Daily Thought for Friday, February 25th

February 25, 2011

Movie Ministry (Part Five)

(This like the Rock and Roll Series is not intended to offend but rather to use a little different tactic to provoke us towards greater strides in our spiritual life.)

Finding a Spiritual Message in “Peter Pan”

Today’s Thought:

“Faith, like a jackal, feeds among the tombs, and even from these dead doubts she gathers her most vital hope.” – Herman Melville from “Moby Dick”

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also  - The Bible (James 2:26)

Today’s Question

Did you know that, “Faith is believing what you know ain’t so?” – Mark Twain from “Pudd’nhead Wilson’s New Calendar”

Today’s Spiritual Thought:

J. M. Barrie originally wrote the story of “Peter Pan” and before it was a movie made by Walt Disney in 1953 it was a stage play in England.  There was a remake of this film in 2003 in which director P. J. Hogan took the animated characters and brought them to life using real people.   “Peter Pan” is the story of imagination and make believe in which the Darling children fly away to Neverland with Peter, aided by fairy dust, which made them fly, to the land of the Lost Boys who along with Peter Pan, Wendy, and the rest of the Darling children engaged in a uproarious escapade with Captain Hook and his band of Pirates.

Many offshoots and variations of this story have come along through out the years, but the essence of this story is our focus for spiritual application today.

This story deals with the ability to have a child-like simplicity of faith to believe that these things can happen.  Of course to outgrow childhood is for this ability to end, thus Peter Pan is the eternal boy who never grows up.

Child-like faith is an important element in spiritual growth.  But unlike Peter and the gang Christians do not place their faith in fantasy, but rather in reality.  We believe, by faith that God created the Heavens and Earth: by faith we believe that God sent His son, Jesus to die on the cross for our sins; by faith we believe at Jesus died and rose again on the third day victories over death and hell: and by faith we believe He is coming again, very soon to claim His Bride, The Church.

Everything from accepting His salvation; believing He is who He says He is and living daily for Him requires faith.

Without faith it is impossible.

So we’ve gotta have faith, faith faith as George Michael’s of Wham sang in one of his songs.

The movie “Peter Pan” in and of itself may seem frivolous and silly to many adults, but it’s truth, spiritually speaking is true – we must believe.

After all, faith is simply believing what we cannot see but knowing that it is real.

Today’s Verses:

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

              Romans 10:17

I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

                        Revelation 2:19

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

1 Timothy 6:11-14

Today’s Prayer:

Father, now abides faith, hope and love and I know the greatest of these is love.  But without faith, I can’t hope and without hope I won’t love, so help me love most, hope more and have greater faith.

(Tune in on Monday as we wrap up this series.)