Friday, March 10, 2006

Landmark movies (post 2)

Had a very blessed CF meeting today with a special guest: Mr Pollock from Australia who spoke to us on faith and hope. His message was inspirational in its simplicity but deeply profound. He spoke of the miracle of the healing of the woman with the bleeding. How her faith healed her because she heard of Jesus and had the hope and faith to just reach out and touch our Lord's garments. He also said that faith is already within us, we have put our faith in Christ as Saviour. We have to exercise that faith for it to increase. Just like the muscles we have when we were first babies, our muscles do not increase in number but it does in size and strength if we exercise them. So it is with faith.

Yes Lord, give me, us all, the hope and faith to reach out to You to receive Your promises. Amen.

Also thanks to all the CF members for the birthday cake and celebration. And to my two favourite students .. hehe .. thank you and God bless you for the very thoughtful gift. :)

Let us now return to the top 2 landmark movies for 2005.

2) Cinderella Man

Woo hoo. This movie packs a mean punch ... pardon the obvious pun. Haha.

Going into the movie, I realised that it would be a memorable one - looking at the pedigree of the cast and people behind the film, but I did not expect it to be that good. The storyline is simple enough, James Braddock, one of the boxing greats, starts his career in fine form, getting better with each match and garnering a name for himself. In the process, his career comes to a stop due to injuries and the great depression. It is an inspirational story of faith, the drive to excel, the instinct to survive, family values and even prayer. Acting wise, top notch, storyline wise good, action wise totally credible. There is even a scene toward the end of the movie where many citizens of the town come together in the church to pray for Jimmy Braddock. Whether it is appropriate for the town to come together for prayer for one sportsman and having a radio transmission in the middle of church is questionable but the point here is the power of prayer. Prayer changes things and the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:16)

Toward the end, at the climatic boxing match scene, I wanted to stand up and cheer and this should sum up what I feel about the movie: I told my students at the end 'This is the first time I have enjoyed boxing' (or something to that effect). :)


1) The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe

Wow, wow and again wow.

What other good things can I say that has not been said about the movie? It was a cinematic triumph. In addition to being a great epic, it presents the Gospel. Who can ask for more?

A most powerful movie (the most powerful I have watched would be The Passion of the Christ) that deals with so many issues and the fact of God's love for us at its heart. The chronicles tells the story of four children who stumble upon an old wardrobe that doubles as an entrance or a doorway to the magical world of Narnia, where the Gospel story is being played. At the centre of it all is the kingly and kind Aslan, the Lion, the very picture of our Lord Christ. His return to Narnia, now enveloped in a magical winter (a picture of Christ coming to Earth as a man to redeem a sinful world), his sacrificial death for Edmund (who had broken the law in Narnia) (a powerful picture of the sinless God taking the penalty for a sinful world) and Aslan's miraculous resurrection (Christ's victory, in His resurrection, over sin and death to prove that He is God and to redeem us: the completion of His salvation work) bringing to the redemption and restoration of Narnia - all tell of the wonderful, true Gospel story - the Gospel truth (please feel free to read and meditate upon the four Gospels in the Holy Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - and be transformed).

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7-8)

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

'Wow' says too little. It is by a mile the best, most powerful landmark movie of 2005.

There you have it. There have been other good movies but those are my personal favourites.

Have a great weekend. All glory to our Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit.

God bless you.

4 comments:

adri-enne said...

ur b'day??!!
when!!??
Oh dear..
Happy Belated B'day !
2 favourite students .. he he he i reckon i know. . . :P

adri-enne said...

i like narnia cos of it's storyline n how u felt absorbed in2 ur own imagination when u watch it but i had 2 high an expectation b4 watchin d movie- comparing it v LOTR. i still prefer LOTR tho.

Ken said...

Hi,

My birthday was on the 12th. Thanks Adrienne.

God bless you.

Ritz said...

erm... I read the book first, years ago! Was really touched then. So when I watch the movie, I expected more... sadly, the movie is a bit of a disappointment to me. One of which is the Queen. You see, I imagined her to be very very very beautiful. The last battle was also not GRAND enough... kee kee kee.