Friday, 31 October 2014
AUTHOR JOHN CHINGFORD FROM LONDON ASKS THE PERTINENT QUESTION, "IN THESE DAYS OF APOSTASY AND FALSE CHRISTIANITY, SHOULD WE STILL ATTEND APOSTATE CHURCHES?"
In These days Of Apostasy and False Christianity, Should We Still Attend Apostate Churches?
A Little About The Apostasy
The apostasy includes an overwhelming acceptance of ecumenism, i.e. unity with the pagan Babylonian originated Roman Catholic church, and even ALL FAITHS unity, New Age thinking and much occult activity. The church of the 21st Century has widely compromised on the fundamental teachings from the Bible by putting greater emphasis on the physical, mental, psychic, mystic and “spiritual” EXPERIENCES rather than following after the pure, unadulterated, simplicity of the Bible and NT Christianity.
They have forgotten the exhortation (in the Bible) that EVERYTHING must be weighed up by the plumbline of Scripture. What has happened to “testing all things” by the Word of God? What about 2 Tim 3:15-16:
“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able tomake thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
But the Word of God rarely NOW has centre place in churches and very few believers are discipled into proper Bible study and certainly are not trained to follow 2 Tim 2:15:
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Instead many simply open the bible randomly (when they do actually go to that extent) and collect their doctrine from isolated verses and WELL out of context, instead of comparing scripture with scripture and properly seeking to understand the context of why something was written.
Instead they are taught to seek “experiencing the Lord” rather than seeking to know the Lord through His word and prayer. For more on this, see footnote below.
In the light of these apostate days and apostate churches, SHOULD true born again believers STILL go to church? To find out, please click on the icon entitled "read more" below.
My answer is YES! I will go on to explain why it is vital to still go to church. Although whether you should attend any specific church should be according to its own unique situation.
Who We Should NOT Have Fellowship With
Before I give my reasons why we should still attend EVEN an apostate church, we first need to consider what the apostle Paul said in 2 Cor 6:7:
“Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord”
What was he referring to?
Let us look at the context, verses 14-16:
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is therebetween the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people”
The context was about Babylonian inspired pagan religion which was seeking to infiltrate the infant Christian church. Paul made it clear that they should be completely separate from such pagan ecumenism.
Clearly a truly born again believer should NEVER seek fellowship/unity/ecumenism with paganism of any sort. This blog has already proved that the Roman Catholic church came into being from out of this Babylonic paganism and successfully (for hundreds of years) infiltrated the true Christian church by “Christianising” Babylonic idolatry and practices forcing the true church to go “underground”.
So, a true believer can NEVER feel at home in such darkness and will be badly affected by such darkness if they do not come out of it.
The NT is full of warnings about the dangers of apostasy.
So, What is apostasy?
Apostasy is basically a falling away from the true gospel as was first preached to the early first century church. It is a falling away from the true faith and teachings of the Bible by bringing in added extras and teaching “another Jesus” and other ways of salvation.
So it is clear that true believers should NEVER fellowship with the Catholic church, but come out from it. It is also clear that believers and true churches should never fellowship with paganism either.
There are many churches today (maybe the vast majority) which DO fellowship with such paganism. Some are blatant ecumenists directly – some indirectly by joining an ecumenical organisation.
Does that mean that we should never attend ANY ecumenically (or such) linked church?
It all depends on the circumstances. If they are seriously in fellowship with Rome or into the occult etc, then I would suggest there is nothing to be gained by joining them.
This is the key “IS THERE ANYTHING TO BE GAINED BY ATTENDING THESE (DIRECT OR INDIRECT) APOSTATE CHURCHES?”
In many cases I would suggest that we DO STILL NEED to attend their churches. I will now give my reasons.
Why We SHOULD Still Attend Some Apostate Churches
The apostle Paul said that in the last days that the time of the gentiles would come to an end and at the same time a falling away from THE FAITH. There will be a time when (probably culminated after the rapture) the adoption of gentiles into the olive tree would come to an end but then replaced by a mass return of Jews to the olive tree.
Paul was called as a missionary to the gentiles. However, (as was his custom) would still go into the Jewish synagogues and preach there, despite that the vast majority of Jews rejected Jesus as their messiah and actually were “apostates” i.e., had fallen away from their relationship with the LORD. Jesus had said that they had reached a point where "their house was left desolate" and "you will not see Me again UNTIL you say 'blessed is HE who comes in the Name of the LORD' ".
From that moment, the grace of God was being moved from Israel (from their apostasy) to the gentiles, YET Paul still went into the Jewish congregations to preach regularly.
This tells me that despite the apostasy growing in our churches (in these last days) we should STILL attend these churches and preach against their apostasy by declaring the truth and exposing the darkness by preaching the light.
God has not finished with these dead churches - NOT UNTIL THE RAPTURE, because there are some individuals (within these churches) who are NOT DEAD but are true believers.
Only at the rapture will God have finished finally with the gentile church and return His favour on Israel and those gentiles who join themselves to Israel during the tribulation.
Therefore, we need to still attend these apostate churches (like Paul did in those synagogues) and take every opportunity to expose the darkness and preach the truth, because there are many who need to hear our message and maybe many may still respond favourably and join us in our campaign.
Despite this discussion, I still need to remind us that Hebrews 10: 23-25 says:
"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching"
In these days it is becoming increasingly difficult to fulfill these verses and obtain REAL fellowship. Therefore, I would like to conclude this article by showing a shortcut link to another article I wrote on this subject:
Please Click here to read how we can obtain this sort of fellowship and how it relates to THIS article. You may also like to refer to this older article of mine on what real fellowship is Click Here (note: I may not agree with ALL of it anymore in the light of newer understandings, but most of it still applies).
***************************************************************
PS. For John's comprehensive list of false organisations and false prophets in these last days of apostasy, please go to
NEV.
Tuesday, 28 October 2014
AVOID HALLOWEEN AT ALL COSTS THIS WEEKEND!! IT IS SATANIC IN ORIGIN AND IN NATURE!!
THE SATANIC NATURE OF HALLOWEEN EXPOSED
Halloween: A sinister celebration of death and darkness
Halloween has grown in popularity over recent years – it is associated with activities like trick-or-treat, ghoulish masks and costumes, jack-o’-lanterns, bonfires, apple bobbing etc. The paraphernalia of Halloween has evolved into a multi-billion-pound, global annual celebration for all ages. In the UK, various events are being advertised, ranging from ghost tours, ghost trains, hauntfests, séances etc.
The current celebrations of Halloween are derived directly from ancient druidic Baal rituals which took place about 2000 years ago. Baal is a synonym for Satan in the New Testament. Samhain (pronounced sah-win) was a three day fire festival when the Druids performed human sacrifice and other vile satanic rituals. The night of October the 31st was dedicated to Samhain, the Lord of the Dead, symbolised by the horned god and the stag god. It was believed that on this night the boundary between the living and the dead was obscured and the spirits of the dead returned to the earth. Bonfires were lit to honour the dead, to aid them on their journey and to keep them away from the living. It was believed that all kinds of ghoulish creatures like ghosts, witches, monsters, ogres, vampires, hobgoblins and demons roamed about on this night.
Historical documents from the works of Lucan, Julius Caesar, Suetonius and Cicero confirm that the Druids practiced human sacrifice. These documents were previously thought to be a biased view by the Romans; however they have been taken more seriously in recent years due to archaeological evidence of druidic cannibalism and human sacrifice. The Romans abhorred the rituals of the Druids and the Roman general Suetonius finally massacred them on the Isle of Anglesey around 60AD.
TRICK OR TREAT: On Samhain the Druids would go into villages demanding human sacrifices from households. If the household complied then they believed that they would be protected from evil spirits. If they did not comply the Druids would curse the family and paint a hexagram symbol on the front door in human blood that would attract evil spirits.
JACK-O’-LANTERNS: Some accounts say that the original jack-o’lanterns were candle-lit human skulls. Other accounts say that they were hollowed out turnips carved with a demonic face and filled with a lighted candle of human fat. They are said to represent a damned soul and were thought to protect against evil spirits.
BONFIRES: The origin of the word bonfire is Bone-fire. The Druids burned human and animal sacrifices inside a wicker man to appease their gods.
WICKER MAN: A giant man shaped structure made out of wicker, twigs, branches, hay and straw. It had multiple compartments where the sacrifices would be caged. The whole structure would be set on fire and burnt, killing everyone trapped inside and fulfilling the Druids sacrifice.
APPLE BOBBING: Before the ceremony began the human sacrifices were given the chance to live if they could get an apple out of a cauldron of boiling liquid on their first attempt without using their hands. If they were successful then they would be freed, although they would receive severe burns to the face and neck which would likely have a life-long affect. If they were unsuccessful then they would be killed on the spot.
FANCY DRESS: Known as “guising” (disguising oneself). The Druid priests would dress up in hideous masks and costumes to ward off evil spirits.
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1/5)
Jesus Christ: “I am the light of the world.”
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8/12, 3/19)
I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. (John 12/46)
So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” (John 5/35-36)
The New Testament repeatedly tells us to “repent” – this means to change one’s mind or purpose.
God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2/4).
Tragically many people love darkness and will not come to the light:
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. (John 3/19)
This short video by Paul Washer explains salvation
Halloween has grown in popularity over recent years – it is associated with activities like trick-or-treat, ghoulish masks and costumes, jack-o’-lanterns, bonfires, apple bobbing etc. The paraphernalia of Halloween has evolved into a multi-billion-pound, global annual celebration for all ages. In the UK, various events are being advertised, ranging from ghost tours, ghost trains, hauntfests, séances etc.
The current celebrations of Halloween are derived directly from ancient druidic Baal rituals which took place about 2000 years ago. Baal is a synonym for Satan in the New Testament. Samhain (pronounced sah-win) was a three day fire festival when the Druids performed human sacrifice and other vile satanic rituals. The night of October the 31st was dedicated to Samhain, the Lord of the Dead, symbolised by the horned god and the stag god. It was believed that on this night the boundary between the living and the dead was obscured and the spirits of the dead returned to the earth. Bonfires were lit to honour the dead, to aid them on their journey and to keep them away from the living. It was believed that all kinds of ghoulish creatures like ghosts, witches, monsters, ogres, vampires, hobgoblins and demons roamed about on this night.Historical documents from the works of Lucan, Julius Caesar, Suetonius and Cicero confirm that the Druids practiced human sacrifice. These documents were previously thought to be a biased view by the Romans; however they have been taken more seriously in recent years due to archaeological evidence of druidic cannibalism and human sacrifice. The Romans abhorred the rituals of the Druids and the Roman general Suetonius finally massacred them on the Isle of Anglesey around 60AD.
Julius Caesar - De Bello Gallico:
"All the people of Gaul are completely devoted to religion, and for this reason those who are greatly affected by diseases and in the dangers of battle either sacrifice human victims or vow to do so using the Druids as administrators of these sacrifices, since it is judged that unless for a man's life a man's life is given back, the will of the immortal gods cannot be placated. In public affairs they have instituted the same kind of sacrifice. Others have effigies of great size interwoven with twigs, the limbs of which are filled up with living people which are set on fire from below, and the people are deprived of life surrounded by flames. It is judged that the punishment of those who participated in theft or brigandage or other crimes are most pleasing to the immortal gods; but when the supplies of this kind fail, they even go so low as to inflict punishment on the innocent."
These days Halloween is a very important night for Satanists, Neo-Pagans, Witches, Illuminists and others. The"Witches Sabbath" and "Black Mass" is celebrated by the Church Of Satan on the 31st of October. This is a night when satanic rituals are performed and human blood sacrifices are offered on alters.
"I'm glad that Christian parents let their children worship the devil at least one night out of the year."~ Anton LaVey, Founder of the Church of Satan (now deceased).
Some information about how modern day Halloween derived its practices:
JACK-O’-LANTERNS: Some accounts say that the original jack-o’lanterns were candle-lit human skulls. Other accounts say that they were hollowed out turnips carved with a demonic face and filled with a lighted candle of human fat. They are said to represent a damned soul and were thought to protect against evil spirits.
WICKER MAN: A giant man shaped structure made out of wicker, twigs, branches, hay and straw. It had multiple compartments where the sacrifices would be caged. The whole structure would be set on fire and burnt, killing everyone trapped inside and fulfilling the Druids sacrifice.APPLE BOBBING: Before the ceremony began the human sacrifices were given the chance to live if they could get an apple out of a cauldron of boiling liquid on their first attempt without using their hands. If they were successful then they would be freed, although they would receive severe burns to the face and neck which would likely have a life-long affect. If they were unsuccessful then they would be killed on the spot.
FANCY DRESS: Known as “guising” (disguising oneself). The Druid priests would dress up in hideous masks and costumes to ward off evil spirits.
As you can see, every appearance of Halloween is associated with evil. Halloween has its origins in satanic Druid rituals involving blood, death and evil spirits. Halloween is at best unwholesome and at worst demonic. Why would anyone want their children to participate in activities which glorify death and darkness? By wearing masks and costumes, people can take on the characteristics of the thing they represent and children are particularly vulnerable. When combined with spells, rhymes, divination and other occult activities Halloween is particularly dangerous. Halloween may seem like harmless fun, but it can create an opening for the demonic.
These days a growing number of secular people are speaking out against Halloween. Some find it to be a mild nuisance, while others, particularly the elderly and vulnerable have experienced outright intimidation and speak about being frightened in their own homes, particularly if they reject trick or treaters.
The authorities in the UK are now offering some resources to help with this problem:
The “No Trick or Treat" poster can be downloaded on the internet or posters can be collected from many police stations and local council offices. Shopkeepers also have the option of displaying a poster saying that they will not sell flour and eggs to young people during Halloween. http://www.leics.gov.uk/safetyathalloween
THE BIBLE
The Bible strongly condemns all forms of the occult:
When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the LORD your God, for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this. (Deuteronomy 18:9/14 See also 2 Kings 17/17, 21/6; 2 Chronicles 33/6; Leviticus 19/26, Exodus 22/18)
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. (Ephesians 5/11)
TURN AWAY FROM DARKNESS TO THE LIGHT
Jesus Christ: “I am the light of the world.”
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8/12, 3/19)
I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. (John 12/46)
So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” (John 5/35-36)
The New Testament repeatedly tells us to “repent” – this means to change one’s mind or purpose.
God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2/4).
Tragically many people love darkness and will not come to the light:
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. (John 3/19)
This short video by Paul Washer explains salvation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXOWyjB7d24
A word of warning:
Many churches today are false churches; they do not teach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ or follow Him. They have all the outward appearance of godliness and they may seem to be successful, but in fact they are mere stooges of Satan (Matthew 23/27). To become involved with any of these false churches would be catastrophic.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7/21-23).
LINKS
A word of warning:
Many churches today are false churches; they do not teach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ or follow Him. They have all the outward appearance of godliness and they may seem to be successful, but in fact they are mere stooges of Satan (Matthew 23/27). To become involved with any of these false churches would be catastrophic.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7/21-23).
LINKS
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
NOTE FROM ALAN FRANKLIN ADVERTISING THE EXCELLENT WORK OF "CREATION MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL" AND THE PREMIER OF THEIR NEW FILM IN LONDON IN NOVEMBER.
Hello everyone,
I don't normally forward things but this is important. Creation Ministries needs our support and help in promoting this film.
The attack on Creation has undermined scripture since Darwin's day. If the Bible is wrong from the start, why believe anything else in it?
This ministry, which we strongly support, is foremost in the fight for Biblical truth. I think this film will be worth watching so please pass this information around.
Best regards, in His name- Alan
Subject: A date for your diary—Saturday, 8th November, 7.00pm.
|
Monday, 13 October 2014
Monday, 6 October 2014
HERE IS THE FIRST OF TWO TALKS GIVEN BY THE KNOWLEDGEABLE PHILIP WREN FROM "TRUMPET SOUNDS" IN CRAWLEY, WHEN HE MINISTERED AT THE UPPER ROOM FELLOWSHIP (TURF) AT CROSS KEYS LAST SATURDAY (4TH OCTOBER). THE TALKS WERE TITLED "THE RISE OF ISLAM IN THESE LAST DAYS, AND THE SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS FOR US IN THE WEST"!
Saturday, 4 October 2014
AMERICAN STAR ACTOR NICHOLAS CAGE DEVOTES HIS FILM "LEFT BEHIND" TO HIS BROTHER MARC, WHO IS A CHRISTIAN PASTOR!
Nicolas Cage Devotes 'Left Behind' To 'Pastor'
October 03, 2014 |
Share this article
If you ask the Academy Award-winning actor Nicolas Cage why he took the lead role of “Rayford Steele” in the upcoming biblical thriller “Left Behind,” he’ll likely cite his admiration for the script and the opportunity to work again with director Vic Armstrong.
But the Hollywood star has also revealed a more personal motivation.
“My brother, Marc, is a Christian pastor, and he was very excited about this,” Cage told reporters in a press conference touting the film’s Oct. 3 debut. “He said, you know, Nicky, you’ve really got to do this.
“I’d already wanted to make the movie because I thought it was such a great script and an opportunity again to do something challenging,” Cage continued, “but when I saw how passionate [Marc] was, I thought, well, yeah, I want to make this movie for my brother, too.”
Cage made similar comments in a Facebook video, where he says his brother “inspired me to look at ['Left Behind'].”
Cage’s brother, Marc “The Cope” Coppola, is perhaps better known as an actor and classic rock DJ on New York City’s WAXQ-Radio.
Jordin Sparks, the “American Idol” winner who plays airplane passenger “Shasta Carvell” in the movie, told reporters she was inspired to join the cast by reading as a teen the “Left Behind” books that form the basis of the film.
“I just remember being so affected by the thought of, wow, what if my closest friends just disappeared one day? What if they just weren’t here?” she said. “As a kid that’s definitely very scary. … [You might think], ‘It’s just in a book,’ but you know, when you read the Bible and you take those things to be truth, you know it is definitely something that you can think of and go, ‘Wow, that could actually happen.’”
Sparks also said this version of “Left Behind” is delivering a message relevant to audiences of all faiths.
“The great thing about this movie … because of the people that they have brought into the film, they have the ability to have people from all over come in and see the movie whether they are believers, whether they’re non-believers,” she said.
“Whether they are agnostic, whether they don’t believe in anything, it doesn’t even matter. … I think everybody can relate to imagining, ‘What if somebody that I loved wasn’t around anymore, in an instant?’ It can definitely happen, whether it is through being taken up in the Rapture or a tragic accident. Life isn’t promised to us here; tomorrow is not promised.”
Cage similarly was drawn to the movie’s universal themes.
“I was very taken by the family dynamic that plays out in this script,” Cage said. “That’s what I want … to come across, that people realize we all make mistakes, but in a moment of crisis what we really want, what we really go back to is the love we have for our families.”
He continued, “Ray Steele gets back to his true need for family through this extraordinary experience and understands the value of family and just wants to get back to that no matter what happens. Just to be able to get back on the phone with his daughter [and] say, ‘I’m sorry,’ and say, ‘I love you.’ And I think it’s as simple as that. I think that is heart-wrenching. And if you have a heart, I don’t think it’s possible to see the movie and not get a little verklempt. I mean it: There’s some very poignant, emotional moments.”
But why remake the movie at all? A series of “Left Behind” films was made in 2000 starring popular Christian actor Kirk Cameron.
In an exclusive interview with WND, the producer and writer for both “Left Behind” projects, Paul Lalonde, explained the rebooted story is aiming for a much bigger splash with bigger stars, a bigger budget and a much bigger ambition.
“We did three movies back in the early 2000s starring Kirk Cameron,” Lalonde said. “They were extremely successful but didn’t really fulfill my dream as a filmmaker.
“I’ve found Bible prophecy to be a great way to reach out to people who may not necessarily be open to evangelism, so we were excited about [the first] ‘Left Behind’ and how it did, but ever since then I wanted to do something bigger,” he continued. “I wanted to put Bible prophecy on the big screen rather than just on videos, to put the message of Bible prophecy in front of a much broader audience, and not just church-goers. That’s something we’ve tried to do with this new ‘Left Behind’ movie and this new approach of a bigger film with A-list actors.”
Lalonde also told WND not to expect this “Left Behind” to be a rehash of the previous film series.
“This is a very different script,” he said. “The first movie covered the entire first book in the ‘Left Behind’ series, a lot of events taking place, dozens of plot points. In the first movie, we didn’t really have time to focus or to really get to know the characters because of the pace of the events. This movie, on the other hand, the entire movie, is about the day of the Rapture, so really only the first chapter of the first book. This really doesn’t bear any resemblance to the first movie.”
But as more mainstream actors find their way into the film, WND asked, did the biblical content get pushed out?
“This movie focuses on the day of the Rapture, so there really isn’t any huge opportunity for anyone to do evangelizing, but the Christian worldview is there,” Lalonde said. “The message is there. Everybody who is watching knows it was the Rapture; they know where those people went; they know why those people left and why those who were left behind were left behind, so there is no attempt to hide the biblical theme of the movie.
“Yet it’s not in-your-face evangelism, because that’s specifically something I was trying to temper for a more mainstream audience,” he continued. “We wanted to hold true to the source material of the ‘Left Behind’ books, ultimately to hold true to the Scriptures and make sure we didn’t change any of the biblical realities.
“We didn’t do a ‘Noah’ on the script,” he insisted. “What I want is when people walk out of the theater, they’re asking, ‘Is that really in the Bible?’ And unlike ‘Noah,’ the answer is yes.”
For Lalonde, the ultimate goal is to reveal how imminent and relevant biblical prophecy is to all audiences, regardless of their religious background.
“What I like about ‘Left Behind’ is that it is a Bible-based movie, it’s a biblical story, it’s a true story – it just hasn’t happened yet,” Lalonde told WND. “It is a biblical movie like ‘Noah’ or ‘Son of God’ or ‘Exodus,’ but nobody’s in sandals. This is the modern world. This is today. And the great thing about the Rapture and about the immanency of the Rapture is this could literally happen this afternoon.
“So that’s a great takeaway for people,” he concluded. “We’re not talking about something that happened 4,000 years ago or 2,000 years ago; this is very relevant to today. Plus, you’ve got sort of a ‘Twilight Zone’ theme going on here with people disappearing – I think it will be very eye-opening to people who are outside of that core Christian audience to see that this is something prophesied in the Bible and worth looking into.”
But the Hollywood star has also revealed a more personal motivation.
“My brother, Marc, is a Christian pastor, and he was very excited about this,” Cage told reporters in a press conference touting the film’s Oct. 3 debut. “He said, you know, Nicky, you’ve really got to do this.
“I’d already wanted to make the movie because I thought it was such a great script and an opportunity again to do something challenging,” Cage continued, “but when I saw how passionate [Marc] was, I thought, well, yeah, I want to make this movie for my brother, too.”
Cage made similar comments in a Facebook video, where he says his brother “inspired me to look at ['Left Behind'].”
Cage’s brother, Marc “The Cope” Coppola, is perhaps better known as an actor and classic rock DJ on New York City’s WAXQ-Radio.
Jordin Sparks, the “American Idol” winner who plays airplane passenger “Shasta Carvell” in the movie, told reporters she was inspired to join the cast by reading as a teen the “Left Behind” books that form the basis of the film.
“I just remember being so affected by the thought of, wow, what if my closest friends just disappeared one day? What if they just weren’t here?” she said. “As a kid that’s definitely very scary. … [You might think], ‘It’s just in a book,’ but you know, when you read the Bible and you take those things to be truth, you know it is definitely something that you can think of and go, ‘Wow, that could actually happen.’”
Sparks also said this version of “Left Behind” is delivering a message relevant to audiences of all faiths.
“The great thing about this movie … because of the people that they have brought into the film, they have the ability to have people from all over come in and see the movie whether they are believers, whether they’re non-believers,” she said.
“Whether they are agnostic, whether they don’t believe in anything, it doesn’t even matter. … I think everybody can relate to imagining, ‘What if somebody that I loved wasn’t around anymore, in an instant?’ It can definitely happen, whether it is through being taken up in the Rapture or a tragic accident. Life isn’t promised to us here; tomorrow is not promised.”
Cage similarly was drawn to the movie’s universal themes.
“I was very taken by the family dynamic that plays out in this script,” Cage said. “That’s what I want … to come across, that people realize we all make mistakes, but in a moment of crisis what we really want, what we really go back to is the love we have for our families.”
He continued, “Ray Steele gets back to his true need for family through this extraordinary experience and understands the value of family and just wants to get back to that no matter what happens. Just to be able to get back on the phone with his daughter [and] say, ‘I’m sorry,’ and say, ‘I love you.’ And I think it’s as simple as that. I think that is heart-wrenching. And if you have a heart, I don’t think it’s possible to see the movie and not get a little verklempt. I mean it: There’s some very poignant, emotional moments.”
But why remake the movie at all? A series of “Left Behind” films was made in 2000 starring popular Christian actor Kirk Cameron.
In an exclusive interview with WND, the producer and writer for both “Left Behind” projects, Paul Lalonde, explained the rebooted story is aiming for a much bigger splash with bigger stars, a bigger budget and a much bigger ambition.
“We did three movies back in the early 2000s starring Kirk Cameron,” Lalonde said. “They were extremely successful but didn’t really fulfill my dream as a filmmaker.
“I’ve found Bible prophecy to be a great way to reach out to people who may not necessarily be open to evangelism, so we were excited about [the first] ‘Left Behind’ and how it did, but ever since then I wanted to do something bigger,” he continued. “I wanted to put Bible prophecy on the big screen rather than just on videos, to put the message of Bible prophecy in front of a much broader audience, and not just church-goers. That’s something we’ve tried to do with this new ‘Left Behind’ movie and this new approach of a bigger film with A-list actors.”
Lalonde also told WND not to expect this “Left Behind” to be a rehash of the previous film series.
“This is a very different script,” he said. “The first movie covered the entire first book in the ‘Left Behind’ series, a lot of events taking place, dozens of plot points. In the first movie, we didn’t really have time to focus or to really get to know the characters because of the pace of the events. This movie, on the other hand, the entire movie, is about the day of the Rapture, so really only the first chapter of the first book. This really doesn’t bear any resemblance to the first movie.”
But as more mainstream actors find their way into the film, WND asked, did the biblical content get pushed out?
“This movie focuses on the day of the Rapture, so there really isn’t any huge opportunity for anyone to do evangelizing, but the Christian worldview is there,” Lalonde said. “The message is there. Everybody who is watching knows it was the Rapture; they know where those people went; they know why those people left and why those who were left behind were left behind, so there is no attempt to hide the biblical theme of the movie.
“Yet it’s not in-your-face evangelism, because that’s specifically something I was trying to temper for a more mainstream audience,” he continued. “We wanted to hold true to the source material of the ‘Left Behind’ books, ultimately to hold true to the Scriptures and make sure we didn’t change any of the biblical realities.
“We didn’t do a ‘Noah’ on the script,” he insisted. “What I want is when people walk out of the theater, they’re asking, ‘Is that really in the Bible?’ And unlike ‘Noah,’ the answer is yes.”
For Lalonde, the ultimate goal is to reveal how imminent and relevant biblical prophecy is to all audiences, regardless of their religious background.
“What I like about ‘Left Behind’ is that it is a Bible-based movie, it’s a biblical story, it’s a true story – it just hasn’t happened yet,” Lalonde told WND. “It is a biblical movie like ‘Noah’ or ‘Son of God’ or ‘Exodus,’ but nobody’s in sandals. This is the modern world. This is today. And the great thing about the Rapture and about the immanency of the Rapture is this could literally happen this afternoon.
“So that’s a great takeaway for people,” he concluded. “We’re not talking about something that happened 4,000 years ago or 2,000 years ago; this is very relevant to today. Plus, you’ve got sort of a ‘Twilight Zone’ theme going on here with people disappearing – I think it will be very eye-opening to people who are outside of that core Christian audience to see that this is something prophesied in the Bible and worth looking into.”
Read more at http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/2014/October03/032.html#Ispe5XBeZoyGeGsj.99
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)