Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news and prophecy.
An increasing number of Muslims and Arabs are coming together in support of Israel.
According to The Christian Post, a new Facebook page for Arab supporters of the Jewish homeland has attracted about 20,000 followers.
The page posts examples of treating Arabs and Muslims with kindness, and shares surprising stories of Arab support for Israel from across the Middle East.
But some Arabs and Muslims who proclaim themselves as Zionists face death threats for their views.
Muhammad Zoabi began advocating for Israel in 2014 when he was only 17 years old. He posted a video demanding that Hamas release three Israeli teens who had been kidnapped. Death threats forced Zoabi into hiding.
Ahmed Meligy, who identifies himself as a proud Egyptian and Muslim, according to The Christian Post, is another passionate advocate for Israel.
Meligy has endured death threats and police arrest for his activism, which includes blogging for The Jerusalem Post, and supporting democracy in Egypt and warmer ties with Israel.
Experts believe this new trend among young Arabs and Muslims is due to the freer flow of information across social media.
#IBelieve Heaven Is For Real!
You're one of the millions who have read the book. You've seen the trailer at your local theater. Now, get ready for the most inspiring motion-picture event of the Easter season: HEAVEN IS FOR REAL. Now showing in theaters, this movie will have you saying #IBelieve!
The Story
The Burpos are the perfect picture of small-town Americana: mom, dad, daughter, and son... until a serious illness lands young Colton in the hospital. Fearing they will lose their son, the parents cry out to God. While Colton's amazing recovery should lead his family back to normalcy, they quickly discover nothing will ever be the same again. With childlike innocence, Colton begins talking about having visited Heaven and his incredible experiences there. HEAVEN IS FOR REALtells one family's story about Heaven and the impact it has on their community... and the world.
The Impact
"I believe that the film will serve as a great conversation starter to get people talking about God, Heaven, and the afterlife. I also believe that the movie can prove to be very healing and hopeful for those who've experienced loss and need to be reminded of the fact that Heaven IS for real!" Bryan Hardwick, Small Groups Pastor, Adventure Christian Church, Roseville, Calif.
DeVon Franklin, Senior Vice President of Production for Columbia TriStar Pictures, is praying for a major turnout for the new film, Heaven Is for Real, in theaters this week. Blockbuster sales at the box office would, according to the Hollywood executive and devout Christian, result in more faith-friendly features on the big screen.
"The success of this movie opening weekend directly correlates to the decision to green-light and make more of them. It's an immediate thing," Franklin told The Christian Post via phone on Tuesday. "If there's a sense that there's a growing market and a growing hunger for more films like this, then the desire to continue to provide more films will increase, and decisions will be made to be able to make more films like this.
"With the success of this movie this weekend, I'm praying and believing and trusting God that it will be successful, then decisions will be made quickly on continuing to make sure that this audience and audiences like it that want more product like this will have more products available for them."
Heaven Is for Real, based on the New York Times bestselling book of the same name, dramatizes the real-life story of the Burpos family, whose youngest son, Colton believes he visited heaven during a near-death experience and shares his story with the world.
The story behind the film, distributed by Franklin's TriStar Pictures and that counts T.D. Jakes among its list of producers, packs the kind of punch that will draw audiences into theaters, or so the 44-year-old executive believes.
Franklin, also an ordained Seventh-day Adventist minister and author of the bestselling book, Produced by Faith, recently shared with CP what decision-makers like himself look for when choosing quality projects for the big screen. Also, he talked about why he believes Christians should engage more in Hollywood and the film industry if they want to see more films made that are reflective of their faith, values and interests.
Below is a transcript of CP's interview with Franklin, which has been edited for clarity.
CP: What kind of elements do you look for when a project or pitch comes your way? What makes you say this could be a hit?
Franklin: One is just do I connect to it? That's the number one thing. The other thing is, is it commercial? Is there a concept being explored in the idea that it seems like it would make sense for a wide audience to see it? Those are just really two of the key things. Reading the script, if it's a spec script or a book, [and determining] how well am I connecting to it. Am I turning the page? Is the concept marketable? Is there an idea or a hook that an audience would find interesting? Those are really two key fundamental areas that I use to evaluate which projects to do.
CP: Tell me a little about Heaven Is for Real. What elements does the movie have that will attract not only people of faith, but just an audience in general?
Franklin: When you read the book, the book was just incredibly interesting, and the mystery of it. I actually remember reading it and just turning the pages, I literally could not stop. After getting done with the book it was like, "Wow, this is a book and a story that really needs to be heard and needs to be seen around the world." So it really came down to that connection. The book itself was a New York Times Bestseller and sold millions of copies around the world, and I understand why. The book feels really, really powerful. With bringing it to the screen, it just was a matter of how to preserve the integrity of the story. Because it's a true story, preserving the integrity of it was very, very important in making sure that the same power of the book, we could try and demonstrate that power in the film.
CP: What are you thoughts on controversy that films like Noah and even Son of God faced in terms of being criticized by some Christians as not being "biblical enough?"
Franklin: I think anytime you make a film it's always open to criticism. There's no film that is an exception to that. Some are going to feel that, depending on what the movie is, it's not faithful enough, and some might feel that it's too faithful.
My thing with Heaven Is for Real was, it's based upon a true story, it's based upon the life of the Burpos, a family out of Imperial, Neb., and young Colton, their youngest son [who] had a near-death experience at the time. For Heaven Is for Real, it was so important to preserve the integrity of their story because it's their life. At the end of the day, when the movie is already out and I've moved on to another film and the other producers have moved on to their films, it's still going to be their life. So our goal with this film was to preserve the integrity of the family's journey in a way that they would be proud of it and that it's something they could stand behind their entire lives.
CP: You'll hear some Christian rappers say, "Stop calling it Christian rap, it's just rap or hip-hop." Do you feel like that at all about the film industry?
Franklin: My hope is that one day that will we just get to the place where it's just "movies." When you look at the life of Christ, Jesus didn't come with a faith-based Gospel. He came with a message that would change the world. My hope and prayer is that movies made in this space will have a similar approach and a similar impact. I do think that sometimes putting a label on them can be very, very limiting when in fact there may be people who need the message of the film that may not think it's for them because of the label. So yes, I do hope that eventually we'll be able to break down these labels and these films will be judged on their own merit.
CP: In a 2012 story on your promotion to Senior VP of production, it said you'd be overseeing material geared toward "the urban and faith-based markets." Can you describe those two markets briefly in terms of what it is you believe they want?
Franklin: I think that when you look at those two markets, and the movie-going market in general, people want stories, number one, that are entertaining. If you're asking someone to spend a whole evening when it comes to taking family and what-not, the expense is on there. First and foremost, there has to be a good entertainment proposition. It's really about finding stories that are entertaining. The second thing is finding stories that will connect with audiences in a personal way.
Having been involved in Sparkle, Whitney Houston's last film, the goal there was to make that movie relatable and to make that movie emotional in a way that it would really connect with the audience and strike a chord. So whether it's an urban film, a faith-based film, a superhero movie, it's really truly important to develop the script in a way in which, one it's going to be entertaining; two, what about the story is going to connect to the audience? What about the story is going to inspire the audience? It's really important to think about all of this regardless of the genre.
CP: What do you say to Christians who remain skeptical toward Hollywood due to past negative portrayals of their faith?
Franklin: In order to affect culture, you have to be a part of culture. One of the things that God has been doing in my story is to help break down the barriers that sometimes we as Christians put around Hollywood. I was taught, "Hey, Sodom and Gomorrah, you can't go there and keep your faith." I was like, "Well, I believe God is calling me to this industry, and the industry is an industry that impacts the world. So what better way to impact the world than to be a part of an industry that can do that?" My hope and prayer is that we won't put a stigma on the industry, but that we would look at it the way that maybe God looks at it, as another avenue to reach and help people.
CP: In what ways are you specifically encouraging Christians to get more involved in Hollywood and the film industry?
Franklin: I encourage and counsel Christian filmmakers all the time. The thing that I say is, "At the end of the day, become great at what you do." Whether you're writing scripts, whether you want to direct films, whether you're producing movies, become great. It's so, so important to become a master of your craft. Study it, learn it, absorb it, know how to write great screenplays, get into a screenwriting class, look at books that can help you write better, become a great director, study the greatest directors ever in school. It's so important … the better control you have over the art form, the better art you will make. I really try to drive this home with as many young Christian filmmakers that I come across.
CP: Any final thoughts on Heaven Is for Real as it opens this week?
Franklin: I'm just excited about it, really praying everyone goes to see it. I can't wait to see the response and reaction. I've screened it already for a number of audiences around the country and the response has been incredible. So I'm just praying and believing that it's the same response once it comes out.
Watch a trailer for Heaven Is for Real below in the video player below:
Heaven is for Real Official International Trailer #1 (2014) - Greg Kinnear Movie HD
Matthew McConaughey accepts the Oscar for best actor
for his role in "Dallas Buyers Club" at the 86th Academy Awards
in Hollywood, California March 2, 2014.
Matthew McConaughey, winner of the Academy's "Best Actor" award, gave homage to God for his victory on Sunday evening, a move that few make in acceptance speeches, according to a graphic by The Associated Press. Voices in Christian media praised his speech, arguing that it took courage.
"First off I want to thank God because that's who I look up to," McConaughey, who won the "Best Actor" award for his portrayal of AIDS patient Ron Woodruff in "Dallas Buyers Club," declared at the Academy Awards on Sunday. McConaughey added that God has "graced my life with opportunities that I know are not of my hand or any other human hand." Before thanking his wife, children, mother, and late father, the actor quoted late British Actor Charlie Laughton – "When you got God, you got a friend and that friend is you."
Dan Gainor, vice president of business and culture for the Media Research Center, argued that this speech "breaks the mold of what Hollywood's image of Christians is." According to a graphic by AP, Academy Award winners thank many people, but God is not usually on the top of their list. More frequently, they thank the Academy, their spouse, mother, father, children, and management – in that order.
Many twitter users reacted negatively to McConaughey's reverential nod to God. "Ok so you really deserved it McConaughey. Just stop the stupid god talk," one detractor tweeted. "I thought we could get through the Oscars without someone thanking god but no he had to ruin it…," another responded.
"When did Matthew McConaughtey turn into Joel Osteen?" asked Elaine L (@LaineyGossip).
Gainor argued that the actor's reference to God took a great deal of courage. "He's a young guy, he just won an Oscar – arguably at the high point of his career," Gainor noted. "That's like saying you just won the Super Bowl and you're going to thank God on national television."
Product of Hollywood's Hedonistic Culture?
According to this graphic compiled by the Associated Press, Oscar winners rarely thank God for their success.
Academy Award winners "may not see God's hand in the approval of their fellow artists and thus don't thank God because they either don't see His hand in their success or may be embarrassed to be associated with such a benighted demographic as the Christian community," Wainer argued.
Gainor agreed. "Hollywood has a hedonistic culture – there's no doubt about it. It's an 'anything goes' sex, drugs, and rock and roll mentality," he declared.
Gainor did not necessarily blame the actors and directors for this, however. "Any sort of ego-fed field feeds our inherent narcissism, our lust for things that are not good, and it makes it very hard to turn to good things," he explained. Certain aspects of acting, like performing a love scene with someone who is not your wife, naturally undermines what is good.
"The family-friendly movies now are movies like 'Frozen,'" animated films that seem unrealistic, Gainor explained. "It's almost like the good things are comic book, cartoons, and the bad things are what they depict as real life."
Paul Asay, senior associate editor of Focus on the Family's Plugged In movie review site, argued that the general trend against thanking God in Oscar speeches may have nothing to do with an anti-Christian or anti-religious bias. The trend, if there is one, could speak to the fact that God is not as big of a motivating factor in the entertainment industry as He once was," Asay admitted. But he quickly added that "it could also be a demonstration that people view their faith as a more private exercise."
"Anytime you talk about God, there is going to be a little controversy about that," the reviewer argued. The Oscars do not aim to promote controversy, but try "to make people as comfortable as possible." In a way, Asay argued, "the Oscars are in the vein of Hollywood conservatism – they don't want to send any false notes."
Ted Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission and editor-in-chief of Movieguide, argued that the lack of gratitude to God is not limited to the Oscars. He noted that, even at the explicitly Christian Movieguide awards, which aired Monday night, "you thank Movieguide, you thank your family." When a colleague buys dinner, "you thank the person who takes you out to dinner, but not God."
Baehr expressed a preference for fewer praises to God at public events, in favor of more authentic tributes. "I'd rather have a heartfelt statement than a lot of people flapping their lips like it's what they should do," he explained. The critic mentioned rappers who thank God with their lips and then feature "abhorrent" sex acts abusing girls in their videos. He also mentioned Adolf Hitler, who appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in 1936 for "Thanking God."
"We know that Hitler was not a Christian," Baehr explained, citing the book The End of the Spear, among others.
As opposed to Hitler's false thanks, Baehr praised McConaughey's genuine gratitude. "I think Matthew is very explicit about God because he had been kicked out of Hollywood," the critic explained, referencing the actor's previous involvement with marijuana and other drugs.
