Dear Family of our Lord Jesus Christ!
By golly I am going to heat up another CUP of coffee here! Love my morning coffee! Love being with you all! It is a blessing to be able to write to you folks!
An update on two Dear friends, Rick Stambaugh remains in extreme pain and Marv Boone has been on a respirator, but it was removed late yesterday and he was breathing on his own. Please keep these two lovely men in your prayers. We also have many unspoken prayer requests from folks.
We praise God that you have gathered at the CUP this day for HIM!
But You are holy, O You Who dwell in the holy place where the praises of Israel are offered.
Our fathers trusted in You: they trusted leaned on, relied on You, and were confident and You delivered them.
They cried to You and were delivered: they trusted in, leaned on, and confidently relied on You, and were not ashamed or confounded or disappointed.
Psalm 22: 3-5
What a message for this day……..after I wrote the CUP, God showed me these word’s to show you, to show why we are at where we are at.
Sharon had another presentation this morning and it went AWESOME! PRAISE GOD! Thank you for your prayers! We love you all!
WOW! I just think the following commentary by our Dear, Dear friend and and supporter, Kay in Indiana is AWESOME! Kay’s commentary enthuses me, flames my fire for Jesus Christ. I cannot go to movie theaters anymore because of motion sickness, so I await the DVD.
UPON HAVING VIEWED THE MOVIE “SON OF GOD”
The film interpretation of Jesus’ life envisioned by Roma Downey & friends
IS THERE A THEME?
There may be more than one but what I noticed was the attitude of many characters – “What’s in it for me?” This was of supreme importance to Judas, to Pilate, to Caiaphas, to the crowds Jesus fed, to the Sanhedran, to the disciples. Another theme is “Who’s in control here?” (see comments below) This is also relevant to the everyday lives of all viewers.
ARE THERE FAULTS IN THIS MOVIE?
Sure, just as in every movie about history, there are inaccuracies, some minor and some glaring. And I am disappointed that some inaccuracies could have been corrected, because the Gospels are so clear about what really happened. But in order to be precisely accurate, a great deal more content would have had to be included, which would have resulted in a film perhaps 6-12 hours long, and this was not intended to be a series. No one should ever depend upon the content of a dramatic movie for an accurate view of history – it doesn’t happen.
ARE THERE BENEFITS IN THIS MOVIE?
I see quite a number, which make it very worthwhile for believers and those who don’t know Jesus personally:
1. It is emotionally moving, jarringly realistic and earthy, and anguishingly painful.
2. This movie was strong on highlighting relationships [between Jesus & his mother Mary, Jesus and John, Jesus & Peter, Jesus & Thomas, Caiaphas & Nicodemus, Jesus and a key Pharisee, Jesus and a tax collector, Pilate & Jesus, Pilate & Caiaphas, Jesus & Judas] That way of looking at history is much more interesting than facts and it is an approach used by a number of the authors of Biblical books. Because of that, it can challenge viewers’ relationships to Jesus – confronting them with whether they are considering the claims of Jesus on the basis of “what’s in it for me? (either benefits or threats)
3. I doubt that most viewers can leave the movie the same person they came in. Either they are compelled to fall at His feet and worship Him in gratitude and awe or else they are frightened by Him and want to flee His presence and find reasons to ignore Him.
4. Every character in this story who meets Jesus is changed, depending upon their own choices. They are either drawn to Him in worship or repelled from Him by their desire to maintain control of their own lives (and often those around them). Because of this, His uniqueness both fascinates and threatens people.
5. Jesus could not be changed, no matter what people said or did to Him. However, in their encounters with Jesus some characters sensed that they might lose control of their own lives, so they responded by trying to gain control over Jesus by intimidating or threatening Him (a key Pharisee, Caiaphas, Pilate). They found they had no power over Him. This terrified then angered them so that they fought even more viciously for control! They could not change Him but they are changed by their responses to Him.
6. Jesus had no need to use force, for He came not to control but to invite people to a whole new life of freedom and joy in His Kingdom!
7. Jesus told Pilate “My Kingdom is not of his world” but Pilate sensed that his kingdom was threatened by what he and others decided to do about Jesus, which could let others control him and weaken his control over his own life.
So, as long as we don’t expect this movie (or any movie) to be totally accurate but we are open and grateful for what God can show us through the drama, we can benefit. I want to return and take some neighbors with me who don’t yet know Jesus personally – I think God can use it to open their eyes to His Kingdom, especially since I have been praying for them.
Great words Kay and thank you for sharing! God Bless you and yours!
Just love the family here at the CUP!
Angel Murchison just saw the movie ‘God’s Not Dead’ last night, read here what she has to say about another AWESOME movie:
Good Morning Beautiful People…… He Is Alive
I just had to share with you this excitement at FGGAM.ORG www.fggam.org I know we are just a little ministry but it excites me to share with you some fresh data that was provided to me today by Isaac our CTO. Wish I would have had data like this in all the years I managed radio stations: Our demo remains young, here is what the latest stats show us on who we are reaching: the Lord instructed us to reach young people, our main demo remains 18yr old to 24 yr old 28% and 25 yr old to 34 yr old 34% Our top 5 countries USA, Britain, Canada, India and Australia. Cities: Albuquerque, Tempe, New York, Los Angeles, Rio Rancho. LONDON ENGLAND IS OUR 10th City reached at FGGAM! PRAISE GOD! States, top 5: New Mexico, California, Texas, Arizona, New York and Florida. We give thanks for what God has and is doing through FGGAM. We are closing in on 200,000 visitors since Feb. of 2013 to FGGAM. Thank you all for your prayers and support and a special thanks to all of our volunteer writers, all 34 of them! PRAISE GOD! IT’S ALL FOR GOD’S GLORY! AMEN!
As I blog this morning here at FGGAM and I have my coffee and Sharon gets ready for another day in nursing and Buffy and Reno surround me with love and thinking of my Lord and what matters to Him this daydewey lars………I go out to the driveway and grab the Albuquerque Journal with these headlines: APD KILLS ARMED MAN, another death, the sanctity of life? Where is it in Albuquerque? A City with abortion factories, we cannot expect our City to be blessed as long as we abort God’s children……….I am weeping for my city. The news is just full of stories of the shootings like……..People will stop moving to Albuquerque, so many are concerned rightly or wrongly at this time whether or not that car company, Tesla, will move here now , tourism will be hurt, Job loss is mounting in Albuquerque as companies lay off personnel, people moving out of the city in record numbers, all sorts of angles on this story of Police shootings. The City s a mixed bag of emotions. I see on Facebook a group has started ‘Citizens against APD’, that makes me sad, we are not against APD, we are against the actions of some, I don’t know how many officers. We cannot be against APD, they are our enforcers of law and I believe the majority are good people like you and me. Now I see that hackers have posted a cyberthreat against APD, it is very tense in the City. Protests continue against APD. I pray for peace. What is needed is strong leadership that has not been exhibited as of yet from any Albuquerque City Official to bring calm to the city. The Mayor has been too quiet. We elected him to bring leadership to the City and he is a good man, and Mayor Berry needs to get up on the saddle and bring order to the City. I would have a ‘come to Jesus ‘ meeting with the Police force, a call to ‘pause’ a ‘time out’ , slow down. The City cannot afford an escalation of anger at this time. You may want to consider bringing in County Sheriff Dan Houston, who is a good man, and his Department to run things for awhile, with the help of State Police and some APD officers, because the Public’s confidence in APD is shaken. We do not need anymore APD shootings, in many eye’s APD is guilty even if the evidence shows that they are innocent. Get Sheriff Houston’s help, State Police and the Governors help. My ideas may be radical to some, but radical action is needed at this time, more of the same equals disaster.
ps…..Abortion protests continue in the City also. This is more than Police shootings, it’s about God. What does God want from each of us? God wants us to keep our eye’s on Him and His ways, not whether a car company will move here, not whether what has happened is going to hurt tourism, value life as God does. Honor God in everything you do. People are dying. It’s all about God and His ways, not our ways.
Please visit this post by Kelly at FGGAM.ORG:
Kelly’s Word For The Day~
Very timely from our new friend Mark Richardson………
Are you tired, discouraged or fearful? Be comforted because God is with you. Are you confused? Listen to the quiet voice of your Heavenly Father. Are you bitter? Talk with God and seek His guidance. Are you celebrating a great victory? Thank God and praise Him. He is the Giver of all things good. In whatever condition you find yourself—whether you are happy or sad, victorious or vanquished, troubled or triumphant—celebrate
God’s presence. And be comforted in the knowledge that God is not just near. He is here.
There is a basic urge: the longing for unity. You desire a reunion with God—with God your Father.
Claim all of God’s promises in the Bible. Your sins, your worries, your life—you may cast them all on Him.
For God’s Glory Alone in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, Dewey, Sharon, Paul, Jo, FGGAM Board and families
Let us keep praying for each other and our families. Please pray for our children…….all children of the world.
