Ad Choices. Fact-forward news for readers like you who want to know more. Subscribe today. By Dave Person Kalamazoo Gazette. Bonita Jenkins. The big problem with this line of thinking is that it denies God true power over our lives.
It makes "calling" a one-shot deal; you either heed it at that moment, or you miss the boat forever. Yet time and again in Scripture we see men and women say "no" to God's call—and then we see God work his will in their lives and in the world anyway.
Not only that, but the concept of redemption is utterly absent from What If … , which only offers a "do-over" that would erase those 15 years that Ben allowed the locusts to eat. While Ben does give voice to repentance from sin, he also throws in a request for God to forgive him for "missing out on everything you wanted me to be.
While Sorbo and Ratzenberger nearly save the movie with their solid, committed performances as Ben and Mike, director Dallas Jenkins—son of Left Behind co-author Jerry Jenkins—lets things get way too soggy in the tediously long middle section. Perhaps no actress would be up to the task of enlivening pious Wendy, but Kristy Swanson barely even tries to play against type. She's just no match for Kristin Minter, who steals one scene by making long fingernails seem like they should've been prohibited in Leviticus.
Ultimately, What If … fails before it hits the minute mark. Even though the movie's disdain for non-Christians oozes from every frame, Jenkins doesn't have the gumption to make Ben all that bad of a guy.
His assistant seems to adore him, and he makes sure she gets a more-than-generous raise. He might be taking over a company, but his aim is to save the owners from losing everything. It's not like he's Henry F. Potter or anything. He might be a capitalist, but he's the kind who makes it seem like a good idea. This begs the question of why Ben even needs to be a different man in the first place.
Repentance isn't time travel. If it were, then King David never could've written the Psalms. Christ's call to Peter to "go, and feed my sheep" slays us because it follows, not negates, Peter's betrayal. Christ didn't come to earth to hit the rewind button straight back to Eden. He came to turn our sin and sorrow into his glory. The logistics and metaphysics of Ben's "parallel universe" aren't really explained in a satisfactory way, but it does seem as though there's only one way that God wants Ben to live his life, and he's going to make it happen, no matter what.
Most people don't have the privilege of being given the kind of clear choice of vocation that God offered to Jonah, or Saul of Tarsus, or Abram.
And unless you're trying to decide "one wife, or two? What if Banker Ben was as much worth saving as Pastor Ben? Christ died to save the rich young ruler, too. Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods. Please note the delivery estimate is greater than 9 business days. Start of add to list layer. Sign in for more lists. Nov 08, PST. Seller's other items. Sell one like this. Sponsored items from this seller. Showing Slide 1 of 2. Similar sponsored items. Seller Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing.
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