Friday, March 26, 2004

(AgapePress) - Mel Gibson is making big waves with his biblically-based film, The Passion of the Christ, which was released on Ash Wednesday. Controversy swirled around the project for months. Critics claim it is anti-Semitic. Some say its depiction of the beating of Christ is too violent. Others seem only to take offense that Gibson would invest $25 million of his own fortune to produce a film based on his Christian faith.

The Gospel of John, another major Christian film, was released last fall by Visual Bible International (VBI). Falling in the shadow of the spotlight on the Gibson film, it has suffered a lack of media attention. That is unfortunate. I would not for a moment detract from The Passion, but I do want to champion The Gospel of John. It is a moving drama that uses a unique approach to telling the story of John -- a word-for-word adaptation of the Scriptures.

Historically, overtly Christian films have not been big box office hits. Of course, there are the occasional perennial classics such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur or Chariots of Fire; but most such hits were produced decades ago.

Over the past 25 years, video has provided a new avenue for movie sales. World Wide Pictures, a subsidiary of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and a number of other production companies have released many quality movies. The startling success of Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye's Left Behind novel series provided impetus for two movies that made at least minor waves in the secular film world.

However, most of the "Christian" movies have reached primarily the Christian community. One exception is the recent mega-hit Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. It is the third in the fantasy trilogy from J.R.R. Tolkien's books and based on Judeo-Christian morality. It won all four of its nominations at the Golden Globe Awards, and came away from this year's Academy Awards with 11 Oscars, including the one for Best Picture.

John -- an Exciting Production
Cynic that I am, I approached The Gospel of John with expectations in check. A word-for-word transfer of the Gospel to film? Why not just read it aloud to myself? My skeptical nature sometimes protects me from being disappointed when things don't turn out well. But often, I'm wrong and -- in cases such as this -- I can be pleasantly and totally overwhelmed.

The Gospel of John is superb and moving, surprising in its simplicity and strength. With renowned actor Christopher Plummer narrating and a cast of seasoned stage actors doing the dialogue, I began to feel as if John somehow wrote -- in the first century -- for the big screen in the 21st. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, and made its U.S. debut September 26. It is available now on video. More...

Thursday, March 25, 2004

(AgapePress) - The U.S. Supreme Court has begun the process of deciding if God has a place in the Pledge of Allegiance. The constitutionality of the phrase "under God" has been challenged by an avowed atheist who sued on behalf of his nine-year-old daughter -- whose mother he never married and over whom the two parents are in a bitter custody dispute.

Associated Press reports that observers in the courtroom chamber on Wednesday described dramatic arguments, with Chief Justice William Rehnquist threatening to clear the gallery after one outburst of applause for atheist Michael Newdow. Sandra Banning, the mother of Newdow's daughter and herself a born-again Christian, said he presented his case well.

But observers say the justices seem divided over whether Newdow, as a non-custodial parent, has standing to bring the lawsuit.

As the day began, Rob Schenck of the National Clergy Council led a prayer for Newdow has he walked into the Supreme Court. "We are in need of You as much as Michael Newdow," Schenck prayed. "We ask today that You will change his heart and mind, he will find Your love, and know the joy of Your salvation." More...

Wednesday, March 24, 2004

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Biblical preaching is essential for building a Christ-honoring church, Ralph West, pastor of The Church Without Walls in Houston, Texas, said in chapel at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Preaching from 1 Timothy 3:14-16, West said that too often, ministers pursue worldly ambitions and ignore the church's obligation to build upon a foundation of biblical truth. West's sermon was part of the National Conference on Preaching which was held March 8-11 on the Louisville, Ky. campus. The Church Without Walls, also known as Brookhaven Baptist Church, is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.

As a remedy for straying from biblically faithful preaching, West highlighted three truths that God-centered preachers must declare.

First, preachers must declare the incarnation of God in Christ.

By coming to earth in human flesh, Jesus demonstrated the love and compassion of God the Father, West said.

"He is God in flesh Who has come among us to walk among us and say to us, 'I identify with all of your human sufferings and all of your human struggles and with all of your human difficulties,'" he said. More...

(AgapePress) - A Christian ministry that serves the persecuted Church is using the stories of young martyrs to encourage people to stand strong in their faith.

Forever Young: Living and Dying for Christ is filled with stories of young Christian martyrs from the time of Christ to the present day. Compiled from the files of Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), the stories in the book are designed to inspire believers and build their faith.

Todd Nettleton of VOM says the stories in Forever Young show how young people from all over the world have laid down their lives for Christ throughout the centuries. "You don't have to be 60 years old and have been a Christian for 50 years in order to be willing to suffer for Christ. Even very young people who are sold out for Jesus Christ suffer for His name's sake," he says.

For instance, the book tells the story of Mary Khoury, who was only 17 when her Lebanese village was attacked by Islamic fanatics, At one point Khoury, whose parents had already been killed by the Muslim militants, found herself staring down the barrel of a gun and facing the decision to deny her faith in Christ or be killed. More...

Monday, March 22, 2004

WASHINGTON (BP)--As far as Bruce Coe is concerned, a partial defeat in court may prove to be a victory for the church he pastors.

In a case with national implications, federal judge Royal Ferguson's March 19 opinion upheld a federal law protecting religious liberty in zoning and prison cases, but it delivered a split decision in a dispute between a large Southern Baptist Church and a suburb of San Antonio, Texas.

The city of Castle Hills did not substantially burden Castle Hills First Baptist Church's free exercise of religion when it refused to grant a permit for additional parking space, Ferguson ruled in a 45-page opinion. He decided, however, the city did substantially burden the church's religious rights when it rejected a request for a permit to complete the fourth floor of one of its buildings.

The decision "isn't everything we wanted," said Coe, pastor of First Baptist Church, but it is "going to cause us to look harder at what God wants us to be.

"Yes, we need parking," he said. "We're not going to let this be a setback. Ultimately, this is going to make us stronger.

"I'm encouraged by it for what it's going to do for us and what it's going to do within our body." Coe said. More...