A Spiritual Lesson In Toon Language: Lesson 31b
Topic: Unity II
Series: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
Episode: Two Heads Are Better Than One
Lesson PDF link: 31b.pdf
Introduction
This lesson was requested by our friend Kim who lives in the same complex that I do. I recently moved to a place named Pebblecreek Crossing and have been appointed as their Pastor and Chaplain.
This is a new part to a rather old lesson from 2006 or so and we are further looking at the need for teamwork and cooperation to get a mission accomplished. The featured bad guy in this group of clips is named Two-Headed Parrot. He has two brains that work together and the Rangers need to find a way to make him not cooperate with himself. Once this happens we see why the scriptures are very accurate about being double-minded and not working together. On the plus side, we see the Rangers teaching self-defense and teamwork in a fight. Done right, two heads are better than one.
What does it feel like to be a part of a team?
Well, if the team is what it should be, then everyone does their part and this makes everything easier on everyone else. No one will be overwhelmed or underappreciated and everyone is just as important as anyone else.
In this clip of "Two Heads Are Better Than One" that we will see, there is a class going on about self- defense and teamwork against an adversary. Let's see what happens.
Clip #1 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: "Two Heads Are Better Than One":
What do you see in this clip? Tommy and Jason teach the moms of Angel Grove how to fight together, but Rita gets Finster to fashion the Two-Headed Parrot Monster to play on this idea of teamwork. Teamwork can also be done by bad guys.
I want to show the scripture passage from the first unity lesson here because it works tightly.
We find this passage in Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12.
Ecc 4:9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.
Ecc 4:10 If they stumble, the first will lift up his friend--but woe to anyone who is alone when he falls and there is no one to help him get up.
Ecc 4:11 Again, if two lie close together, they will keep warm, but how can only one stay warm?
Ecc 4:12 If someone attacks one of them, the two of them together will resist. Furthermore, the tri- braided cord is not soon broken.
This self-defense class proves that these scriptures are accurate--the more teamwork the less attacks work against you overwhelmingly.
Unfortunately for the good guys, this is a very good attempt by the bad guys as they try their hand at it.
Clip # 2: Let's watch the second clip of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: "Two Heads Are Better Than One"
What do you see in this clip?
This bad bird proves to be tough and Tommy and Jason try to fight, but need to regroup, so they are joined by the others later. Sometimes, we have to slow down and think about a situation before it's too late. Everyone has a meeting in the chamber and they find a way to probably beat this monster. This is to distract the monster so it doesn't cooperate with itself; Tommy will get a piece of fruit for bait.
The scripture passage we want to look at here is Romans 12: 1-8
Rom 12: I therefore urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercies, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God, for this is the reasonable way for you to worship.
Rom 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but continually be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God's will is--what is proper, pleasing, and perfect.
Rom 12:3 For by the grace given to me I ask every one of you not to think of yourself more highly than you should think, rather to think of yourself with sober judgment on the measure of faith that God has assigned each of you.
Rom 12:4 For we have many parts in one body, but these parts do not all have the same function.
Rom 12:5 In the same way, even though we are many people, we are one body in the Messiah and individual parts connected to each other.
Rom 12:6 We have different gifts based on the grace that was given to us. So if your gift is prophecy, use your gift in proportion to your faith.
Rom 12:7 If your gift is serving, devote yourself to serving others. If it is teaching, devote yourself to teaching others.
Rom 12:8 If it is encouraging, devote yourself to encouraging others. If it is sharing, share generously. If it is leading, lead enthusiastically. If it is helping, help cheerfully.
God tells us to meditate on what we are supposed to do for Him and gives us the mind to do so and in cooperation get His missions done. Zordon and Alpha are showing the Rangers that this Two- Headed Parrot is beatable and there is a way to make it to not cooperate with itself. This makes Zordon and Alpha very much God symbols here. The Rangers' minds are renewed with hope and they now know what their jobs are in the team this time. Tommy may even feel bad that he isn't with the rest of the team for the time being, but he knows he is a great help.
In Christ, we all have jobs and gifts; these can be big or small, obvious or not. Once you put all of the jobs and missions together, the reasoning most of the time behind each one becomes clear. Clip # 3 Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: "Two Heads Are Better Than One"
What do you see in this clip?
Jason has just about had it with this monster and doesn't wait for the trap to be set and sprung why?
When you lose your cool in a pressure situation, this is easy. We have to remember to wait on God's timing.
Tommy returns to find his friends getting beaten without the bait, once he tosses the pomango to the Two-Headed Parrot, it's all about over for him because both heads become selfish and don't share.
Would things be any different if the monster shared?
The answer is that he would still be incredibly hard to beat and in real life may not be.
This monster becomes what the Bible calls "double-minded"
Look at James 1:8 (KJV)
Jas 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
The double-mind is never a good way to be unless you want to fail at what you want to do. Being that way makes you indecisive, delayed, distracted and too slow to be effective a lot of times.
This monster is quarrelsome with itself which makes it weak.
The next passage is found in James 4: 1-8
Jas 4:1 Where do those fights and quarrels among you come from? They come from your selfish desires that are at war in your bodies, don't they?
Jas 4:2 You want something but do not get it, so you commit murder. You covet something but cannot obtain it, so you quarrel and fight. You do not get things because you do not ask for them!
Jas 4:3 You ask for something but do not get it because you ask for it for the wrong reason--for your own pleasure.
Jas 4:4 You adulterers! Don't you know that friendship with the world means hostility with God? So whoever wants to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God.
Jas 4:5 Or do you think the Scripture means nothing when it says that the Spirit that God caused to live in us jealously yearns for us?
Jas 4:6 But he gives all the more grace. And so he says, "God opposes the arrogant but gives grace to the humble."
Jas 4:7 Therefore, submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you.
Jas 4:8 Come close to God, and he will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Now that this monster is showing its true colors (as a selfish, double-minded creature), it's easy to pick it apart and dispose of him.
The devil likes nothing less than to do the same thing to us. This monster is a good example of what not to be because anyone divided against himself will not stand.
The Bible says in Matthew 12: 25-26
Mat 12:25 He knew what they were thinking and told them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.
Mat 12:26 So if Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How, then, can his kingdom stand?
Two-Headed Parrot became so weak, he was able to be picked apart because he was divided against himself.
Now this is how to not be a "Two-Headed Parrot"
Let's look at Galatians 5: 13-26:
Gal 5:13 For you, brothers, were called to freedom. Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity to gratify your flesh, but through love make it your habit to serve one another.
Gal 5:14 For the whole Law is summarized in a single statement: "You must love your neighbor as yourself."
Gal 5:15 But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you are not destroyed by each other.
Gal 5:16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will never fulfill the desires of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For what the flesh wants is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, and so you do not do what you want to do.
Gal 5:18 But if you are being led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
Gal 5:19 Now the actions of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, promiscuity,
Gal 5:20 idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, rivalry, jealously, outbursts of anger, quarrels, conflicts, factions,
Gal 5:21 envy, murder, drunkenness, wild partying, and things like that. I am telling you now, as I have told you in the past, that people who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
Gal 5:24 Now those who belong to the Messiah Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.
Gal 5:25 Since we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also be guided.
Gal 5:26 Let's stop being arrogant, provoking one another and envying one another.
Clip # 4 Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: "Two Heads Are Better Than One"
What do you see?
We see the final defeat for Two-Headed Parrot. He lost his advantage and couldn't recover. Selfishness and lack of cooperation was his undoing.
Being like Two-Headed Parrot means that you would be selfish, not wanting the good of the team; you are in it only for yourself. On God's team there is not one smidgen of room for being like that. Once we are out of this "Parrot Trap" as I call it, we will find our lives much more peaceful and fulfilling we will win because of Christian unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We will fulfill our mission for God's kingdom and the message will spread to whoever we touch that love is the right answer. The only way to do this is through working together in Christ for this purpose --to love each other and to be of one sound mind in Him who saves.