A very Happy Easter to you and yours! God bless!

HAPPY EASTER! HE IS RISEN!

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." -Jesus, the Christ, John 5:24

A Quick Look: THEY CAME FROM BEYOND SPACE (1967 - color)

   I even have a testimony connected to this one! I remember looking through a catalog that used an image of this film's poster art, and I casually told God that I'd love to have a poster for THEY CAME FROM BEYOND SPACE. I was thinking a half-sheet or window card when I said it. Not long after, a one-sheet for the film was gifted to me! Thank you, Father! As to the film itself, my copy's box refers to the movie as a cross between The Avengers and INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. That's actually a pretty accurate assessment! Robert Hutton plays a scientist who, by virtue of a metal plate in his skull, cannot have his body taken over by invisible invaders who spread a plague through the English country side to hide their secret project. Pretty nifty 60's British science fiction. I do need to upgrade my print, though, as a pristine scope version aired on TCM once and it blows my copy out of the water. Problem is, it's a public domain film, so I don't know which release to hunt down in order to find a superior transfer.

R.I.P. Billy Graham

   Needless to say, there've been a lot of memorials for Billy Graham today. It's hard not to weigh in on the passing of such an American icon. Graham was such a powerful force, and he became the face of the American church. His sermons were effectively simple, basically noting "the Bible says..." and then telling it. He walked this earth for nearly a century, and became the friend and spiritual advisor to countless millions, including kings and presidents, show folk and the average Joe. His televised crusades saved millions, from Bettie Page to Jesse Duplantis. Steve McQueen's most prized possession was the bible Billy gave him. He will be missed. The best summation of his passing is in his own words: “Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead—don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God." God bless you, Billy.

   Finally, here's the stirring memorial from evangelist Mario Murillo...
      "Today, you will read many things about Billy Graham.  Greater writers and more famous voices than I will pay tribute to this singular man sent by God.  I have chosen a different path for my words about him.I will leave it to the more qualified to astound you by recounting the achievements of this evangelist of evangelists.  Let me take you on another course…
    In front of a barn in the middle of nowhere, a group of farmers met to pray.  One of them spoke up and said, “I don’t know why but I believe that from this spot, the Gospel will go around the world.”  Not far away, a little skinny boy did his chores—his name was Billy Graham. 
   In that day, Mortdecai Ham blazed a trail of revival. His fiery sermons electrified vast audiences.  Yet, one of his crusades was a devastating disappointment.  This entry was in his diary: “This week only 2 souls were saved.”  One of them was a 12-year-old Billy Graham.
    My soul drew a strange comfort every year that Billy Graham was kept alive.  He was the Christian father praying for a wayward nation.  He was the national pastor whose very presence made me feel that there was a hand of protection on America.  He gave me hope that our nation could still repent.
   I am choking back tears of sadness and dread. Does his departure signal the fact that we have finally crossed the deadline?  Or does his entrance into heaven mean a fresh mantle of soul winning will fall to many men and women.  Everything in me screams “LORD LET IT BE THE LATTER!”
   Thank God we have a president who will honor Billy Graham.  Thank God, that the many angry and hateful voices, who would strip America of every last semblance of Christ, will be forced to relive the miracle of a country boy, with a simple message who spoke about Jesus to more people face to face, than anyone in history.
   Thank God that perhaps, today’s preachers will get a lesson.
    I was a little brother to the great evangelist scandals of the 1980’s.   I remember how the most popular magazine of the day posted a gallery of well-known evangelists. Under each picture was a list of their sins.  The last picture was of Billy Graham with this caption underneath: Above Reproach.
    Many young preachers learned nothing about integrity from those scandals.  Instead of fearing God and humbling themselves they invented new ways to express pride and materialism.  They lust for best sellers and mansions.
   What they never got—and still do not have—is the impact on society of a Billy Graham.
    One simple example is when he toured the eastern bloc nations.  Not long after his crusades, the Soviet Union broke apart.  A careful look shows the first nations to discard communism were the same places where this man of God preached.  Impact not popularity. Get it?
   Maybe you can see today—my dear brother—how much more he would have said to Oprah than you did.
   Our loss stings.  Perhaps the sting is divine.  Let preachers feel it.  Let them see how thundering the Cross, the Blood, repentance, and hell, filled the largest stadiums in the world. It can again.
   The word paragon is an interesting word.  It means a model of excellence. A towering, convicting, awe-inspiring paragon of evangelism has gone to heaven." -Mario Murillo

A Christmas message from Joseph Prince

   "My friend, if all is silent and dark in your life now, and you feel like you have been left out in the cold, just know that Jesus came to be your Savior at such a time as this.
    He was not born in the comfort of a warm, cozy room, but in a cold manger. There was no room for Him in the inn (Luke 2:7), so that there will always be room at the cross for your healing, deliverance, wholeness and provision, and a mansion in heaven waiting for you!
Jesus was born very quietly, so quietly that the Bible says that only a group of shepherds came to Him, while the rest of Bethlehem slept. (Luke 2:8–9) Like manna falling quietly from heaven in the Old Testament, the true bread from heaven came quietly. It was a silent night, but that was not all.
    Jesus was also born during the darkest time in Israel’s history. Israel was under the tyrannical rule of the Romans. It was during this time, when everything was so dark, that Jesus was born. Beloved, He will come to you in the darkest period of your life.
    On that cold and silent night, the shepherds were afraid when the angel of the Lord stood before them. But the angel said, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
    Beloved, it was not a judge or lawgiver who was born. It was a mighty Savior. He came to save His people. He came to save you and me. So even if you are in a cold, dark period of your life, don’t be afraid—the Savior has come and He will save you to the uttermost!" -Joseph Prince

   "You are probably familiar with the story of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. The Bible says that when the time had come, Mary “brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger”. (Luke 2:6–7) But have you ever wondered why the angel told the shepherds that the Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger was a “sign”?
     A manger is actually a feeding trough for livestock. Do you know what a feeding trough in those days looks like? I have seen a similar one at Solomon’s stables in Meggido, Israel. It is basically a big rectangular block of stone with the trough hewn out of it. So baby Jesus, who was wrapped in swaddling cloths, was placed in such a stone trough.
     But why was that a sign? Because if you have seen the empty tomb of Jesus at a place called The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, you would have noticed that the place where His body was laid, inside a tomb hewn out of rock, resembles a stone trough. The Bible says that after Jesus’ crucifixion and death, Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ body, wrapped it in linen and laid it in a tomb hewn out of a rock. (Mark 15:43–46)
    Can you see the similarities? Wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger, baby Jesus would one day be wrapped in linen and laid in a tomb. That was the sign the angel was referring to. It pointed to Jesus’ death.
Jesus was the only child in all of humanity born to die. Once you realize that, you will realize how much God loves you. You will realize that He gave up His Son for that one purpose, and that His Son willingly came for that one purpose—to die for your sins and mine.
     Beloved, can you imagine living your life knowing that you are just qualifying yourself to die on the cross to save the world? That was the life that Jesus lived. He lived to die, so that we might live and enjoy life abundantly today!" -Joseph Prince

"The merriest of Christmases to you all! God bless you, and a wonderful New Year! Each and every one of you be blessed to rest in the perfect love and finished work of my Lord Jesus, the Christ, son of the living God! MERRY CHRISTMAS!" -Rock Baker

A drawing of Christ

Happy Independence Day, 2017!

O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me -Psalm 7:1

A very Happy Easter to you!

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." -Jesus, the Christ, John 5:24

Be sure to check out The Word A Day sometime...

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. -St. Paul, Romans 10:9-10

Check out The Word A Day, sometime

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." -Jesus, the Christ, Mark 16:16

Happy New Year, all!

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." -2 Corinthians 5:17

A Christmas letter from Joseph Prince

  "My friend, if all is silent and dark in your life now, and you feel like you have been left out in the cold, just know that Jesus came to be your Savior at such a time as this.

   He was not born in the comfort of a warm, cozy room, but in a cold manger. There was no room for Him in the inn (Luke 2:7), so that there will always be room at the cross for your healing, deliverance, wholeness and provision, and a mansion in heaven waiting for you!

   Jesus was born very quietly, so quietly that the Bible says that only a group of shepherds came to Him, while the rest of Bethlehem slept. (Luke 2:8–9) Like manna falling quietly from heaven in the Old Testament, the true bread from heaven came quietly. 

   It was a silent night, but that was not all.

   Jesus was also born during the darkest time in Israel’s history. Israel was under the tyrannical rule of the Romans. It was during this time, when everything was so dark, that Jesus was born. Beloved, He will come to you in the darkest period of your life.

   On that cold and silent night, the shepherds were afraid when the angel of the Lord stood before them. But the angel said, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

   Beloved, it was not a judge or lawgiver who was born. It was a mighty Savior. He came to save His people. He came to save you and me. So even if you are in a cold, dark period of your life, don’t be afraid—the Savior has come and He will save you to the uttermost!"

A very Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people. -Psalm 35:18

Blog number 3...

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" -2 Timothy 3:16

See my newest blog, The Word A Day, for more!