I Believe I Am Being Of Some Use

We had a thought-provoking and emotional DECODER RING last time as we watched the film adaptation of the John Irving novel, "The Cider House Rules." Set in the Maine of Hollywood Americana, young Homer Wells works in an orphanage run by his mentor, Dr. Wilbur Larch. Tutored in all aspects of gynecology, Homer balks at performing one type of procedure, what Dr. Larch calls "a simple D&C."

Homer leaves with a young couple who visited the orphanage for an illegal abortion. He is introduced to a whole new set of characters while working at an apple orchard. Homer learns to work, falls in love, and gets into "trouble." When a horrible incident occurs, he intervenes by performing that which he never had before. An abortion.

Homer returns to the orphanage to take up the mantle of Dr. Larch, under false credentials but with a renewed "compassion." Everyone welcomes him with open arms and they await the time when the rest of the country catches up with their medical philosophy.

The Cider House Rules has, within its New England setting and compassionate exterior, some incredibly insidious ideas. It's no surprise that this pro-abortion tale would contain other worldviews that conflict with God's plan for life. The rejection of rules, the lack of physical restraint, and the seemingly benevolent use of lies permeate the film. In the midst of so much confusion, we turned to God's Word for clarity.

To put it bluntly, abortion is the murder of an unborn person. The Bible talks about how God has created each and every one of us:

"your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me were written in your book

before one of them came to be."

PSALM 139:16

We discussed the 5 main arguments used by those who prefer women to have the choice of abortion. These points have not changed since Roe V. Wade in 1976. But it all comes down to this: Does life, any life, have intrinsic value simply because it is life? How you answer that question says a lot about you.

Thankfully, the Bible has plenty to say on that subject as well. In fact, there is no one who has a higher view of man than God. God loves us so much that,

"While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

ROMANS 5:8

That "us" as all of us! So, as always, we ended our time together with prayer for John Irving, Lasse Hallstrom, Tobey Maguire, and the rest of the cast and crew, that they would be impacted by God's love and use their talents to honor Him.

Thanks for coming to THE DECODER RING. We'll see you next time.

We are supposed to make our own rules.

THE CIDER HOUSE RULES
rated PG13
(mature themes, a scene of sexuality, brief nudity)

Directed by
Lasse Hallström

Written by
John Irving

Starring
Tobey Maguire, Michael Caine, Charlize Theron,
Delroy Lindo, Paul Rudd, and Kieran Culkin


Those who devise wicked schemes are near,
but they are far from your law.
PSALM 119:150


Join us
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22 at 7:00pm
in the Chapel Room
at Calvary Chapel Burbank

Anyone? Anyone?

At the last DECODER RING, we were bombarded by the conservative polemic EXPELLED: NO INTELLIGENCE ALLOWED. The filmmakers purport that the creation-evolution debate has reached a fever pitch and all of academia is working in lock step to quash even the smallest inquiry into the validity of Darwin's theory.

We wrestled with the certitude of scientists who support biological evolution and absorbed the tales of others who have lost their positions because of Intelligent Design. Frustrations flared up after realizing that EXPELLED never fully explains the basic tenets of ID, and questions arose concerning even the definition of evolution.

This debate mirrors a lot of what is going on in our culture today. There is so much noise, yelling, name-calling, anger and vitriol that nobody is taking the time to actually engage the arguments! We too, can get caught up in our own web of propaganda, making it impossible to gently instruct.

So we stepped back from the fray, centered ourselves in God's Word, and found true peace of mind.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

PROVERBS 9:10

For since the creation of the world
God's invisible qualities—

his eternal power and divine nature—

have been clearly seen,

being understood from what has been made,

so that men are without excuse.

ROMANS 1:20

SPACE SPACE SPACE

All a man's ways seem right to him,

but the LORD weighs the heart.

PROVERBS 21:2

SPACE SPACE SPACE

What God revealed to us is that we need to focus on the heart of people first and foremost. Their minds are darkened and their thinking is futile without Jesus in their lives, so we need to address the real problem. The problem of the heart. By praying, fasting, loving, and speaking the word, even the most bitter, hardened heart can turn to Christ.

SPACE SPACE SPACE

Look at what happened to Saul. God gave him a new heart and a new name. And Paul the Apostle, empowered by the Holy Spirit, changed the world.

SPACE SPACE SPACE

So we prayed for the scientists and philosophers who oppose the truth and ask our infinitely loving and patient God to lead them to Himself. May this be our prayer, not just at every DECODER RING, but every day. See you next time!