You’ve Got Mail - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

You’ve Got Mail

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

  

One of my good wife’s favorite movies is You’ve Got Mail with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. It is considered one of those drama/romance genres. A rather cute movie, a love story about a struggling boutique bookseller Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) who meets, and then hates (or the other way around) Joe Fox (Tom Hanks), the owner of the corporate Foxbooks chain store that just moved in across the New York City street.

It is a classic movie which I enjoy watching also. Occasionally we’ll pull the video out, or maybe the DVD. I forget what format we have.

Short version, so as not to spoil it if you choose to check it out on Netflix or Redbox - Joe takes all of Kathleen’s customer business, and then they end up in love. But that only happens after they unknowingly exchange some emails with each other, which in 1998 was still new to some people. If my memory serves me right, and 9 out of 10 times it still does, the story develops in such a way that you keep hoping they will discover who the other one really is that they are communicating with, and that they would fall in love. In the end they do, and you get all teary eyed. At least my wife does. (And I think I have too.)

I thought it was rather odd that Holy Spirit (notice He is not “the” or “it” but a real person) would drop that movie into my mind as I finally woke up, after being woken up at 1 am this morning by Him. He is known for that. Giving you a random thought, even in the middle of the night, but then explaining it more after you spend a little time in waiting, and seeking, the purpose He had in giving it to you.

His communication style is fun at times. It reminds me of playing hide and go seek as a child, or even now with a grandchild. He will say something, wait for you to acknowledge Him, and then give you a little bit more to keep you hearing. Hide, seek, and find.

For me, it is how He gives a prophetic word for someone – just a picture in my mind, a single word, or a short sentence, and then as I speak it forth, He gives me more to share with that one He is wanting to bless. Moving in faith brings reward, and blesses others in the process.

So what about “You’ve Got Mail”? I just believe the Lord is wanting to get someone’s attention who is reading this, and let you know that it is actually He Who has been speaking to you all the time. You thought it was just you.

He wants you to know He loves you, knows where you are at, and is already working out the situation far better than you could hope or imagine.

You are not alone. You have not been abandoned. He knows the pain, hurt and sorrow. He has been there. Done that.

He loves you so much, and is so happy that you are His child. He is not out to “get you” as some would think. He is out to get you - to share more of His love with you.

So heh! You’ve got mail!

Now treasure this.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:

"For Your sake we are killed all day long;

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(Romans 8:31-39 NKJV)

Touch them even now Lord. Let them know of Your awesome love.

Love you,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

We sure could use your help to bless the families we do in Israel, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and the hurting ones here in the USA. Please give out of the abundance you have been given.

In May, 2016, my wife Laurie and I will be traveling to Israel to spend time with our friends. We support them in word and deed. We have our plane tickets in hand. We support Israel.

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.

If these messages minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families we know in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

Click here for safe ONLINE GIFT GIVING THROUGH OUR WEBSITE using major credit cards: Love For His People. If you don't have a PayPal account you can also use your credit card or bank account (where available). 

Contribution checks can be sent to: 

Love For His People, Inc.  P.O. Box414   Pineville, NC 28134

Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.)

Please share Now Think On This with your friends.

Email: loveforhispeople@gmail.com  

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Now Think On This #204 “You’ve Got Mail” by Steve Martin 

Date: In the year of our Lord 2015 (11.10.15) Tuesday at 2:31 am in Charlotte, NC

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

Bible Idiots - Trailer 2015 (Christan Comedians)

Published on Jul 31, 2015

Stand up comedians travel the country to find out the relevancy and authority of the Bible. Watch full film now at www.bibleidiots.com

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  • Entertainment
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Why 'War Room' Is a Must-See Movie - J. Lee Grady

Why 'War Room' Is a Must-See Movie

 9/2/2015 J. LEE GRADY  charisma magazine

'War Room' is a must-see Christian movie. (Facebook )

I'm not a big fan of Christian movies, mainly because low budgets often result in bad acting and cheesy scripts that make even the most gracious churchgoers cringe in embarrassment. But today Hollywood insiders are admitting that the quality of Christian filmmaking is improving—and the newly released War Room is likely to take the genre to a new level.

Don't expect your typical nose-in-the-air film critics to give War Room good reviews. Its faith message is not subtle. People actually pray—out loud!—on screen, and the name of Jesus is mentioned numerous times. One of the main characters gets on his knees and asks God for forgiveness, while another walks out on her back porch and commands the devil to go to hell.

If all that religion isn't enough to drive the Hollywood elite crazy, the actors in this film talk with thick Southern accents. Even popular Bible teacher Beth Moore shows off her Texas drawl in a cameo role.

The reason for the Southern flair is that War Room was created by Alex and Stephen Kendrick, Baptist brothers from Georgia who gave us Facing the Giants, Fireproof and Courageous. Those films were panned by Hollywood, but their financial success made a few leaders in the movie business curious. They discovered that evangelical Christians have an appetite for wholesome entertainment that reinforces their beliefs. That's why Fireproof was the top-grossing independent film of 2008—and whyWar Room ended up with a stunning $11.4 million last weekend when it opened in theaters.

I won't be surprised if War Room breaks all previous records for the Kendrick Brothers. They have outdone themselves with this one. You need to see it. In fact, you should take your friends and see it as a group.

The story revolves around a middle-class couple struggling in their marriage. Elizabeth Jordan (Priscilla Shirer) is a real-estate agent who is mad at her busy husband, Tony (T.C. Stallings), because he's stressed out and angry at her most of the time. When Elizabeth takes on the job of selling the house of an elderly woman named Miss Clara (Karen Abercrombie), she begins a remarkable spiritual journey that transforms her family.

War Room gets its title from the small closet Miss Clara uses for prayer. She challenges Elizabeth to let go of her anger, submit fully to God and begin her own prayer life. "You are a warrior," she tells her young friend. Elizabeth reluctantly cleans out the walk-in closet in her bedroom and begins to fight for her marriage—at the same time that her husband is considering having an affair. By the end of the film, Miss Clara has not only mentored Elizabeth in prayer; she has also taught all of us why we need to go to war on our knees.

I don't know of any film that portrays the power of prayer like War Room. Abercrombie (who has appeared in numerous TV shows including Alley McBeal and Judging Amy) steals the show as Miss Clara, but Priscilla Shirer, who is the daughter of Dallas pastor Tony Evans, brings unexpected acting talent to the screen—especially in the scene when she decides she won't let the devil have her family or her marriage.

This movie is unabashedly Christian and might as well be rated P-I for politically incorrect. There is no profanity (Miss Clara does declare in one scene that the devil's butt has been kicked) and no sex—although a woman Tony meets at work invites him to her apartment. And the only violence occurs when a man wielding a knife confronts Elizabeth and Miss Clara. You guessed it—the old lady rebukes her attacker in the name of Jesus.

Miss Clara's bold approach to faith is what I liked most about War Room. This brave saint doesn't care what anybody thinks—she is going to pray whether you like it or not. She gets in Elizabeth's face and confronts her bad attitudes, and she gets in the devil's face and commands him to stop destroying Elizabeth's marriage. By the end of the film she's kneeling in her new prayer room in her son's house, praying up a storm for America.

This is exactly why director Alex Kendrick says he made War Room. He told Entertainment Weekly: "This movie calls people to make prayer a priority, and we believe that it's something our culture and our nation really needs — to turn back to God and to seek him in prayer."

War Room may do more than shatter box office records. It could actually inspire a fresh movement of prayer in our prayerless nation.

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of The Mordecai Project. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. Check out his ministry at themordecaiproject.org.

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

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'War Room' a Call to Do Battle on Your Knees - movie

'War Room' a Call to Do Battle on Your Knees

By Charlene Aaron

CBN News Reporter

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

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DALLAS -- "War Room," the latest faith-based film from brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick, follows the turbulent marriage of a middle class couple and highlights the difference that prayer can make.

Best-selling author and Bible teacher Priscilla Shirer makes her big screen debut as Elizabeth Jordan, a busy, fed-up wife, mom, and realtor.

Having never acted in a movie before, she said she was surprised when she was asked to play the role.

"When they said we would like for you to be the lead in the film -- not just have a 'lil part in the film, be a lead in the film -- I was like, 'Have y'all lost your minds?'" she laughed.

A Boiling Point

In the film, the Jordan's rocky marriage constantly reaches the boiling point.

Shirer, daughter of well-known pastor Tony Evans, worked with the Kendricks on their blockbuster film "Courageous," writing the resolution for women from the film. 

"When we were going into 'War Room,' we were thinking we would love to have someone like Priscilla Shirer who would play this role," Stephen Kendrick said. "So we were writing scenes with her in mind, thinking what would Priscilla do in this situation."

Actor T.C. Stallings plays Shirer's husband, a successful pharmaceutical rep. As a former player with the Arena Football League, he told CBN News he related to his character's struggle with pride and putting God first, a problem he believes a lot of men face.

"I said, 'Lord, there's some things about Tony Jordan that I actually experienced,'" he said. "Football was god for me."

"It provided the fame, the notoriety, the finances, so I put everything into it. Tony Jordan does the same thing," he explained.

In the 'War Room'

Using the analogy of military strategy, "War Room" expounds on what happens when the main character Elizabeth learns the key to praying in her closet.

"In the Christian walk we often try to figure it out on our own, get in over our heads, then run to God in our war room, our prayer closet if you will, and say, 'God, what are you doing?'" Director Alex Kendrick explained.

"And so we use that parallel in the movie to say that we are supposed to go to the Lord first," he said.

"God is looking down saying, 'I'm the only one who can change this culture and I'm the only one who can change the human heart. If you will come before me, then I will move mightily on your behalf,'" Stephen Kendrick said.

Popular speaker and author Beth Moore makes a cameo appearance in the film. She agrees that some people underestimate the power of prayer.

"What happens is that people give up," she said. "Anybody that doesn't believe in the power of prayer quits too soon."

Actress Karen Abercrombie plays Miss Clara, an elderly woman who enlists Elizabeth's help in selling her home while encouraging her to fight for her family, on her knees.

"Miss Clara is a 77-year-old widow and she is a prayer warrior and she's funny, she's kind, and she is super passionate about the Lord," Abercrombie said.

"For Elizabeth it's kind of slow and steady," Shirer explained. "She has to keep meeting with Miss Clara because she has to help her sell her house. But she's kind of like, 'Alright, stop asking me personal questions about my relationship with the Lord.'"

More than a Movie

Many say "War Room" is more than just a movie. For the Kendricks it's their first independent project apart from their church Sherwood Baptist. 

They also say it's a call for Christians to seek the Lord for the answers to the problems in their lives, in our nation, and the culture.

"We pray that people will watch this film and that they will, yes, feel the tension, and the drama, laugh with us, cry at certain point," Alex Kendrick said. "But by the end be inspired and reminded about the powerful weapon that prayer can be to fight the right enemy, the right way and that they'll want to go home and say I have to amp up my prayer life."

Cast members said they learned more than just lines from this project.

"I will say that I have become more strategic," Shirer said. "It reminds you every day to be diligent about what your prayer life is."

Abercrombie testified to the power of powerful prayer in her and family.

"I've seen family members come to the Lord after some serious prayer and so I was able to pull on those things when I went into that prayer closet," she said.

A Lasting Impact

Moviegoers who watched the premiere of "War Room" have given it rave reviews.

"The characters brought to life what so many of us can relate to in our lives and our own world and it gives hope," moviegoer Suzanne Trahan said.

"It gives an answer to all the difficulty we all struggle with--for such a time as this," she added.

Matt Jacobs of Dallas also said he thought it was excellent.

"I found myself crying a lot throughout this movie," he admitted.

You can watch "War Room" for yourself when it hits theaters on August 28.

Glenn Beck Red Carpet Reaction to 'War Room'

Gospel Artist Crystal Aikin Reacts to 'War Room'

Moviegoer Suzanne Trahan Reacts to 'War Room' Premiere

Moviegoer Matt Jacobs Reacts to 'War Room' Premiere

I'm Excited About The Sequel to the Movie God's Not Dead

 7/6/2015 STEVE STRANG  charisma news

Some of the cast members from "God's Not Dead 2," including Melissa Joan Hart, third from right.

One of the most successful Christian movies of 2014 was a low-budget film about apologetics called God's Not Dead. It was made for a little over $1 million, but grossed $100 million at the box office, including DVD sales. It now has more than 7 million fans on Facebook.

I knew about the movie before it happened because it was based on the book by the same title written by my longtime friend Rice Broocks. I knew Rice was a passionate apologist for the Christian faith and skilled at explaining complex Christian concepts in a way anyone could understand. I was also aware of the many faith films being made—most of them were mediocre. So I was skeptical when Rice called wanting coverage for the movie, especially since they were having trouble getting theaters to screen the movie. But wanting to encourage any effort to bring Christ into the wider culture, we gave the movie extensive coverage right at its release launch.   

I'm not the only one who liked the movie. When we ran our article, it was shared and reshared by our readers. The first weekend, the relatively few theaters showing the film were nearly sold out. The number of theaters showing the movie doubled the second week. Clearly something was happening. The rest is history.

I tell you this because last week I visited the set for God's Not Dead 2 in Arkansas. I was the guest of Troy Duhon, who provided the funding for the first God's Not Dead movie (which an insider told me may be one of the most successful movies in history based on return on investment).

I wasn't sure what to expect for a sequel, though. Would it be the same actors in a different setting? I rewatched the first as I flew to the set and noticed all sorts of subtleties in plot and characterization that I missed the first time I saw it.

I was impressed again by how good the movie was: the acting, cinematography, the Louisiana State University location. The film even featured a huge rock concert from the Newsboys and a scene where car struck and killed one of the main characters (but not before he accepted Christ).

The basis of the plot is how a young Christian university student defended his faith (using apologetics arguments from Rice Broocks' book) in his philosophy class before a hostile atheistic professor. Yet it had interesting subplots that somehow all fit together: a leftist reporter who discovered she was dying of cancer, and a Muslim student expelled from her home when she accepted Christ (but her father, who was a strict Muslim, was shown to be emotionally torn over losing his daughter).

Another subplot was the anguish of a Christian mother with Alzheimer's. But when she spoke with her wayward selfish son, she spoke about spiritual things with clarity as if she was being led by the Holy Spirit.  

The movie had star power: Willie and Korie Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame made two short appearances as themselves that added to the plot.

Hollywood has taken notice that clean "faith-friendly movies" are more successful than R-rated films. I'm constantly being invited to screenings where the marketers are hoping Christians will pack the theaters and fill marketers' pockets with money. I walked out of one screening recently, horribly disappointed at a movie that claimed to be faith based, but was nothing more than a Catholic priest, a couple of Scriptures and a heart-warming plot. It didn't come close to communicating the gospel or even real Christians being a light in a dark world.

But God's Not Dead filled this need—a strong Christian witness in a well-written, well-acted film. Its sequel is about a high school teacher, played by Melissa Joan Hart, who is arrested for speaking about Jesus in the classroom.

The movie climaxes with a courtroom scene in Little Rock, complete with real experts playing themselves being called to testify.

I was pleasantly surprised by what I heard and saw. The stars like Melissa Joan Hart and Sadie Robertson were likable and seemed passionate about this new movie. Everyone I talked to from Director Harold Cronk down to the extras said they believed the movie would help teach a generation of Christians how to defend their faith in an increasingly hostile environment.

It was fun watching the takes and retakes and to watch and listen on the monitors at Benton High School in Benton, Arkansas, about a half-hour outside of Little Rock. They used an actual classroom and some local teens, along with members of some Christian bands and the children of a few well-known Christian leaders as students in the school.

Troy was at my side most of the day, explaining the movie business and talking about some of the exciting things that resulted from the first God's Not Dead movie. He also gave me a play by play on what I was seeing and who was who. But when he would reel off how this actor or that actress was on some well-known network TV program, I was clueless because I don't follow those programs.

Many of the actors professed to be Christians, including Hart—who I know as a spokesperson for Wal-Mart—who told me being in the movie allowed her to "come out" as a Christian in Hollywood.

I've traveled the world, interviewed three U.S. presidents and spoken at the United Nations. But I was unprepared for how much fun this was. Even though I play the role of a CEO at the office, I think I must still be a reporter at heart, because I quickly fell back into that role as I interviewed Troy the financier, Harold the director and some of the stars.

While at the filming, I recorded numerous interviews to be used on upcoming podcasts of The Strang Report. You won't want to miss them over the next few weeks. If you haven't subscribed, click here to do so. We're excited how the number of our podcast subscribers is growing every day.

The first time around, no one knew how God's Not Dead would succeed. The promoters were starting from scratch to get an audience. This time around, they have a brand, and many people like me eager to see what is next. How many of their 7 million fans on Facebook do you think will want to see the sequel?

Leave your comments on what you thought about God's Not Dead or this trend toward faith-friendly films in Hollywood. Share this with your friends. Let's get a buzz going in anticipation of this exciting new movie that I believe will be better than the first.

Steve Strang is the founding editor and publisher of Charisma. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook stephenestrang.

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Faith-Friendly Film Review: LITTLE BOY

Take a moment and check out our Faith-Friendly Film Review of LITTLE BOY—which opens nationwide in theaters this Friday, April 24th.

Coming to us from the highly acclaimed faith-driven team at Metanoia Films, LITTLE BOY tells the delightful and powerful story of an undersized, eight-year-old boy who learns about faith as he does everything in his power to bring his father back from World War II alive.

Click here to read the full review and find out how we rated LITTLE BOY.



As you know, we’ve developed a set of five specific criteria to measure the compatibility of entertainment products for Faith Driven Consumers like you and me.

By supporting faith-compatible entertainment, we collectively encourage Hollywood to continue producing more products that resonate with the 41 million Americans who are Faith Driven Consumers and spend $2 trillion annually.

Share this review with your family and friends. We hope you will use it to make an informed stewardship decision about spending your time and treasure on LITTLE BOY during its theatrical release and beyond.

Sincerely,

Kermit Rainman
Faith Driven Consumer
http://www.faithdrivenconsumer.com/

WATCH: 'A.D. The Bible Continues' Brings the Book of Acts to Life

WATCH: 'A.D. The Bible Continues' 

Brings the Book of Acts to Life

3/13/2015 JESSILYN JUSTICE  charisma magazine

Mark Burnett and Roma Downey have done it again—produced a captivating retelling of the greatest story of all time.  

A.D. The Bible Continues picks up where The Bible left off, exploring what happens after the crucifixion of Christ.  

Watch the video for a first look at the series.

Blood Moons Film: 'The Heavens Are God's Billboard' - John Hagee

Blood Moons Film: 'The Heavens Are God's Billboard'

CBNNews.com

Thursday, March 12, 2015

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In a cinematic one-night event, Pastor John Hagee's best-selling book, Four Blood Moons, is slated to hit theaters this month.

Through the lens of scripture, science, and history, the big-screen production will examine the significance of the blood moons cycle for Israel, the Middle East, and the rest of the world.

"The heavens are 'God's billboard.' He's been sending signals to earth, and we haven't been picking them up," Hagee said.

"Two blood moons, in 2014 and 2015, point to dramatic events in the Middle East and, as a result, changes in the whole world," he said.

CBN's Erick Stakelbeck, who spoke to Hagee last year about his book, also makes an appearance in the movie.

Four Blood Moons is scheduled to open March 23. For more information, visit the film's website.

'Old Fashioned' Romance Shreds 'Shades of Grey' Movie

"Old Fashioned" movie scene

'Old Fashioned' Romance 

Shreds 'Shades of Grey'

By Wendy Griffith

CBN News Anchor/Reporter

Friday, February 13, 2015

There's another movie being released February 13 about love and romance you might want to check out.

It's called "Old Fashioned." CBN's Wendy Griffith spoke with the film's writer and lead actor, Rik Swartzwelder, to find out the story behind the film.

Film's writer and lead actor, Rik Swartzwelder

Physical Matters

Swartzwelder plays Clay Walsh, a former frat boy who comes to Jesus and feels so guilty for his past behavior with women that he makes a vow to keep his distance from the opposite sex until the "right" one comes along.

The only problem is that his own "righteousness" becomes a bit of a brick wall to those around him.

"So, he's isolated himself from other people, isolated himself ultimately from God, even, and it's starting to change him in a not-good way," Rik explained.

When a single woman named Amber enters the picture, things begin to change. Clay runs an antique shop and Amber rents the apartment above the shop.

Wendy Griffith - CBN News Anchor/Reporter

Griffith asked Rik what inspired him to write the script for "Old Fashioned."

"I was hanging around with a bunch of singles, and we all loved film and we were dating and trying to fall in love and see if we could find a life partner, someone to marry," he explained. "And we were talking about how none of us, to a person, had ever seen a film that really told our story on screen."

"So the very beginning, the genesis of 'Old Fashioned' for me, was simply trying to tell the love story that other people I knew were experiencing and hoping for and longing for," he said.

In the movie, Clay says he won't kiss his bride, except on the cheek, until their wedding day.

"For Clay it's important because it's his way of staying on the straight and narrow, of trying to make amends for how he has lived in the past," Rik said about why that level of purity was so important to him. "What we can learn from Clay is, however you want to draw those lines, there is wisdom in saying, what we do physically matters and there's a spiritual component to these things."

Redeeming Romance

Are Rik and Clay one in the same?

"Well, any writer, you write what you know and there are certainly elements of the film that are auto-biographical," Rik admitted. "It's not my life story, but I'm definitely borrowing heavily from my own life experiences."

Like his character, Rik became a Christian later in life.

"My moral compass was dictated by MTV and pop culture and I bought into that," Rik explained. "I lived that life out and eventually you go far enough down that road and you realize not only is it a dead-end street, but it's an empty street."

"But when I read the words of Jesus and the life of Jesus and Jesus says, 'Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,' something in me shifted and it's never been the same," he added.

"Old Fashioned" will be released on February 13, the same day as "50 Shades of Grey." Rik said he wasn't telling this story as a counterpoint to "50 Shades" or any other book or film.

"I was simply trying to tell a more beautiful love story that took the idea of honoring God and that takes romance and dating seriously," he said. "When we realized the marketing opportunity that was there once our film was done, that clearly was deliberate. It was a unique time to engage the culture in a discussion about love and romance."

Shades of Spiritual

Dr. Juli Slattery, co-author of a new book called, Pulling Back the Shades, said although "50 Shades of Grey" is a cultural phenomenon, with more than 100 million books sold, it's a dangerous book and movie, and it's one that Christian women should avoid.

"In 1 Thessalonians, it says clearly, 'This is God's will for you, that you should avoid sexual immorality.' And as Christian women we're constantly asking, 'God, would you guide me? Would you bless me? Would you bless my family? Would you bring me a loving husband?" she explained. "By reading '50 shades of Grey' or things like it, or going to see the movie, you are choosing to take yourself out of God's will," Slattery said.

Slattery also said that "50 Shades of Grey" is actually a spiritual book.

"We start with the Garden of Eden, and Satan saying to Eve, 'God really doesn't have your best interest in mind. There's another way to achieve what you want,'" she explained. "How is "50 Shades of Grey" not that? It's whispering to single women, to married women, 'What you're experiencing, what God has for you is really second rate. What the world offers is much more fulfilling.'"

"That's Satanic. When we bite the apple, take the bait, we are following the enemy's plan," she said.

A Beautiful Revolution

Slattery recommends movie-goers choose "Old Fashioned" over "50 Shades."

"It's not fairy tale-ish," she said. "The main character, Clay, comes from a lot of poor choices and the woman does, too. And it's a story not just of romance but of God's redemption."

Slattery said a lot of women feel a tremendous amount of sexual shame, believing they could never have a pure relationship. But the movie, "Old Fashioned," shows you not only is God's way the best, but God redeems us.

Rik admits that in an age where "hooking up" is practically a national pastime, and reality dating shows encourage kissing as many people as possible, the themes in "Old Fashioned" are completely counter-cultural. But he hopes that his movie will at least get the conversation started.

"Are we engaging romance with respect?" he asks. "Does virtue matter, does honor matter? Does integrity matter? What does that look like for you?"

Is an old fashioned courtship possible in 2015? Rik believes it is.

"I believe in a God who is revolutionary, who believes that all things come in cycles, and that all things are possible," he said. "And chivalry can make a comeback if enough people want it."

"If we get tired of getting beaten up by our culture and entertainment that wants to reduce us to physical recepticles, then yes, it absolutely is possible," he added. "And I believe a beautiful revolution can happen, but it has to happen in our own hearts."

Watch the interview here: CBN News - "Old Fashioned" movie

Unbroken: POW Set to Capture Hearts on Big Screen

Louis Zamperini with Billy Graham

Unbroken: POW Set to Capture Hearts on Big Screen

By Efrem Graham

News Anchor & Reporter

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

NEW YORK CITY -- Louis Zamperini'sincredible story of courage has captured hearts and minds around the world. The Olympian and former prisoner of war shared his faith on The 700 Club and in his biography, Unbroken which became a bestseller.

Zamperini's remarkable life story is now hitting the big screen in time Christmas, and just five months after the 97-year-old WWII veteran died of pneumonia.

Hollywood heavyweight Angelina Jolie directed the epic drama.

"What we tried to do was the themes of Louis's story; we would put into this dramatic period of his life, but make sure all of the themes were present," Jolie told CBN News.

Survival, resilience, and redemption are themes Jolie aimed to capture in the film that takes viewers on a journey from Zamperini's troubled childhood to his Olympic journey to his time as a soldier.

During his time in the military, Zamperini's plane crashed and left him stranded him for 47 days on a raft in the Pacific. Following that time, he became a prisoner of war when the Japanese Navy captured him.

He then faced years of unspeakable torture.

British actor Jack O'Connell plays the role of Zamperini in the film. O'Connell spoke with CBN News about how he prepared for the role.

"I just had to know him. I felt like I had to at least connect with him once. And the rest was the result of Laura Hillenbrand's very informative book," O'Connell said.

"And so I wasn't short of resources," he continued. "And Angelina knew him. So, she was able to constantly refer back to the man himself. And we could make decisions based on whether that was Louis or wasn't Louis basically."

Hints of Faith

"Unbroken" is an adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand's best-selling book of the same name.

But Jolie ends her cinema story with Zamperini's return home at the end of the war. That was a year before the war hero became an alcoholic and before he met a then-popular young evangelist, Rev. Billy Graham.

Still, Jolie hints at Zamperini's faith in the film.

"That is what we tried to get into the film. We wanted people to understand that it is not that you suddenly realize there is something beyond you in the world," Jolie told CBN News.

"That man is not alone is something we wanted to say from early on in the raft to the prison camp, that there is this, whatever your faith, there is something there," she added. "And whether you choose to see it is your choice and when you come to it and when you feel it, it is there for you."

"And so, it was very important to us that sometimes in the mother praying, sometimes in the sunrise, there is always what we would refer to as the light in the film," she said.

Unbroken Spirit

There is also darkness in the film.

Jolie tapped Japanese singer and guitarist Takamasa Ishihara, whose stage name is Miyavi, to play Mutsushiro Watanabe. Watanabe was also known as "Birdman" and he made it his mission to break Zamperini's spirit.

Miyavi had to learn English for this intense role, which was also his acting debut.

"Actually I was so nervous and hesitant to tackle this role," Miyavi told CBN News. "But I met Angelina in Tokyo and she said she wanted to make a creation that could be a bridge between America and Japan, countries that have had similar issues in conflict."

"So, even as Japanese I was scared, but I thought it was really meaningful," he explained. "It is not about the war. It's not about the conflict between America and Japan. It's about forgiveness and an unbroken spirit."

Jolie: 'He Inspired Me'

Zamperini met the cast before Jolie wrapped production of the film in in February. He also saw the film before he died.

Angelina showed it to him on her computer. It's a film and a relationship that deeply touched the Academy Award-winning actress.

"It made me, it made me a better person," Jolie told CBN News. "It reminded me, re-inspired me in my faith in the human spirit and the power of brotherhood and love and family and faith that we often, many people don't lean on enough in life, and we often lose and forget that it is there."

"And in Louis' story, I think and we hope that when people leave the theater, they hold themselves a little higher," she said. "And they face their next challenge with a little more strength."

Watch CBN interview: Unbroken