May the 4th, the Force, or Better Yet, the Lord be with You!
By Marnie Freeman
I am a huge fan of most all of the Star Wars movies. With nostalgia, I remember seeing that first film like it was yesterday. I remember that extraordinarily powerful and now-so-familiar theme song, Star Wars. Can’t you just hear it playing forcefully “. . . dummmm dum dum dum dummmm dum dummm dum dummmmm,” with the large yellow block-type crawling up the screen and disappearing into outer space? I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen! My parents had so graciously taken me, as a young child, into the cold, dark, pop-corny, sticky-floored, and crowded movie theater to watch a movie that would spawn a powerhouse chain, forever influence movie history, create a cult following over generations, spark innovative special effects, influence culture, and build a large part of Disney’s empire including parks, movies, clothes, and gifts. There are even two entire, dedicated days recognized on many-a-calendar, in Star Wars fashion, ‘May the 4th Be with You’, and the ‘Revenge of the 5th.’ Great fun is to be had with all this!
The movies have such great lessons we can extrapolate from them! The Force is only one of many topics from Star Wars that we can take a light-sabered ‘whoosh’ at (can you hear it?) and cause a great disturbance! How does that affect us? It encourages us to fearlessly, passionately, and purposefully Engage the world!
Today, May the 4th (Force) be with YOU! But not just any force! His force, His power! [And His force is all good. There is no darkness/dark side in Him according to 1 John 1:1-5.] You can carry His force too, if you have accepted, love, and serve Jesus and others in obedience, then you can have it too! If you have not accepted Jesus and would like to, let’s stop right here and pray this prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. Please be my Lord and Savior. I will follow You. Amen. (Isaiah 61:6; John 14)
Please email us, at Christians Engaged, and let us know if you prayed this prayer. We want to celebrate with you and this eternally life-changing event!
Now, in John 14:15-31, Jesus said that I must go to my Father so He can send us, that’s you and me, the Holy Spirit, the Dunamis (miracle-working) power! We are not just mere mortals! We are more than that! We are powerful people! Jesus preached, revealed the Father, multiplied food, calmed storms, walked on water, healed the sick, set people free, raised the dead, and kicked out demons far and wide. (and that’s the short list of all He did!) In Star Wars lingo, Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, WAS the disturbance in the Force, with the ultimate supernatural force (the Holy Spirit), loving, rescuing, serving, and saving people, overcoming Darkness, eternally, FOREVER And EVER. AMEN!
His life was an example to us of how we are to believe and act. We, again, that’s YOU and ME will do greater things than He did! “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” (John 14:12 NLV)
Why? Because, just like Jesus, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit! When He was on earth, He did everything as a man empowered by the Holy Spirit and anchored to His Father (Daddy) God. “And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38 NLV) That’s us, walking around fully as men and women imbued with power from the Holy Spirit and anchored to our Heavenly Father!
We can do this! We can vigorously, with passion, and of course, love, engage with others around us! We can walk in that miracle-working power in every arena of our lives, including family, friends, church, politics, work, and more. EVERY area!
Christians Engaged, YOU, are people-serving, anointed, empowered, world-changing, evil-works-destroying, Jedis for Jesus! Believe, and boldly, step up and take your rightful place in the Force (aka the world)! You are the disturbance the world has been looking for! YOU, empowered with the Holy Spirit, will do great and might things, walking in love toward others and living like Christ. (Ephesians 2:10; Ephesians 5:1-2) YOU!
May the 4th, or the Force, or best yet, the Lord be with you as you go forth and ENGAGE!
Blessings to you all.
Want to get more involved? Take our Pledge to Pray, Vote and Engage