RISE!

On Thursday, July 19th, Dan and I joined some of our usual friends for a midnight movie premiere. The bittersweet time had come, it was time for the final instalment of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy... it was time to see The Dark Knight Rises.

We dressed for the occasion. Both of us were wearing our Batman t-shirts and Dan also had his Batman Begins belt buckle. We weren't the only ones decked out for the occasion. Several people arrived at the theater wearing Batman t-shirts, Batman PJ's, and Batman costumes. What a blast! It was then that I felt a little bummed that I didn't think to wear my Batgirl costume.

We arrived an hour before the film was due to begin and the first theater we walked into was nearly packed to the max! Hundreds of people had gathered closely together, chatting away as they waited for the film to start. With the front rows our only option for our group of 13-14, we decided to take a peek inside another theater that was also scheduled to play The Dark Knight Rises at midnight. Success! While this theater was much smaller in size, there were significantly more open seats.

With fresh popcorn in hand and a large fountain drink to share with my hubby, I was as cozy as can be. I savored this time with friends and anxiously awaited the film's debut.

At midnight on Friday, July 20th, the previews started and then the movie finally began. From beginning to end I was drawn into the film. The acting was fantastic, the music was stunning, and the story packed a powerful punch. Every passing minute I hoped that it would just keep going -- clearly 2 hours and 45 minutes was too short for me.

I left the theater just after 3:00 a.m. excited and full of energy! Dan and I discussed the details of the movie the whole way home. Both of us eager to see it again on the big screen -- and we rarely ever see a movie for a second time in the theater.

The next morning I didn't have work, so I got to sleep in -- and boy, did I sleep in! At 11:00 a.m. I rolled out of bed and went onto my desktop computer -- which I rarely do on my days off. I had some personal projects to take care of, but I started my time by surfing Facebook, noticing my fellow midnight viewers take on the latest Batman flick. It didn't take long for me to notice some rather usual comments within my friends' status updates. Several of my friends shared that they were grateful to be alive and that they were praying for Colorado. With a quick Google search, I found what everyone was talking about... the Aurora, Colorado theater shooting.

My heart sank as I read what little information was available -- but it was enough to feel deep sadness for those who were directly effected. 12 killed and nearly 60 wounded when James Holmes, 24, walked into a packed movie theater that was showing The Dark Knight Rises, and opened fire on countless innocent lives.

Next, I noticed several of my friends posting a link to a blog post, written by a survivor: So you STILL think God is a merciful God?!

I enjoyed her blog post and it really got me thinking. I get very frustrated when all tragedies are blamed on God. Tragedies like the Holocaust, 9/11, and this theater shooting. People! God is not the cause of evil! The devil is the source of evil. Well, God created the devil, didn't he? Yes, he did, but here's the thing... we cannot know what is good without knowing what is bad. Bad is the absence of good, just like cold is the absence of heat, darkness is the absence of light, and fear is the absence of peace. Without these opposites, there is no choice. Satan made the choice to turn against God and he is doing everything he can to bring us down with him -- Satan is pure evil.

You know what scares me most? Satan doesn't force us to do anything. We are the ones who choose to do bad things! Satan just gives us the idea. Go ahead, steal that DVD. It's not your fault you can't afford it. It's okay to lie to you family, they don't need to know the truth about everything. Go ahead and shoot those people, they deserve to die. LIES! LIES! LIES! All lies from a demon who wants us to suffer an eternity of hell with him.

So while Satan is busy making a mess of this world, tempting us to live lives filled with endless bad choices, pulling us further and further from our Creator, God provided a way for us to have all of our sins forgiven. Jesus said in John 14: 6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." How do we get to the Father? By placing our faith in Jesus Christ. By admitting that we are all sinners and fall short of God's glory. Jesus Christ was perfect and he died for us so that we could live. That is how much he loves us!

Jansen Young, a theater survivor, understands what it physically feels like to have someone take a bullet for her. In an interview on the Today Show, Young shared her heartbreaking story about how her boyfriend, Jon Blunk, covered her with his own body so he could protect her from the shooting. Blunk did not survive the attack.

Still, clearly and understandably, shaken up from the recent events, Young's voice quivered as she bravely shared her story with the world. Towards the end of the interview, these statements grabbed my attention:

TODAY
When you think about that, the fact that he saved your life, you must feel such incredible love for him.

YOUNG
Oh my gosh, yeah... all I could think about was, I know the most amazing man. I do, I love him so much. It's what I kept thinking... Jon, I love you and I am so grateful for what you did for me.

(Watch the full interview HERE.)

Young's testimony got me thinking about how Jesus used his body to save our lives. Basically, Jesus took a bullet for us, just like Blunk did for his girlfriend. Jesus died with our sin on his shoulders so that we could live and not be separated from God. We should all feel so much love for our Savior as Young does for Blunk!

Life is filled with uncertainties and Satan is among all of them, whispering evil thoughts into our minds. Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Don't let another moment pass you by. Jesus already paid the price, the gift of salvation is free to all who are willing to accept it.

Don't let Satan bring you down with him. RISE and take a stand against evil! Be a true rebel in this world and do what is good.

My thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by the tragic theater shooting in Colorado.

UPDATE: Want to read an inspiring story of God's mercy and ultimate power? Check out this blog post: A Miracle Inside the Aurora Shooting: One Victim’s Story. Read it and be encouraged!