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A Spiritual Lesson In Toon Language: Lesson 26b(b)

Topic: Being Humbled - Not!

Series: Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?

Episode: Retribution I, II, and III

Lesson PDF link: 26bb.pdf

Introduction

The second lesson in this sub-lesson set is on a different kind of humility. This lesson and the next one talk about being comfortable in one's sins and redemption when one comes to their senses. Yes, this sounds like "The Honorable Martyr" of Lesson 26a but these next two (including this one) sections are focusing more on repentance and redemption (or the lack thereof) than that one ever was. This lesson session is basically on the lack of repentance and the impending spiritual gloom and doom that come with this lack. For this session, I use clips from the Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? episode "Retribution", which is ironically, three parts in itself. These are The Unsinkable Carmen Sandiego, In Memoriam, and Maelstrom's Revenge. I am using a clip from all three of these parts of the episode.

Scriptures Used Include: Luke 21: 36; Luke 13: 1-9; Jeremiah 5: 1-31

What did we learn last time about humility? For the next couple of sessions (including this one), we are talking about another kind of humility. We are discussing being humbled; namely knowing when you are wrong about something and owning up to it. This is very hard for some people if not all people sometimes. How often do you have a problem owning up to a mistake or even a sin? This lesson starts off somewhat differently to start off with because the first clip in this lesson is a prediction of wrongdoing. So, here it is.

Cartoon Clip: "The Unsinkable Carmen Sandiego: (Retribution Part I)":

Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?: "The Unsinkable Carmen Sandiego": Direct link for video/webm

In this clip, we have a flashback of our villain (Maelstrom), thinking that he sees something in the hero of that era of time. (Carmen). If you were Carmen, how would you react; would it be like her (denial) or would you pray for help so you won't become the prediction? In any case, why would you react in such a way?

Bible Study I: Luke 21: 36

The Bible States:

Lk 21:36 "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

Cartoon Clip: "In Memoriam: (Retribution Part II)":

Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?: "In Memoriam": Direct link for video/webm

In this clip we see the public humiliation of Carmen because of this revenge plot of Maelstrom. How much do you think it would take to humble you into repentance? Why do you think this humiliation didn't work on Carmen enough to question her line of work?

Carmen in this series is known to be extremely cultured and knowledgeable. So, she should be one of the first to be able to understand that the Bible states:

Lk 13:1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

Lk 13:2 Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?

Lk 13:3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

Lk 13:4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them - do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?

Lk 13:5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

Lk 13:6 Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any.

Lk 13:7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'

Lk 13:8 "'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it.

Lk 13:9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'"

In your opinion, why is it that Carmen should look at this scripture more closely?

Even though this scripture is focusing on Israel as a nation, it is also relevant to a people that make up any nation. This means individuals as well. Carmen should take this as a spiritual warning that she is astray, but as you will see, she doesn't.

Cartoon Clip: "Maelstrom's Revenge: (Retribution Part III)":

Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?: "Maelstrom's Revenge": Direct link for video/webm

In this clip we see that Carmen's mind definitely has not changed. She believes that she is some how better than Maelstrom, however, the scripture above and other places clearly says that she is not. Maelstrom, believe it or not is correct.

Maelstrom states:

"Oh, spare me the twisted philosophies Carmen. You've got a serious problem; you know that? And the sooner you realize that you're no better than anybody else who steals for 'fun' or 'profit', the better off we will all be."

Maelstrom is a villain who actually knows better than Carmen. Why do you think this is so?

There are consequences for a lack of repentance. Neither one of these characters are right spiritually. This is true however for all mankind without Jesus Christ. The Old Testament speaks clearly of Divine Judgment against those who are unrepentant as well.

The Bible States:

Jer 5:1 'Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city.

Jer 5:2 Although they say, 'As surely as the LORD lives,' still they are swearing falsely.'

Jer 5:3 O LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.

Jer 5:4 I thought, 'These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God.

Jer 5:5 So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God.' But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds.

Jer 5:6 Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many.

Jer 5:7 'Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.

Jer 5:8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man's wife.

Jer 5:9 Should I not punish them for this?' declares the LORD. 'Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?

Jer 5:10 'Go through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not destroy them completely. Strip off her branches, for these people do not belong to the LORD.

Jer 5:11 The house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me,' declares the LORD.

Jer 5:12 They have lied about the LORD? they said, 'He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword or famine.

Jer 5:13 The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them; so let what they say be done to them.'

Jer 5:14 Therefore this is what the LORD God Almighty says: 'Because the people have spoken these words, I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes.

Jer 5:15 O house of Israel,' declares the LORD, 'I am bringing a distant nation against you ' an ancient and enduring nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you do not understand.

Jer 5:16 Their quivers are like an open grave; all of them are mighty warriors.

Jer 5:17 They will devour your harvests and food, devour your sons and daughters; they will devour your flocks and herds, devour your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust.

Jer 5:18 'Yet even in those days,' declares the LORD, 'I will not destroy you completely.

Jer 5:19 And when the people ask, 'Why has the LORD our God done all this to us?' you will tell them, 'As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land not your own.'

Jer 5:20 'Announce this to the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah:

Jer 5:21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear:

Jer 5:22 Should you not fear me?' declares the LORD. 'Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.

Jer 5:23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away.

Jer 5:24 They do not say to themselves, 'Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.'

Jer 5:25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away; your sins have deprived you of good.

Jer 5:26 'Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch men.

Jer 5:27 Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful

Jer 5:28 and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor.

Jer 5:29 Should I not punish them for this?' declares the LORD. 'Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?

Jer 5:30 'A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land:

Jer 5:31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?

This is a prophecy against Israel because they turned away from God. God says that Israel will go into bondage to break His people's hearts of stone so that everyone would be humbled. God shows his mercy by not going the full extent of Divine Judgment on Israel.

God brings circumstances into being that are designed to humble the hearts of today, in order to make them want peace and rightness with Him. The Lord Jesus, asks us to be humbled towards Him and confess our sins before Him, so He can forgive us and bring us into our promised places in His Kingdom. For those who believe already, this is supposed to be second nature, but sometimes even strong Christians need to be humbled by God and the circumstances that either He initiates or allows to happen, so that we won't be like Carmen here. We don't want people to perish as the fig tree in Jesus's parable. What have we learned? How will you apply this to your lives?

These next two questions don't have to be answered out loud. Mostly they are to think about after this lesson. You can even humble yourself here. I am sure that people will pray with you if you need it. I will help too. Are you humbled already, or do you need to be? Do you need to rededicate to the Lord God Almighty, or do you need to come to the Lord Jesus Christ for the first time?