The Reality of Jesus is Better than Hollywood

I’m a movie person. Well, at least I was a movie person in high school. Back before my life got better than the movies. Now if you talk about the latest hit around me I will look at you with a blank stare. I have never heard of it.

I still like movies, I just don’t have time to watch them. But the reason I love movies so much is… you know… the drama… the passion… the suspense… the emotion… it makes me feel more alive than regular life.

But I am no longer living a regular life. I think that our love for drama is innate. I think we were created for a life of drama. But so that we are on the hero’s side, and even though there is suspense and moments of tragedy, we know who’s going to win in the end. Hollywood style. Always a happy ending. The kind of ending like in a sports movie where in the last scene the loser kid is getting carried on everyone’s shoulders for saving the game.

Life with Jesus is way better than any movie. And I’m talking badass movies like Bourne Identity. Yeah no contest. Life with Jesus is better.

This is how the story goes: Every once in a while in our walks with Jesus we will receive a grace to reach out for greater things, a hunger for more of God. The challenge was always there waiting on us. But we never had the revelation of the power of Jesus within us to meet the challenge, to take it on. But then we get this epiphany of who we are in Christ, Ephesians 1 style. And with our eyes fixed on the prize, Jesus our Lord, we are exceedingly strengthened to rise up and take what was always ours. As we move forward, our eyes never leave him. He is our source. He is our everything. We are lovesick for him. And so an epic journey begins.

But a journey without conflict is lame. So in order to increase his and our glory, God allows the enemy to think he can take us out and to pour out his wrath. There are moments when we realize in sincerity that he, the enemy, is ruthless. That he is deceptive. That he is persistent against us. We find ourselves in a raging battle. Not against other people. But against the invisible powers of darkness.

He strikes and we are wounded. We turn to God in desperation. We turn to him in weakness. We cry out to him to save us from despair. He responds with a quick work that is more immediate than we would have dared to think. He responds with a strong arm that is more powerful that we would have believed. All of a sudden we don’t feel that we are in battle anymore. We are not struggling or striving. We are just gazing into his face. And getting drunk on his love. And walking in peace that we cannot understand. And even feeling an irresistible joy. And in the back of our heads we know, that at the sound of our prayers, legions of angels have been sent out to fight on all sides. We are on the winning side. It is suddenly all so clear.

Our eyes don’t see the victory yet. In fact the circumstances seem to be getting worse. Based on what our eyes can see, we should be in complete despair. Anyone else would have given up hope by now. But we walk by faith, not by sight. We look ahead to things that we know are coming whether we seen them now or not. They will come. There is no question. And ultimately Jesus will return. Then the victory will be fully manifest.

There are certain moments when I think we are the craziest people in the whole world. Either that or God is truly at work within us. Like when a month-old believer looks the division and the darkness in the face and laughs. He knows who his God is. Or when at the moment of greatest attack, the confidence and joy within us as we pray is at a greater level than ever before. It’s not because we’re strong. We all admit our moments of intense weakness. It’s because Jesus has overcome. It’s because Jesus loves us, and love is stronger than death. It’s because the Spirit of Jesus that raised him from the dead lives inside of each of us. And we are amazed most of all at the miracles he performs and the mountains he moves on the inside of our souls. These are the strongest testaments to his resurrection. Stronger than all the physical miracles we have been seeing lately- legs are growing out, broken bones are being restored, mental ailments are no more. But the glory that is in these miracles does not compare to the glory of a soul once in anguish now in peace. It is inner resurrection at work. And when he returns our physical bodies will also follow and will rise up to be with the Lord forever.

Jesus will be glorified at that time. And if we have anything to do with it, he will be glorified before that time as well. He will be glorified in our generation. He will be glorified in America. The kingdom is already coming. Nothing can quench his increasing glory. Brothers and sisters, hold on tight, because something’s about to rumble!