Salvation in Narnia--- Lord Rhoop

Lord Rhoop's story was, I believe, promised to you in the last post. Rhoop had a past of loyalty to his king and country- Caspian IX and Narnia, respectively. When Miraz the usurped Caspian IX's throne and authority, he sent Lord Rhoop along with 6 other Telmarine lords on a quest to seek out new lands...or so he said. Miraz successfully got these last 7 faithful out of the way. Along their journey, they left 1 lord where he chose to settle down, 2 died under questionable circumstances and 3 were found, much later, sleeping under enchantment at Aslan's table. But the lord Rhoop had neither death, marriage, or dreamless sleep...he was pulled in by a mighty lure...pleasure.

When hearing of the Island Where Dreams Come True, Rhoop was enticed by the idea of a life of dreams; of an un-reality, so to speak. A life where nothing bad ever happens. A life of painlessness. A life where all you have to do to escape an ugly situation is simply wake up. At least, that 's what he thought. He was dreadfully wrong.

In actuality, the Island Where Dreams Come True was a land of torment, of nightmares.

Real. Life. Nightmares.

Rhoop's folly led in a man who rapidly became weak, frail, white-haired and wide-eyed with fear. Sleep would be sweet to a man taunted in real life by his own nightmares. But he could not get it. His only way of escape would be to leave...but how? How he survived in this land, we're not told, and it doesn't really matter. When he is beginning to leave on The Dawn Treader, he realizes he CANNOT leave. No one can...

Except Aslan.

Only the Son of the Emperor over the sea could bring one out...and he does. And wonder of wonders...

THE ISLAND IS DESTROYED.

Oh, how beautiful.

Jesus is the rest you need. Come to him. It's that simple. Just let go of all you think you've got. He is the living water. He is the Way, Truth and Life. He is El-Roi the God Who Sees Me, and El-Shaddai, the Almighty who nourishes us. Never again can we return to a state of being out of our Father's hands!

Salvation in Narnia---Frank & Helen

A long while ago, July of 2010 to be exact, I wrote a post about salvation pictured in Narnia through Jill Pole. You can Read It Here.  Just recently I was listening to Focus on the Family's rendition of  The Magician's Nephew (their entire Narnia series is, by the way, fantastic and accurate, plus hosted by Douglas Gresham) when something else struck me as being another amazing story of salvation: King Frank and Queen Helen.

Their story is probably the most subtle, next to Lord Rhoop's (which will come in a later post.) For Frank, the conversion is a simple, short conversation.

"Son," said Aslan to the Cabby. "I have known you long.  Do you know me?"
"Well, no, sir," said the Cabby. "Leastways, not in an ordinary manner of speaking. Yet I feel somehow, if I may make so free, as 'ow we've met before."
"It is well," said the Lion.  "You know better than you think you know, and you shall live to know me better still."

Salvation isn't a big fanfare-preceded, all-the-lights-trained-on-you event. It's a decision between you and God. An event certainly to be celebrated and shared, but also intimate. Frank had missed the country (the pre-knowledge state of early childhood) and longed for the sweetness of it. And it was granted him...along with the magnificent privilege of ruling the new land.

Helen's conversion isn't even recorded, but must come just after her husband's contact with Aslan. However, later, they are both described thus:

(Aslan) " Let us now proceed to the coronation of King Frank of Narnia and Helen his Queen."
The children now noticed these two for the first time. They were dressed in strange and beautiful clothes, and fromt heir shoulders rich robes flowed out behind them to where four dwarfs held up the King's train and four river-nymphs the Queen's. Their heads were  bare; but Helen had let her hair down and it made a great improvement in her appearance. But it was neither hair nor clothes taht maade them look so different from their old selves. Their faces had a new expression, especially the King's. All the sharpness and cunning and quarrelsomeness which he had picked up as a London cabby seemed to have been washed away and the courage and kindness which he had always had were easier to see. Perhaps it as the air of the young world that had doine it, or talking with Alan, or both. "Upon my word, " whispered Fledge to Polly. "My old master's been changed nearly as much as I have! Why, he's a real master now." 

How beautiful that changes a person's heart so it shows on his face!
May this be an encouragement to your day!

More Pictures (and a promise)

First the pictures:

Serious:

I know this isn't Narnia...but the gates make me think Magician's Nephew and The Last Battle.

with black frame...

without said frame

And funny:

And my personal favorite of this lot:

And now the promise: I will write 3 real posts and very soon! I have two in drafts and one in my head (a worrisome place to be) ;) .

What Were They Really Thinking...

On their coronation day?

THE GIRLS

THE BOYS

as always, if you copy, please link back here. Enjoy!