Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Lots of Matzah: Passover's 'Bread of Affliction'

Making matzah bread

Lots of Matzah: 

Passover's 'Bread of Affliction'

The Bible calls it the bread of affliction -- unleavened bread, or matzah.

Every year Jewish people around the world are commanded to re-tell the story of their Exodus from Egyptian slavery with a Passover seder and to eat unleavened bread, or matzah, for seven days.

And if the whole country Israel and Jewish people around the world are eating matzah for a week, that's a lot of matzah.

"It's to remember the Exodus of the people of Israel from Egypt that they did because the Lord made them leave very fast, they had to make bread that didn't have time to rise, and they ate this flat bread which is matzah because they didn't have time to make regular bread," Roy Wolf, vice president of Matzot Aviv, in Bnei Brak, Tel Aviv, told CBN News.

Most Israelis take the commandment to eat unleavened bread seriously and many actually like it. Grocery stores devote whole sections to selling matzah.

Besides regular matzah, you can get egg, whole wheat, and even choco-matzah.

"Regular matzo must be from flour and water only. The flour would look to you like regular flour, but it's not regular flour," Wolf explained.

Wolf told CBN News the whole process from mixing to rolling to shaping to baking must be finished in 18 minutes because the moment water touches the flour it starts rising.

"In reality, our process is much, much faster. We want to be as effective, as efficient as possible. And the whole process takes no longer than three or four minutes. But every 15 minutes, in order to avoid to have any leftovers of leavened dough, we have to clean the mixer system," Wolf said.

Wolf is the sixth generation to work in his family's business, which started in 1887. They've been in the current factory in Bnei Brak since 1946.

"The basement here where we have the flour cellars today, the Haganah, the first defense forces [of Israel], used to hide weapons from the British mandate. Since 1946, we've been here making matzo. Of course the factory was refurbished several times," he said.

At Matzot Aviv they make about 20 tons of matzah per day. They start in October and work round the clock for the last month except on the Sabbath to provide matzah to Jewish communities in Israel and around the world.

"We are exporting to over 35 countries to all Jewish communities around the world. From the large communities in North America to even the smallest community because one, there is one person that lives in Wallace Island," he said. "He's the doctor of the island and we are sending him matzah every year. So he will be able to have a seder with matzah from Israel."

"We also have Christian communities buying matzah in countries like Korea and Singapore," he said. "I've been told that in some churches it's been used as the holy bread."

The Last Supper would have been a Passover seder with unleavened bread. Because of that many Christians like to take communion with matzah. Some even say that the design of the matzah -- striped and pierced -- is symbolic of the Messiah himself.

You might think with all this matzah-making that the Wolf family would get tired of Passover, but not so.

"We're waiting for this seder. Usually I come very tired for the seder because I'm working until the same day in the afternoon. But it means a lot. This holiday, of course, means a lot to us," he said.

One Israeli compared matzah to a data drive -- passing along information from generation to generation.
Watch Video: Making Matzah Bread

Heaven is for Real: Bright Yellow Book Hits Big Screen

Randall Wallace - Director - "Heaven is for Real"

Heaven is for Real: Bright Yellow Book Hits Big Screen



LOS ANGELES -- The real-life tale of a child's remarkable trip to heaven and back has spent years on the best sellers list. Millions have read the bright yellow book Heaven Is For Real and now the film adaptation arrives in theaters in time for Easter weekend.
Sony pictures tapped screenwriter and film director Randall Wallace to bring the best seller to the big screen.
In a recent interview with CBN News, Wallace discussed the challenges of creating a movie that explored vision of the afterlife.
Vision of the Afterlife
"I think nervous is probably a good term. It was certainly in that field between nervous and sheer terror," Wallace said.
The film is based on a story from the Burpos, an ordinary Nebraska family that faced extraordinary circumstances. Their 4-year-old son Colton nearly died and had to undergo emergency surgery. Colton then awoke with undeniable visions of a trip to heaven.
Before entering the film industry, Wallace financed a year of seminary by teaching karate.
"The seminary training was wonderful for me in this in that I studied religion. I grew up in tent revivals and you always think about heaven in those contexts. And the great thing about that is heaven is presented as something glorious," he told CBN News.
That glorious presentation of heaven comes from a 4-year-old.
Playing Pastor Dad
Connor Corum plays 4-year-old Colton in his very first acting role. Oscar-nominated actor Greg Kinnear plays Colton's dad, Todd.
Kinnear described Todd's character to CBN News.
"Well, he is passionate. He clearly has a strong faith and a strong conviction about what he believes and a great love of his children," Kinnear said. "And I think those were the things for me to really try to translate as strongly to the audience as possible."
Todd Burpo is also a firefighter, pastor, and a man struggling to understand what his son experienced and what to do about it. That struggle helped him write the book that has sold more than 10 million copies.
Kinnear wasn't familiar with the book before taking on the role.
"Turning it into a screenplay would be not easy to do," he recalled thinking.
"It is a tough thing to pull off so that it doesn't feel like a two-hour sermon," Kinnear said. "That is, tell you a story, an honest story. And I thought [Randall Wallace] did an amazing job at doing that."
Watch the video: Heaven Is For Real interview

8 Ways Jesus Suffered for You by J. LEE GRADY

Jesus suffered in many ways, just for you.

8 Ways Jesus Suffered for You



In the churches I grew up in, all the crosses I saw were plain and empty—and usually painted white. We celebrated the fact that Jesus came off the cross and was raised from the dead on Resurrection Sunday. So I always considered the Catholic cross very odd because Jesus was still hanging there in bloody agony. Some people I knew even suggested that crucifixes should be avoided because they leave Jesus in perpetual death.
I’m not lobbying for anyone to wear a crucifix. But I do think we Protestants have at times been so fearful of Catholic doctrines that we minimized Jesus’ painful suffering. In the Gospels, plenty of time is spent describing the torture that led to Calvary and the pain Jesus suffered while nailed to a piece of wood. We should ponder what Jesus suffered if we ever hope to fathom the price He paid for our salvation.
Here are eight things we should think about during the days leading up to Easter:
1. He was betrayed by His disciple Judas. Jesus’ pain was not just physical. Can you imagine the sorrow He felt when one of His own trusted friends became the ultimate traitor? We aren’t exactly sure how to calculate the modern value of 30 pieces of silver, but many scholars suggest about $950. All the pain Jesus endured on Good Friday began the night before, when Judas took blood money to have his Master arrested.
Think about it: There’s a bit of Judas in all of us, and we all betrayed Jesus to get our own way. Yet He chose to forgive us!
2. He was abandoned by His other followers. We often focus on Peter’s denial of Jesus. But the Scriptures remind us that all of Jesus’ disciples “left Him and fled” after His arrest (Mark 14:50, NASB). Jesus had to suffer alone. All the men He had taught and invested in for three and a half years abandoned Him in His hour of need.
Think about it: Jesus paid it all. He accomplished His work of redemption without our help. But He forgave us for our denials!
3. He carried the burden of the sins of the world. Jesus’ greatest agony didn’t start on the cross. It began at Gethsemane, where God laid on His Son the sins of the world. Jesus agonized so intensely in those moments that He sweat drops of blood (Luke 22:44). Scholars say He probably developed a condition known as hematidrosis, in which blood is emitted through the sweat glands because of intense stress.
Think about it: Your sin was transferred to Jesus’ account, and He bore the punishment you deserved!
4. He was falsely accused and rejected by Jewish leaders. Can you imagine the heartache Jesus experienced when the very people He was sent to save spat in His face, blindfolded Him, cursed Him and accused Him of blasphemy? The Sanhedrin set up a kangaroo court and sentenced the Son of God to death.
Think about it: Jesus did not open His mouth in self-defense when He was falsely accused. Now, when Satan accuses you, Jesus argues your case and declares you not guilty!
5. He was mocked and abused by Roman guards. After Pilate caved into pressure from the Jews, Roman soldiers flogged Jesus with a whip, drove a crown of thorns into His scalp, beat His head with sticks and mockingly pretended to worship Him. The flogging alone—which would have involved leather cords with pieces of lead or bone attached—would have drained much of Jesus’ blood.
Think about it: Jesus could have called on angels to stop His torture—but He chose to endure the pain because He loved us!
6. He was crucified between two thieves. We cannot even fathom the pain of crucifixion. Metal spikes were driven into Jesus’ hands and feet, and He had to slide His mangled body up against the wood of the cross in order to catch His breath. And because it was the habit of Romans to crucify criminals naked, Jesus endured the ultimate shame. What's more, He hung on that crude cross next to two men who had been convicted of crimes—while He was completely innocent.
Think about it: We should have been on death row, not Jesus. But He took our place!
7. His body was pierced with a spear. Even after Jesus took His last breath, a soldier jabbed a spear up through the chest cavity—most likely to make sure Jesus was dead. John tells us that blood and water spilled out (John 19:34), evidence that the spear pierced the pericardium, the sac around the heart. Jesus’ heart was literally broken for us.
Think about it: Just as Adam’s side was opened to bring forth the first woman, Jesus’ side was opened to bring forth the church. His piercing produced a fountain of life for us!
8. He tasted death for all. This is the most horrible reality of the cross. Christ did not die metaphorically or symbolically. He died literally. The Son of God, who had never sinned—and who was least deserving of death—died so we could have life. His heart stopped beating, He stopped breathing and His spirit left Him. First Peter 3:18 says: “For Christ also died for sins once and for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God.”
Think about it: Because Jesus died in our place, we no longer have to die. Eternal life is His free gift to us!
This Easter season, ponder the steps the Savior took from Gethsemane to Golgotha. Look at His nail-pierced hands and feet. Take a careful survey of His wondrous cross, and thank Him for hanging there six hours for you.
Note: If you know someone who doesn’t understand what Jesus did for them on the cross, please forward this article to them—and invite them to your church on Easter Sunday.
J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at@leegrady. He is the author of The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale and other books.
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Fearless Leaders With New Shoes of Authority - Entering a New Season and New Walk In Christ - Bonnie Jones



Bonnie Jones:
The Elijah List

Bonnie JonesWe're entering a season of a new walk with the Lord. It's a walk unlike any other in the history of mankind. Why? We've been given all authority to conquer the gates of Hell and now we are stepping up to the plate in the authority Christ died for.

Fearless leaders are emerging wearing their new shoes of authority. They walk not in fear of the enemy but in the awe of God. There is no weapon formed against them that will prosper and they believe it. The enemy has already been crushed under their feet and they believe that also. 

These are the overcomers that look adversity in the face and laugh as they continue their march through the footsteps of time.

New WalkThere will be many obstacles along the way, but God has prepared us with the shoes "peace". It's these shoes that crush satan under our feet. Our demonstration of love protects our feet, and the enemy has no defense against it. 

(Photo via SXC)

And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:15 Amplified

Four-Part Dream: Four Separate Obstacles

Recently, I had a four-part dream where I was shown four separate obstacles. 

In each one the enemy would try to obstruct our walk. But in each one, the Church was victorious because she remained steadfast in the Lord and continued walking together in love.

First, we were walking on a sidewalk that had become muddy. Due to a recent heavy rainfall, soil washed down the bank and onto the sidewalk, causing thick mud. I said, "We must be like Jesus and walk on water!" Directly in front of us we saw a set of footprints in the mud. All we needed to do was follow them and keep our eyes fixed on the clear, clean pool of water that lay ahead. Although our feet got muddy, they were cleansed in the fresh rainwater puddles just ahead of the mud.

We must keep a clear vision because the enemy is trying to get us off track by losing our focus.   

Therefore we must keep our eyes on Jesus and follow after Him. There were great men and women who have gone on before us that paved the way. Each one in their own time followed the same set of footprints. These were the forerunners of the end time army of God that followed after Jesus. They have set their shoes aside, and now we must pick up where they left off.

The second obstacle was ice and snow, which speaks of troubled times ahead. 

We had a long distance to walk where there was deep snow and thick ice on the roads. Looking down at our feet, I thought we would get frostbite because our footwear was not suitable for these weather conditions.

God has prepared us with the shoes of peaceBut to my surprise, our feet were fine. They were not frostbitten or even cold because we were shod with the shoes of peace. It looked as though our feet were in/on the feet of Jesus. We were in perfect stride with Him and marched together in perfect unity as one Body.

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!" Isaiah 52:7

In the third part of the dream we were in a building that looked like a hospital corridor. 

The strange thing about it was the floors were layered with what looked like razor blades that would cut our feet. But in reality they were soft plastic objects that were easy to walk on. Everyone was barefoot and they walked across the objects with ease. 

ElijahList Prophetic Resources

The enemy will always try to deceive us; after all, he's the master of deception. He's great at luring us into his trap by presenting things that are not the way they appear to be. We must be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The Lord is sharpening the spiritual senses of the saints as they mature in spiritual wisdom and discernment. Then they'll better discern the works of the enemy and not fall prey to them.
Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Matthew 10:16

Rotten potatoIn the fourth part of the dream we were on a narrow path in a dark and dingy part of town.

Small, rickety houses were very close in proximity, and between them looked like stepping-stones on a path instead of a sidewalk. A man on the path ahead of me became frightened. Then he picked up a rotten potato in front of one of the houses. Looking at this potato ended his fear. There were a lot of big fat maggots crawling out it. You could see how infested the potato was, but the man was overjoyed. The dream ended. 

(Photo via Flickr)

Tomatoes grow above ground and represent God's love revealed, while potatoes grow underground and therefore represent God's love concealed. The fact that this potato was badly infested with maggots was an incredible breakthrough. And I believe it refers to evangelism.

Maggots are fly babies or larvae. When flies lay their eggs, they become maggots as they hatch. Old Beelzebub, the lord of the flies, has been hatching a lot of maggots since the beginning of time. Maggots are considered to be a worm in the first stage of their life; in the second stage they become a fly. And the cycle continues. Just like satan keeps his cycle of lies and deception aimed at us in order to confuse, deceive, distract, divide, and disillusion the saints.

An unsanctified mind is considered a worm. The enemy knows his time is short, so he must hurl lies and accusations. He's going to give it his best shot, and he's had lots of practice. 

But the one thing he can never conquer is love. 

He has no match for it and can't duplicate it. Because the army of God is marching in unity one with another and their mind is fixed on Him, they speak to the mountains and expect results. So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20 NKJ

MaggotsOne thing about maggots: they only eat dead flesh and rotten food. During the American Civil War and WWII, maggots were used to clean wounds. If a soldier had gangrene, maggots were placed on the infected area. They would eat away the dead flesh and the wound would heal quickly. 

The Body of Christ has been fed a lot of rotten food, but I believe she's going to get healed quickly as God's concealed love is revealed. 

(Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

A Breakthrough Into Evangelism

Therefore, I feel the Lord was showing me a breakthrough into evangelism as the army of God goes forth into the harvest field redeeming the unsanctified mind (worm) and renewing it to the mind of Christ. 

Maggots are great fish bait and we are called to be fish cleaners.

We are in a time of great change. The Body of Christ has been crying out for change, and it is now upon us. 

It's time for us to transition into the army God has called us to be as we pick up our marching orders to proceed into the harvest field of time. 

We can avoid the enemy's obstacles by keeping our focus on Christ and walking in unity with Him and our fellow brethren. Know the Word and discern the plan of the enemy.

March fearlessly into the harvest field and redeem the lost. So, get ready for the harvest to begin!

Bonnie Jones
The Prophetic Ministry of Bob and Bonnie Jones

Website: bobjones.org

To contact Bonnie Jones send your inquiry to:

Bob and Bonnie Jones Ministries
White Horses Publishings
P.O. Box 838
Pineville, NC 28134-0838

Bonnie Jones has a great love for the Lord, the Word and the Cross of Jesus. She loves children and enjoys blessing them with a gift of joy, truth, love, and encouragement. Bonnie moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2001 to attend Morning Star School of Ministry; in 2005 she met Bob Jones and they were married the following year (Bob Jones went home to be with the Lord earlier this year). Bonnie moves in a seer prophetic gifting as well as healing and miracles. Her passion is to see women set free from the fear of man and step into their gifts and calling.

To subscribe to The Elijah List go to:http://elijahlist.com/subscribe

Steve ShultzFrom the desk of Steve Shultz:

We are IN a new season...no doubt about it! This is a new, prophetic word by Bonnie Jones. It's full of dreams and revelations as she shares:

We're entering a season of a new walk with the Lord. It's a walk unlike any other in the history of mankind. Why? We've been given all authority to conquer the gates of Hell and now we are stepping up to the plate in the authority Christ died for.

Make sure and forward this on to others as well...it's a must read...AND let others know they can Subscribe to the Elijah List right here: http://elijahlist.com/subscribe.


Enjoy,
Steve


Conquer Fear Successfully by Jennifer Winchester

Conquer Fear Successfully 

by Jennifer Winchester

Identity Network

Most of humanity tries to conquer their worst fears through the way that comes most naturally to them – control. The irony in this is that by attempting to control a particular situation, we actually help the fear to manifest itself and to come to pass. Why? Because trying to control a situation that you fear is actually a form of submitting to that fear. In doing so you are not having faith that God is in control. I know what some of you are saying, ‘But God expects us to do our part!’ 

While this may very well true, your part is not to take the situation wholly into your own hands. Let me give an example.
Let’s say that a newly married woman (let’s call her Sue) has a fear that her husband will cheat on her. Maybe her father was a cheater, or her last boyfriend. So Sue decides that in order to insure that her new husband will not cheat, she is going to monitor him constantly, keep him from going out with his friends, or doing anything outside of the home apart from her or very few well controlled situations for that matter. 

He cannot have his own email, Facebook, etc. She checks his cell phone regularly and basically trusts in her own ability to prevent him from even having a chance to encounter another woman. 

While in Sue’s mind this seems to be logical, she in actuality is believing in her fear. The Bible tells us that what we believe in, is what will happen. Sue’s actions are actually imposing on and creating the optimal conditions in her marriage for her husband to cheat. Why?  Sue is already treating him like a cheater, therefore he becomes the cheater that she always believed he would be.

The practical flesh and bones explanation for this particular situation is that eventually Sue’s husband will become tired of her controlling behaviors and He will seek out the companionship of someone who trusts him and has confidence in him, because one of a man’s greatest needs is for his wife to have confidence in him.

Avoiding Fear by Maintaining Control

Let’s say that your fear has nothing to do with a particular relationship. What if it is a broader fear, like a fear of not succeeding at a particular goal? There is a biblical illustration that Jesus gives us relating to a similar situation. In the parable of the Talents as told by Jesus himself, we are shown how trying to avoid fear by maintaining control is not only unproductive, but is seen as an act of wickedness! Let’s look at what happened with the servant who tried to conquer fear with control.

Matthew 25:24-30 Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. “Master,” he said, “I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.”

His master replied, “You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.  

So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.  For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.  And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

This parable clearly shows the repercussions of trying to conquer fear through control.
The servant bowed down to his fear of losing the money, so he did not invest it, instead he decided to control its safety by burying it and in the end the outcome was worse than if he had invested it and lost it. On the other hand, the servant who had ten bags didn’t have the ten bags because he was lucky, he had ten bags because he had faith that what he was given would multiply, instead of a fear that it would be lost!

Spiritual No-Nos

There are a couple of main spiritual “no-nos” that give the enemy foothold in trying to control fear.
  1. Trying to control the thing you fear rather than trusting God, is a form of pride. It is telling God that you are better at handling the situation than He is.
  2. It is a form of idolatry. You in many ways are serving the fear. The fear dictates your actions, and even causes you to handle situations in ungodly ways.
  3. By attempting to have control over your fear, you are solidifying your belief in that fear. You are actually having faith in the fear – more faith in the fear than you have in God’s ability to handle it in a way that will eliminate it.
I feel it is important to also note here that fear, if gone undetected can become a generational curse, it may be a fear that your parents unintentionally gave to you through their actions or behaviors, and that you may hand down to your children as well.

I realize that this may be a little difficult for some to fully grasp, and even more difficult for one to be able to pinpoint in their own life. Many people will read over an article like this and quickly say “that’s not me.” Do not let that be you! Don’t let pride keep you from freedom! Fear is a stronghold, and takes deep spiritual maturity, and the ability to self-reflect sometimes on deeper levels to really be able to detect it. 

This is because the strongest fears have been a part of our lives for so long that we cannot discern that they are there anymore. They become normal, acceptable, and the way we handle them is seemingly good to us. To suggest to handle them any other way is just foolishness to us! 

1 Corinthians 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

How to Handle Fear

So let’s talk about how to successfully handle fear.
  1. Realize that fear is a spiritual principality that no man is completely immune against. Realizing this is very crucial, because one of the biggest most successful tricks of Satan is to keep us from perceiving or discerning how he is attacking us. Keeping God’s people in ignorance, pride or denial is a huge benefit for him. If you say you have no fear chances are that it is just undetected, or the way you handle the fear makes you feel safe. Fear can start out very small, but if the person who has it is in denial it will grow to overtake them. Our only immunity against fear itself is to learn to first discern when we have one, and to admit it. This is the first step.
  2. Surrender the fear to God. This is really tough for some people. It means giving up control. It is complete surrender of the fear to God. It means you take your hands off of it! Bring it to God in prayer. Usually fears that are deep rooted (such as things that come from childhood pain, or past hurtful experiences) require fasting. This is because those fears have become strongholds. This is often not just a one – time prayer, it requires constant prayer for a period of time until the Holy Spirit fills the place where the fear once lived in you, and His peace takes over. Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
  3. Meditate on the goodness of God. When we fully grasp how much God loves us, and how much He cares about the details of our life, then we no longer fear things, people, or situations anymore. Here are some great verses to get started with:
  • 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. and meditation on verses that tell us of God’s faithfulness, love and goodness.

  • Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

  • Hebrews 13:5-6 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
  1. After you get peace, listen. The Holy Spirit will guide you if you need to take action. I can promise you, that the action He will prompt you to take will go against any other way you may have previously handled it – it may even seem foolish to you!
The most important thing that you need to realize is that fear is a way of seeing things. It distorts the reality of what God has planned for your life, and can keep you bound and stagnant. It is my prayer for you today that you recognize any fears that you have and give them over to the one who conquered all for us on the cross!

Prayer:

Father God, I come before you today and ask you to open my eyes to any fears that have gone undetected in my life. I also ask you to show me any ways that I am trying to control the things or situations that I fear. I ask that you forgive me for not trusting you with those areas. I give all of my fears and worries over to you, I take my hands completely off of the situation because I trust you more than I trust myself. 

I ask for you to send me your peace, and love where fear once was, because I know that your perfect love casts out all fear. Thank you Jesus for conquering every fear and for making me victorious through your death and resurrection.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Jennifer Winchester
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'Heaven Is for Real' Shows a Vision of the Afterlife - EFREM GRAHAM, CBN NEWS

'Heaven Is for Real'

    Connor Corum plays 4-year-old Colton in his very first acting role in the upcoming 'Heaven Is for Real.' (Sony Pictures)

'Heaven Is for Real' Shows a Vision of the Afterlife



The real-life tale of a child's remarkable trip to heaven and back has spent years on the best-sellers' list. Millions have read the bright yellow book Heaven Is for Real, and now the film adaptation arrives in theaters in time for Easter weekend.
Sony pictures tapped screenwriter and film director Randall Wallace to bring the best-seller to the big screen.
In a recent interview with CBN News, Wallace discussed the challenges of creating a movie that explored vision of the afterlife.
Vision of the Afterlife
"I think nervous is probably a good term. It was certainly in that field between nervous and sheer terror," Wallace said.
The film is based on a story from the Burpos, an ordinary Nebraska family that faced extraordinary circumstances. Their 4-year-old son Colton nearly died and had to undergo emergency surgery. Colton then awoke with undeniable visions of a trip to heaven.
Before entering the film industry, Wallace financed a year of seminary by teaching karate.
"The seminary training was wonderful for me in this in that I studied religion. I grew up in tent revivals and you always think about heaven in those contexts. And the great thing about that is heaven is presented as something glorious," he told CBN News.
That glorious presentation of heaven comes from a 4-year-old.
Playing Pastor Dad
Connor Corum plays 4-year-old Colton in his very first acting role. Oscar-nominated actor Greg Kinnear plays Colton's dad, Todd.
Kinnear described Todd's character to CBN News.
"Well, he is passionate. He clearly has a strong faith and a strong conviction about what he believes and a great love of his children," Kinnear said. "And I think those were the things for me to really try to translate as strongly to the audience as possible."
Todd Burpo is also a firefighter, pastor and a man struggling to understand what his son experienced and what to do about it. That struggle helped him write the book that has sold more than 10 million copies.
Kinnear wasn't familiar with the book before taking on the role.
"Turning it into a screenplay would be not easy to do," he recalled thinking.
"It is a tough thing to pull off so that it doesn't feel like a two-hour sermon," Wallace said. "That is, tell you a story, an honest story. And I thought he did an amazing job at doing that."