an introduction to the new Sunday School material that our adults will be doing....He Chose Nails by Max Lucado. Here is the clip we proceeded the movie with.
I loved Max Lucado's tie in with the Beauty and the Beast story...the Beauty saves the Beast....Christ takes on our beastly to save us!
But as I watched the movie...more things came to me...you know...how my brain works!
How about...
Belle gives her life in place of her father.
📖 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13
even after she saw the hideous beast as he stepped into the light...she still traded her life for her father's.
Christ gave His life in place of us! Even though He knew the hideousness of our sins He was to take on himself.
Another thought was....
The beastly looking character was not the worst one....not the one who was actually evil.
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Matthew 17:15-16a
The beast was showing his kindness as he was trying and changing.
While Gaston was selfish, conceited and cared only about what he wanted... and didn't care who he hurt in the process. Gaston's heart never changes.
I thought about how we view others, we see their outer appearance and make our judgements on who they are inside. I am thankful that God sees the heart.
God sees us not as a beast but as royalty
📖 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9
Also our view of ourselves...we can be told by the world we are one thing....God sees us as another.
📖 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—John 1:12
There is the "magic" mirror ….Belle used it to see how her father was, and they saw the beast in pain.
But we have a mirror as well....to see what we are...to see what we can be....we can use scripture to see these things📖 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16
📖 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2
📖 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 1 Peter 2:21-22
Our choices can define us...until we accept and allow ourselves to be loved with that sacrificial love..then those behaviors that defined us fall away...we are dramatically transformed...just like the dramatic transformation of the beast at the end, into his former self, but with a changed heart!
We are transformed into who God intended us to be!
📖 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17
📖 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Praying for your transformation from the
beastly to the beautiful today!
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