Trust Not in the Arm of Flesh, Or In MJ's Secret Stuff

Trust Not in the Arm of Flesh, Or In MJ's Secret Stuff:  In one of my favorite movies "Space Jam" The Nerdlucks, and their boss, Swackhammer, had been seeking a new attraction for their extraterrestrial theme park and came to earth to capture the Looney Toons. In an attempt to save themselves from having to become prisoners of Swackhammer the Looney Toons challenge the Nerdlucks to a basketball game. The Nerdlucks, in order to have a chance to compete, steal the talent of NBA superstars and become "The Monstars". Bugs Bunny and the Looney Toon gang, desperate for some help, turn to Michael Jordan, who at this point had retired, for some help. This leads to an epic battle on the court!

    The Toon Squad, finding themselves down not only on the scoreboard but on themselves, at half time turn to Bugs Bunny for some help. Bugs rallies the team with what he claims is "Michael's Secret Stuff" which he claims will give them special basketball powers if they will drink it. Every member of the team takes a swig and feels as if it is really working. They run their way back onto the court with a renewed sense of happiness and determination that they feel this secret drink has given them.

         As they start the second half their play increases and they find themselves back in the game. But soon enough "Michael's Secret Stuff" is all gone and they find themselves once again frustrated. This is when Michael Jordan reveals to them that Bugs had tricked them and that the "Secret Stuff" was really just water and that if they will reach deep inside of them they can find the true talent and skills they have and need to defeat The Monstars. As they now work together as a team they are able to with real confidence in themselves now they find themselves in the game all the way down to the wire. Down by one, it is up to MJ to score the final point for his team, which he does with a long stretched arm, for the victory! The Looney Toons are saved, the NBA players get their talent back, and Michael Jordan's basketball career is revamped bringing him back into the NBA.

      In life there are times when we rely on what the world, and Satan, calls "Secret Stuff". Satan uses this "Secret Stuff", which to the world is no secret, to carefully lead us astray. We, for a moment, feel as if we are invincible, just like the Toon Squad felt, but eventually we feel the lasting negative effects of these decision. The scriptures would call this putting our trust in the arm of flesh. 2 Nephi 4:34 Lehi councils about this by saying "O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm." Let us put our trust in the good things of God that will not only bring us happiness now but happiness in the long run. Things like scripture study, prayer, and church are three things that we can trust in to help us find our true potential. Those three things will also help us to make good decision when Satan tried to persuade us with his "Secret Stuff". It is my hope that we will all trust in the Lord and not in the arm of flesh. If we do this we will truly be blessed and be able to find our true talent and happiness that God has to offer and we can win the game of life!