Note to Hollywood & Media

I’ve been seeing stories in the news about how Hollywood and media executives are making plans on how to capitalize on the vast Christian audience in the US.  Massive successes like The Passion of the Christ and The Bible are tempting to try to duplicate.  Both of these productions were borderline acceptable.  I hear the new Noah film has troubled the religious audiences that have seen it.

One such news story about the attempt to cash in on Christian audiences is here.

Listen up Hollywood and media types.  Anything you make (with a Christian audience in mind) that deviates from the Bible, presents so called scholars (ridiculous) to deny what the Bible teaches, or attack the Christian faith in some way are going to be utter and complete failures.  You will lose your money and forget about it until someone else actually makes something good that Christians want to see.

I’m happy to consult.

Note: 7th Heaven was real popular, but many Christians stopped watching it because even though the father was a pastor there was no mention of Jesus anywhere.  If the characters can’t talk about Jesus or pray in Jesus’ name you might as well forget about it.  He is the focus and most important aspect of our faith.

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Audience Matters

Yes, audience matters when interpreting a piece of writing.

The New Testament was written to…

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The Cross – Billy Graham’s Message to America

Jesus is the answer, no doubt.

Sadly, Dr. Graham said something very wrong based on Matthew 27:46. He said that God the Father and Jesus were separated at the cross. Absolutely not.

Jesus was quoting Psalm 22 and the answer to its meaning is in the verse.

Psalm 22:1
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?”

It isn’t that Jesus and the Father were separated (never let it be said they were as they are one!), it was that God poured out His wrath on Jesus in our place, He would not save Jesus from the brutal death He suffered. It was God’s will for Jesus to be crushed (Isaiah 53:5). It pleased God to satisfy His justice (Isaiah 53:10) at the cross of Christ so that we might be saved.

The night before the crucifixion Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

The quote is at 16:11.

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22 Points – God’s Grace and Sovereignty in Salvation

This is God’s preserving work among the human race to save a vast, uncountable number of people from every tongue, tribe, and nation.   Without His grace and sovereignty, every single human being would have been lost (Romans 3:10-18).

1) Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

2) Those who belong to Christ are chosen before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) to be known, given, and have a relationship with Him (Romans 8:29; John 10:14-16).

3) They were chosen to be obedient to Christ and saved by His work (1 Peter 1:2).

4) Those given to Jesus by the Father will come to Him (John 6:37).

5) They did not choose Him, He chose them first (John 15:16).

6) They were appointed to everlasting life (Acts 13:48).

7) They were set free from the power of Satan (John 8:32; Romans 6:18; Acts 26:18).

8 ) They are predestined, called, justified, being conformed, and
will be glorified (Romans 8:29-30).

9) They are sanctified [set apart] (Romans 15:16; 1 Corinthians
6:11).

10) They are made alive while dead in transgressions (Ephesians 2:4-5).

11) They are led to and granted repentance (Romans 2:4; Acts 11:18; 2 Corinthians 7:8-10; 2 Timothy 2:25).

12) God made His light shine into their hearts to give them the knowledge of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6) because the Gospel is veiled to those who are perishing (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

13) Their hearts are opened by God to respond to the message (Acts 16:14).

14) They are drawn to Christ (John 6:44).

15) They are enabled by the Holy Spirit to trust in Him (John 6:65;
Ephesians 2:8-9).

16) They are given eyes to see and ears to listen (Proverbs 20:12, John 3:3).

17) They are reborn out of death to life, so they can see Christ for who He is and enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:3, 5-6).

18) They are circumcised in heart so they will love Him (Deuteronomy 30:6).

19) They are given a new heart by God instead of a heart of stone (Ezekiel
36:26).

20) It is because of God that they are in Christ Jesus. (1 Corinthians 1:30).

21) They are the partakers of the New Covenant based on God’s faithfulness alone, not on men choosing God as the Old Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-33).

22) When they are reborn they see Him and want to follow Him because they perceive Him as life, not death (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).

“And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.
For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance,
As the Lord has said,
Among the remnant whom the Lord calls” (Joel 2:32).

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“I Will Lose None…” – Jesus (John 6:39)

“And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.” John 6:39

Jesus will never fail in His work when it comes to saving His people for that is the will of God.

“…he will save his people…” (Matthew 1:21).

Even those who are enemies of the Church that belong to Him will be saved.  It does not matter what religion, political system, or nationality they belong to.  Paul was an enemy of the church and he was saved on the road to Damascus.  Jesus appeared to him (Acts 9).

I’ve posted about this previously and how Jesus is appearing personally to people through visions and dreams bringing them to belief and trust in Him.  I had a buddhist friend this happened to, and I’ve shared other articles/videos on the subject.

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The Fear of the Lord…

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7).

I’ve noticed that children and adults will not do things until someone gets pissed off about it (possible danger). Then they rush to do whatever it is they were supposed to do. Why wait until someone gets mad and upset? Just do it.

I think I can understand this text a bit better today. It means we are to understand that God is the authority over us (like our parents etc). And we should do what God wants us to do so He doesn’t have to get angry about it. Why does He have to pour out wrath to get our attention? We should do what is good right now.
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Transformation

The transformation slow and unnoticed,
Increasing in speed, in silent agony,
Looking down, the smoke begins,
drifting outward, swirling around,
forming a pillar of cloud, a cloak billowing,
Then within the center, fire erupts
like a dagger piercing from the inside,
stabbing outward, with a soft thunder,
flesh melts, ripped asunder, cries,
head back, mouth open, consumed
by the fire, flames tearing forth,
Arms stretched to each side, purified,
the flames roar with the Lion’s voice,
all resistance fades, sweet release,
the blaze, as a mighty wind, a flood of light,
explosive, the flesh falls, replaced with fire.
Freedom found, born into one flesh,
flesh of power, flesh of strength,
Eyes that can see, ears that can hear,
Incorruptible, immortal, one
with the fire of forever.

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Chuck Smith & Calvary Chapel

Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel has passed away.

Christianity Today’s article here.
The Blaze article here.

There is one statement that represents Chuck Smith to me.

I would rather have the wrong facts and a right attitude, than right facts and a wrong attitude.– Chuck Smith, Calvinism and Arminianism & The Word of God: A Calvary Chapel Perspective, p10.

Chuck Smith founded Calvary Chapel, which is now an international organization with over a thousand churches.  Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapels believe in teaching the Bible verse-by-verse, chapter-by-chapter, book-by-book.  They are to teach the entire counsel of God from Genesis to Revelation.

I spent 5 years in a Calvary Chapel in Texas, and I was ordained as a Pastor in June 2004.  My certificate was signed by my 3 pastors and witnessed by hundreds of people.

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Pope Francis I – Heresy [Updated 9/13]

Pope Francis: “You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don’t believe and who don’t seek the faith. I start by saying – and this is the fundamental thing – that God’s mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience.”

Jesus: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Read the article here.

Another article here.

Questions:

“What part of this is problematic? Do you believe there are people whom God doesn’t forgive, who go to Him with a sincere and contrite heart?”

Jesus can answer this question:

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Comet to Light Up the Sky (Dec 2013 – Jan 2014)

I love astronomy and interesting stories like this.  Original article here.

Jesus said, “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars…”(Luke 21:25)

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