Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part I)

So I went to see the new Harry Potter tonight with a friend and was somewhat disappointed. The company was fantastic and the film was quite good but the disappointment came because it did not follow the book, at least the way I remember it.

In the car driving home I had the thought that so often things depicted in films do not follow "the book". It is a common complaint about films that are based on books. Changes in the story line created a better film than book in the Bourne trilogy and did not really make a difference in Lord of the Rings. But these are exceptions, most of the time if you change the original story line you spoil what was there.

There is nothing so true as when you do this to the Bible. There are so many occurrences out there in the world past, present and sure to be future too where people have tried to change the message in the Bible. Sometimes it is for personal agendas, sometimes political reasons. Whatever the reason for it every time the Bible is "edited" in this way the enemy gains a foot hold. Every time the Bible is misused it can waylay people of faith and cause us to follow the wrong path.

We need to be vigilant that we do not allow the Bible to be misrepresented, rewritten or changed in anyway. We need to have a knowledge and understanding of the Word of God that comes from living our lives with the Bible. Yes this requires a big commitment, yes it will require a lot of work on our part. But living for the Lord is not part time, being a child of God is not something you can put on and off.

If we know the Bible well and live it in our day to day lives we will be able to see when it is being misrepresented. And at those times we can stand up and show the world what our God is really about. I know I mention this a lot but as a Christian there are two things I am passionate about and burning to share with others. This is constant prayer and regular Bible study. For me these two things are core to life as a Christian. I struggle often to fulfil these two points in my life, most days it is a battle to do them. But it is a fight that I take on with eagerness and with joy for I believe them to be the bedrock on which we should build our lives with God. And from this bedrock we can then live our lives as God intended.