War Room - A Film on the Power of Prayer

My wife Diana and I were privileged to be able to attend a pre-screening of War Room, the latest movie from Provident Films and the Kendrick Brothers (Sherwood Pictures/Sherwood Baptist Church of Albany, Georgia). Other movies form this line include Flywheel, Facing the Giants, Fireproof, and Courageous.  This film, like some of the previous films is being promoted intentionally towards a Christian audience, and is being released with a wide
assortment of materials and resources.  The obvious reasoning behind the producers hosting pre-screenings for those in ministry positions is to promote the film, as movie producers sink or swim based on movie attendance.

The host for this event opened with a now familiar concept: if we want good, Christ-honoring films in our entertainment options, then we must support them when they come.  And when a movie has the billing and potential to be not only Christ-honoring, but a powerful ministry tool, we should give it serious consideration.

In the case of War Room, the premise of the story revolves around prayer and its vital role in families, especially the picture of Matthew 6:6:

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

War Room is the story of Tony and Elizabeth Jordan (played by T.C. Stallings and Pricilla Shirer), a seemingly successful young couple with a young daughter Danielle (played by Alena Pitts), yet a family on the brink of collapse.  Tony is the top salesman at a pharmaceutical company, consumed with his career (and a little bit more), and Elizabeth the realtor who feels helpless in the face of a collapsing relationship with Tony.  Then along comes Miss Clara (Karen Abercrombie), a widow lady who has her old home for sale. This launches us into a roller coaster of emotion as Miss Clara connects with Elizabeth, eventually introducing the latter to her "War Room", a closet in her old house where she spends time with the Lord in War, not with this world, but with the REAL enemy.

The Kendrick brothers have an almost predictable way with splashes of humor, while giving due reverence to the extremely important subjects handled in this film. One of the most enjoyable parts of this movie, outside of the heart-lifting character of Miss Clara, is that the producers did not shy away from the name of Jesus! This movie is unabashedly "Christ-centered", indeed so much so that the enemies of God will indeed be offended by it, and the marginal, lukewarm believer will likely leave the film deeply convicted.

Entertainment Value: 9 out of 10

Family Friendly 10 our of 10

God-honoring 10 out of 10

Spiritual Value for investment 10 out of 10

Values Promoted: Prayer, Grace, Faith 

I will go out on a fairly secure limb and add this to my list of "must see" films.  While there is little in the way of "big screen" action that make this a "movie theater experience", I would still take the time and make the investment to see this in the theater, with a big focus on the opening weekend.  Many are not aware that films are made or broken by their opening weekend performance. With a good box office, the movie will expand to far more theaters, getting much more exposure and reaching a much wider audience, while helping to encourage further investment in family-friendly, values-based films.  

Go see this movie! And watch out - you might even find yourself wanting to SHOUT (praise Jesus!). I can confidently say, your faith will be strengthened, and your heart may very well be convicted, all while seeing an enjoyable, entertaining, and family-friendly film.

Know a couple who's marriage is hurting? Know people going through hard times in desperation?  This film can help!

War Room opens in theaters August 28 (with a special early opening on August 27).

"How do you like your coffee?" (See the film to get the reference)

For more information, see the official web site of War Room

Christ's Death - When?

Here we are, on what is called by man "Good Friday". MEME after MEME extolling the beauty of the horrible day of Christ's death on the cross of Calvary. And a growing movement of those who disagree with the traditional day ascribed to Jesus' death.

I grew up seeing Friday as "the day", not for any particularly biblical reason, but because that is what I was told over and over. It is what I saw played out in the liturgical celebration every year. It was the tradition.

But over the years, I have grown in my faith, in my exploration and desire to be able to defend whatever I attempt to stand on. The grounds of "apologetics" are shaky when it comes to being dogmatic regarding a Friday crucifixion.

First - how do we reconcile the words of Christ in Matthew 14:40? For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Other descriptions within the New Testament of the "three days" can be somewhat explained by the oddities of how the Hebrew people treated their calendar, and when a day began and ended. BUT, in the case of the crucifixion, we have the passover, a Sabbath (some say at last two of them in one week - a whole other complicated discussion, connected to the Passover).

Others point to Wednesday as the likely day of the Crucifixion of Jesus, taking the math theme (and the double-Sabbath concept) to the other extreme. 3 Days x 24 hours (three days plus three nights in the earth) = 72 hours, requiring a Wednesday crucifixion.

But this conflicts with the record in Luke 24 and the two guys who were on the road to Emmaus "that very day" (the day of Christ's resurrection, as described in Luke 24:12-13. These guys, approached by the Risen Jesus (and not recognizing Him) described it as "it is now the third day since these things happened". So we are faced with an odd stacking of events:

- Luke records that the resurrection day was the "first day of the week" (Sunday). That this very day was the "third day" since all had unfolded (crucifixion and death).

- This would make Saturday the "second day since these things were done.

- This would make Friday the first day post-crucifixion.

- Leading to my own conclusion (though I am not dogmatic about it) - that Jesus' death and burial were on Thursday (day "0").

This is the only way I can wrap logic with what the Bible says. But I say all of this to bring out what is genuinely important (and what is far less important):

1. Jesus Died for my sins - past, present, and future! Each and every one of them, paying the sin debt I could not pay through the sacrifice of His own blood on that cross (regardless of it the actual day of the week was Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday!).

2. That Jesus arose from the grave, literally, bodily, and fully - proving each and every prophecy, each and every claim, and verifying the very Gospel we are to believe!

And it is this Resurrection that I will be preaching on, as the "lynchpin" of the entirety of the Gospel and the Bible this Sunday morning at New Hope Baptist Church!


* The timeline illustrations are from gracebiblestudy.net