Holy Word vs. Hollywood: Is That Noah's Story from The Bible?

April 1, 2014 at 11:51am

           I went to watch "Noah" at the opening night with a set of mind that "This is going to be one of a kind movie!" I thought about sharing my insight on this movie for one reason that is to get the biblical story of Noah right. I am not here to impose what Hollywood movie is all about when comes to stories of imagination. Then, why Noah? First, the movie was credited to the biblical account of Noah in the book of Genesis. By doing so, the viewers like me and you will definitely think that it is a Bible story. Second, there are some so called "Christians" in the world endorse the movie as a legitimate spiritual movie to watch along with their families and non-Christian friends. Should we watch the movie? Is it helping me in my spiritual growth? What is about the
movie, Noah?

            The movie itself discredited God, the Creator from the very beginning of the scenes. It titled, "In the beginning, there was nothing." Right in front of our eyes, it tells us that there was no God (nothing). Unlike the Scripture says, "In the beginning, God . . ." (Genesis 1:1). The existence of God is undermined while the moviemakers using His very words, the Bible. It is an insult to God. The Scripture says, "The fool has said in his heart, there is no God." (Psalm 14:1)

            The next scenes are fast moving, graphic arts of a single cell evolves into fish, then legged fish, then lizard craws out of sea to land, then pig, then monkey, and finally man (Adam and Eve was introduced). The evolution process was replaced the creation of God in that movie. Many viewers unaware of these scenes as an evolution process of living things. The Scripture says, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. . . So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. . . Then God said, 'Let the earth bring forth the living creatures according to its kind.'" (Genesis 1:1, 21, 24). Keep in mind that God created these living things within a time frame of the fifth and the sixth days, but not in millions of years (Genesis 1:23, 31). The movie Noah has rejected God's creation of sea creatures, land animals, birds of the air, and the human, who was created after His own image (Genesis 1:26).

            When I focus on the character of Noah, the righteous man was portrayed as unrighteous. He was merely a self-righteous person who took the place of God and judged the world. The movie repeatedly imposes an idea that God has left the world and its judgment in the hand of Noah. Noah got to choose who could live or die. Of cause, Noah in the movie said that man is not worthy of the plant Earth but only the innocent animals. So, he attempted to kill his very own newly born grandchildren onboard like a psychopathic person. That is not a righteous person in the Bible. The man whom God considers righteous is none other than a person who trusted Him in his mercy. The biblical Noah was righteous because he simply trusted in God's providence. In Hebrews 11:7 recorded, "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household." Therefore, the only reason God saved Noah and his family was based on His grace. The Scripture says, "Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." (Genesis 6:8). Imagine, the Hollywood has no idea of the biblical view of righteousness, thus, portray Noah's righteousness as 'self-righteous' person.

            The idea of God in the movie was unkind, unattended of His creation-including man, and unmerciful to the sinners. As I watched the movie until the end, I found too many contradictory ideas of God. At first, the moviemakers denied God and His work of creation, and then later shifted the blames of humankind's sin, the fallen angels' problem, the flood, and Noah's problems upon God. Can they be Atheists (Deny the existence
of God) and not blaming every problem to God?  Scripture says, "Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but become futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man." (Romans 1:21-23a).

            In the movie, Noah struggled to communicate with God, thus, he went to consult with his grandfather, "Methuselah."  Definitely, this is not in the Bible story of Noah. Rather, the movie makers introduced pagan religion practice of consulting witchcraft or sorcery as Noah consulted Methuselah about God's pending judgment. Noah was given a potion (a teacup), which was supposed to be magical, to drink and see the divine instruction. God has never spoken and never will he speak through any media, witchcraft, or sorcery to His people. God said, "I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no soothsayers" (Micah 5:12). God has spoken to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. God speaks to us through His every word, the Bible today (Hebrews 1:1, 2).

            Accuracy is not their target in the movie. I can see stimulation and dramatizing keep viewers excited throughout the movie.  I am all for it. But when comes to biblical history, at least, the movie makers should stick to the very facts about it. Mel Gibson has done a great job on "The Passion of the Christ" movie regarding the facts about Christ's passion. The movie Noah took away the basis fact about the 8 persons on board the ark. The Scripture recorded, "So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood" (Genesis 7:7). No record of babies was born in the ark. I believed that was how the movie makers figured out to stick with the account of 8 people on board the ark.

            What is about the movie Noah? It is not the biblical story of Noah, the ark, and the flood. It is merely a deprived or duplicated story that contains very minimum fact about the original story. Otherwise, it uses the biblical history as a springboard to achieve high level of interests of people. Not to mention the money! The box office over the weekend drew $44 millions in domestic tickets sale and $95 millions overseas  (http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/2014/03/31/noah-no-passion). Seriously, the movie is all about denying God and His rightful ownership of the creation. Beside, the new age philosophy Aquarian Conspiracy, p. 382; S. Gawain, Living In the Light, pp. 7-8). When Noah in the movie planed to safeguard the new world after the flood (creation), he wanted a world without co-existing of mankind but only animals. The moviemakers then changed the biblical theme of the Noah story. Noah rather saved the animals to live on the new world (after flood) but not mankind. God's redemption history of 8 people (Mankind preserved, the remnant) was changed to preserving of creation and animals. For New Age sees man as ignorance being. The salvation of the world depends upon human. Through positive energy and thoughts to peace, the world will be cleansed. In addition, all negative elements and New Age ideals will be realized through the spiritual enlightenment. Man's only real problem is ignorance of the fact that he is  intrinsically divine and perfect. Man has a perception of finiteness, which is an illusion (Ken Keyes, Jr., Handbook to Higher Consciousness, pp. 125-29).
indoctrinated in the movie that God is existed in the form of essence through the creation. New Agers view God as an impersonal life force, consciousness, or energy (M. Ferguson,

            We now know that this movie Noah is a spiritual default. It is not going to help our spiritual life. It is also not a movie to watch together with your non-Christian friends and families. It will be more harmful than helpful to their lives. When the truth is deluded with falsehood, it is even harder to untangle the truth out of its mass. You will be far from sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Noah history in Genesis chapters 6 and 7 remain valid to us in the modern day. Jesus referred to Noah's history when He talked about His coming (Luke 17:26-29). I see the Ark of Noah in compare to the Cross of Jesus. Just like Noah and his family got into the Ark and saved from God's judgment (the flood); whoever gets on to the Cross of Jesus will be saved from the judgment to come (the  eternal hell). God invited Noah and his family into the Ark, "Come into the ark" (Genesis 7:1). God is still inviting anyone to come to the Cross of Jesus, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

            So, should you and your family see this movie? If I say, "Don't watch it," out of curiosity (human nature) you'll watch it. If I say, "Go watch it," you'll still watch it anyway. I do not want to say neither. Nevertheless, whether you watch it or not, be ready to give right account of biblical history of Noah to those who ask you. Be ready to give a defense of your reasons, hope, and faith in Christ. So read your Scriptures. "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15).

Heresy Looming at Horizon: I Will Be Like the Most High

October 30, 2013 at 3:20am

           Recently, I attended the fundraising event for Kachin IDP at Oakland, California. Many Burmese tribal dresses and traditional foods were among the high light of the event. People of Burma, Kachin, Karen, Kaya, Chin, Bama, and others tribal people came to support the event. Suddenly, someone, who was a familiar person from Burma, handed over three booklets in my hands. Those three booklets were titled, "Bringing the Deeper Meaning of the Christian Message" by the Living Stream Ministry. Soon, I read those booklets and analyze their contents. Here is what I have found in those booklets.
           Doctrine of Satan is a simple fact that he wanted to be like God. Isaiah 14:12-15recorded the story of Lucifer, the Satan, from the beginning of his sin to the end of his destruction. Lucifer claimed, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High" (Isa.14:13-14). Lucifer's sin was to be like God in rebellion spirit. Today, this doctrine of Satan is alive and well in the hearts of men. The spirit of Lucifer is represented in the mind of men, who desire to be like God. For example, a person like Benny Hinn holds such doctrine of Satan. Benny Hinn claimed that he and his followers are becoming the gods (divine nature). Biblical discernment ministry exposed him, "Hinn claims to actually be a channel for God-that God enters him and takes over his mind and tongue to the point where he is unaware of what he has said. After his sermon on December 31, 1989, at Orlando Christian Center, during which he gave several future prophecies, Hinn expressed that he was drunk-presumably on the Holy Spirit-and asked someone to tell him what he had just said. In another statement, Hinn asserts that though we are not Almighty God Himself, nevertheless, we are now divine" (http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/exposes/hinn/general.htm

). Witness Lee, the follower of Watchmen Nee(the Chinese Christian leader of 1903-1972), founded the Living Stream Ministry.Witness Lee taught that a new nature in Christ was the divine nature. God departed His divine nature to the believers. Thus, believers in Christ are to be transformed as divine, gods. This heresy continues to teach and followed by Witness Lee's followers until present time.
           The three booklets that I received were nothing but the teaching of Witness Lee. The doctrine of Satan, "To be like Most High" was repackaged with Scripture references (which were interpreted wrongfully to accommodate the doctrine). The Stream booklet stated,"By means of this grafted life the believers participate in God's divinity. The believers are being mingled with God, and God is mingling Himself with them. As a result, the believers have divinity in their being and participate in God's divinity" ("The Stream. The Secret of Renewing and Transformation. Vol.18, No 1, March 1998, p.7). Purely, Witness Lee's heretic teaching was reinstated. The explanation of the phrase "participate in God's divinity" was confirmed to the doctrine of Satan. They stated, "In God's organic salvation we, the believers in Christ, can participate in God's divinity. God's life has been imparted into our life, His nature is being wrought into our nature, His mind is being wrought into our mind, and we even have His divine element, the element of the riches of His unsearchable life, to transform our entire being. Thus, we have God's life, God's nature, God's mind, and the divine element of all His riches,and now we can participate in God's divinity in full" (The Stream. The Secret of Renewing and Transformation. Vol.18, No.1, March1998, p. 9).
            The Stream's editor and writers are continuously indoctrinating the doctrine of Satan, "I will be like Most High"in every teaching such as in Eschatology (Study of End time), Soteriology (Study of Salvation), Ecclesiology (Study of Church), and Anthropology (Study of Man)areas. The Bible does not teach us any human being become divine (god). God saved humankind through His grace and mercy without anyone's effort (Eph.2:8, 9). God in His pleasure gave salvation through Jesus Christ (Eph.1:5). However, God has not promised us to be gods, He claimed for Himself as One God (Deu.6:4). There is no other gods beside Him (Exo.20:3). The only promise for us is to be the sons of God or the children of God (Romans 8:14, 16). Heretic the Stream team is interpreting the New Life in Christ as the divine life. They claimed, "In regeneration a new life, the divine life, is added to our natural life, causing these two lives to become one" (The Stream. The Secret of Renewing and Transformation. Vol.18, No.1, March 1998, p. 4). The Bible only teaches us our new life in Christ as a life that is born in Spirit (John 3:6). Definitely, it was not the divine life (the imparted divine elements such as power, glory, and divinely attributes). Our spiritual life was born in Christ (John 3:3).
            Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, the heresy is at the doorstep of our homes. There is Witness Lee's heresy (Lee, Witness. ‘’The Divine Dispensing of the Divine Trinity.’’ Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry,1990. Print.) spreading among our Burmese Christians community. Beware of twisted tongues that speaking half-truth like the Old Serpent in the Garden of Eden (Gen.3:5). They quoted right Bible verses to support their views without interpreting the context of the text. In the end, run away from the false teachers that teach you can be like Most High. They convince you to be gods. You have been warned!