After the Altar Call

Hello World,

This just in:

Paramount Pictures announced today that it has secured the worldwide distribution rights to “CAPTIVE,” starring David Oyelowo (“SELMA”) and Kate Mara (“FANTASTIC FOUR,” “House of Cards”). The studio will release the film on September 18, 2015.

Directed by veteran filmmaker Jerry Jameson, the film is based on the book Unlikely Angel: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Hostage Hero by Ashley Smith with Stacy Mattingly. The film’s screenplay is by Brian Bird.

“I was drawn to this story because it beautifully illustrates how a broken spirit can be healed by an unexpected source of hope. I feel blessed to be continuing my very fruitful relationship with Paramount,” said David Oyelowo.

Also starring Michael K Williams, Mimi Rogers, Jessica Oyelowo and Leonor Varela, the film was produced by Terry Botwick, Jerry Jameson, David Oyelowo and Ken Wales in addition to BN Films’ Alex Garcia, Lucas Akoskin and Katrina Wolfe. The executive producers are Santiago Garcia Galvan, BN’s Jonathan Gray, Elliott Lester, Ralph Winter and Bird. BN fully financed the picture.

Terry Botwick said, “In March of 2005 Ashley’s story captivated the nation on news outlets everywhere. Her story is thrilling and redemptive as God intersected the lives of two very broken people in the most dramatic way. It has been amazing getting to know Ashley and to be working with such fine actors. I’m so pleased to also be partnering with Paramount to bring this authentic encounter to a worldwide audience.”

“Jerry Jameson has done a fantastic job bringing to life Ashley Smith’s harrowing ordeal and miraculous redemption, and Kate Mara portrays her with phenomenal sensitivity and poignancy. Along with “Nightingale,” “Captive” also represents our second collaboration with the brilliantly talented David Oyelowo. We look forward to continuing this special relationship with David and believe that the film has found the perfect home at Paramount,” said Alex Garcia, President of AG Studios, the holding company of BN Films.

The film tells the dramatic, thrilling and spiritual true story of Ashley Smith (Mara), a single mother and recovering drug addict who was taken hostage in her own apartment by fugitive, murderer and accused rapist Brian Nichols (Oyelowo). With her back against the wall, Smith turned to the personal spiritual journey of Rick Warren’s best-selling book The Purpose Driven Life in an attempt to survive and help Brian find a better way out.

Any thoughts?

Hello World,

In this GoFundMe generation in which people request money for anything from assistance with medical bills to assistance to going on vacation in Vegas, it can sometimes be difficult to discern what to support and what to shame…

This issue came to a head on Thursday when The Christian Post reported that Pastor Creflo Dollar, pastor of the megachurch World Changers Church International in College Park, Ga., and his church posted a plea for “200,000 people to give contributions of 300 US dollars” in order to replace the church’s current airplane, which was built in 1984 and had 4 million miles on it, according to the church’s fundraising page. Apparently, “recently on an overseas trip to a global conference, one of the engines failed. By the grace of God, the expert pilot, who’s flown with Creflo for almost 20 years, landed the plane safely without injury or harm to any passengers.” Specifically, the money will be used to buy a Gulfstream G650 airplane “so that Pastors Creflo and Taffi and World Changers Church International can continue to blanket the globe with the Gospel of grace.”

And then the Internet blew up with criticism of the plea stating that Pastor Dollar should opt to fly commercially or charter a bus and that airplane, which reportedly costs $65 million, itself was too much of a luxury. Kirsten West Savali of The Root said that Pastor Dollar should buy the airplane himself and outright called him a charlatan…

However, not everyone criticized Pastor Dollar and the church’s efforts…A Mark Moore, who may or may not be a member of World Changers, on Facebook said, “I am totally disgusted by the response of ministers & church leaders to Pastor Creflo Dollar’s recent pursuit of new aircraft…I’ve seen several posts from ignorant people outraged that ‘Creflo expects me to buy his jet?!’ No precious heart. ‘Creflo’ didn’t ask you to do anything. This outrage stems from a letter his ministry shared with his PARTNERS. Partners that he’s connected with over the 20+ years he’s been on international television. Partners who have decided that something he has shared has helped them enough to cause them to decide to support him.” He concluded his lengthy post mentioning Dr. Myles Munroe, who along with his wife Ruth and others, died in a jet crash in the Bahamas in November. “I’ll close by saying that it’s disheartening to see some of the same people, who wept over the TRAGIC loss of Dr. Myles Munroe and members of his team as a result of their old aircraft not being able to handle the storm, berate Pastor Dollar for being upfront and embracing “you have not because you ask not” (which is in the Bible).”

Lakeshia Poole, also via Facebook, noted that Pastor Dollar is not the only pastor in the metro Atlanta area who uses an aircraft in ministry…Poole, who was a member of Elizabeth Baptist Church in Atlanta before moving back to her hometown, noted that her former pastor, Dr. Craig L. Oliver, Sr., uses a helicopter to be transported to the churches various locations to preach on Sunday…”Once upon a time while walking to church, I spied my pastor in a helicopter. A helicopter, bro? Really? Is this what my tithes and offering paid for? I felt some type of way and yet I walked quickly into the newly-planted-5-minutes-from-my-house location vs. driving in the even-on-a-Sunday-hellacious-traffic of 285 to the main location. Did he really need a helicopter to spread the gospel? No…yes…maybe? Selfishly, I became cool with it because honestly if it wasn’t for that helicopter, I wouldn’t have that convenient connection…”

By Friday, the fundraising web page for the aircraft had been taken down although donations are still possible, according to the AJC…

As I said originally, with so many causes, campaigns and churches asking for support, it can be difficult to discern how or if one should give so I’ve decided to post seven scriptures that we can use to discern how God wants us to use the resources that we have been given from Him…

1. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7…While it is always good to support the church through tithing and or offerings, we should not feel forced or compelled to give because if we feel forced and or compelled to give, how can we give cheerfully?

2. “Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you.” Deuteronomy 16:17…Don’t give what you don’t have! If you have been blessed financially, you may be able to give more…However, don’t give your mortgage money to the church or to anything else if that is all that you have at the moment…

3. “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:3-4…The implication is that yes, we must give to the poor…However, when we do, we don’t have to tell everyone…It is in poor taste to tell others how you are helping this organization or that person unless you are trying to get others to do the same and even then we don’t have to brag…

4.” But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” 1 Timothy 6: 6-10…We all should strive to be financially stable but desiring to be rich can lead us down a road to hell…

5. “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” 14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.” Luke 16:13-15…You have to value God over your resources, and He knows who or what we really serve…And furthermore, while someone may be praised by a lot of people does not mean that God sees that person the same way…

6. “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.” 1 Timothy 6:17-19 Being rich in good deeds is way more important and valuable than being rich in money…

7. “But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” Acts 3:6 Peter, a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, had no money to offer, but what he did have to offer was healing in the powerful name of Jesus Christ…