Jesus and Hollywood

I enjoyed your article about the new film The Nativity Story (“The Passion of the Christ Child” by Joel Kilpatrick, December). The movie was a refreshing but sobering portrayal of life in biblical times.

We rarely see movies about the life of Christ, so I was glad Nativity made it to the big screen. Hollywood got it right this time. They were smart to take on the project.
S. Hollings
Columbus, Ohio

In your article about The Nativity Story, your reviewer said that the portrayal of Mary in this film was different from the Mary in The Passion of the Christ, whom you described as “a Catholic-style Mary on a decorative pedestal.” Please understand that we Catholics do not worship Mary. We worship only God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We do hold Mary in a special place in our hearts, honoring her as Jesus would want us to do and trying to imitate her humility.
Sheila Hagan
Venice, Florida

Do Jews Need Jesus?

I loved Jonathan Bernis’ column (Ask the Rabbi, December). I have been very concerned that there is growing sympathy for the idea that we should not witness to Jews lest we offend them. Where in the Bible did anybody get this idea?
R.T.  Kendall, author
Key West, Florida 

I have been a Messianic Jew for 20 years. However, unless loving Christians had explained Jesus to me and prayed for me, I might still be searching for the truth.
I thank God that the people at The 700 Club led me to the Lord, and they weren’t afraid to tell me the truth just because I was Jewish. Because of my Jewish upbringing and Hebrew school, the last place I would have thought to find the truth was in Christianity.
Cindi Fink
Dana Point, California

Some people tell me that because I’m a person of Jewish heritage, I don’t need to be born again, saved, baptized or become part of a New Testament church. They say my Jewish blood is enough. This is not only blatantly false but also smacks of heresy.
Robert J. Tinsky
Tavares, Florida

God and the GOP

I was extremely disappointed by your article on U.S. Senate candidate Katherine Harris (“In the Eye of the Storm” by Maureen D. Eha, October). It was a campaign advertisement for Harris.

The author seemed to have unfettered access to Harris but never addressed the many points of controversy surrounding her in any clarifying detail. You have a responsibility to tell the whole story.
Valerie C. Cooper
Charlottesville, Virginia

I like President Bush and I’ve been praying for him. But why do Christians think God is a Republican?

I know abortion and gay marriage are important issues, but God has a lot to say about taking care of the poor. There are good people in both parties, and I am tired of hearing in church how I should vote.

Just tell people to vote! God will use this new situation in Washington to clean things up and get discussions going.
Gunilla Vikman
Charles City, Iowa

The Christian Tv Debate

Thanks for addressing the issues related to Christian television (“Wired to Reach the World” by Marcia Davis-Seale, November). I find the biannual telethons to be particularly offensive. Why do we have to hawk the gospel?

I do believe the church services that are broadcast fill a great need for those of us who are housebound. We are inspired and blessed by programs such as Turning Point, Love Worth Finding and services from Lakewood Church. Congratulations to those programs because they are keeping themselves relevant in an ever-changing world.
Emma Hutchins
Franklin, Massachusetts

J. Lee Grady’s editorial about contemporary Christian television was courageous, perceptive and right on target (“Lost in La-La Land,” Fire in My Bones, November). I thoroughly enjoy all his editorials and believe they are bellwether essays on the convoluted state of affairs in our evangelical culture. I applaud his candor.
Dr. Barry Lumsden
Raleigh, North Carolina

My opinion of Christian television is that the good overrides the bad. I am thankful it is available. If one person finds Christ through a Christian TV program, it is worth it all.

I have never liked the way Jan Crouch dresses on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, so I wrote the ministry, and Paul Crouch answered. I still have his letter.

He told me that Jan likes to dress this way because she loves the Southern belle style. He said that one girl was actually saved when she was channel surfing and Jan’s pink hair caught her attention.
Leitha Chardson
Oroville, California

The Ted Haggard Scandal

With regard to the recent removal of Ted Haggard from his pastoral position because of moral failure (News, December), we must remember that our God is a God of restoration. Our prayers are with Ted and his family.
Julianna Patterson
Buffalo, New York

I was so disappointed in what happened to Ted Haggard. I admired him. What is happening in the church today?
Mary E. Owens
Brooks, Kentucky

My heart is grieved over the apparent downfall of Ted Haggard. I only wish he would have reached out more for help. He must have felt the body of Christ would kick him out if they knew of his struggles.

Please, let’s create an atmosphere where people can come forward and be honest about their lives without losing everything in return. I pray that God will restore Ted, his marriage and his family.
name withheld

Ted Haggard founded a church that now has 14,000 members. Is this the product of human achievement, right education, marketing and personality? Or has God done a mighty work in our midst?

I think we are harder on Ted than God is. I’m not sure the punishment fits the crime.
Larry Craig
Wilmette, Illinois

As the news unfolded about Ted Haggard, my worst lament was how long it would take for the Christian community to throw Pastor Haggard in front of the bus.

It must grieve the heart of the Father to see how “worldly” we are in our response to sin. Instead of destroying our wounded, the church must restore those who fall.
David Scott
Stockbridge, Georgia

Ted Haggard was a man who many assumed had all the safeguards because he taught others how to avoid falling. I think he and the National Association of Evangelicals owe the body of Christ a candid explanation of how this could happen.
Aubrey Jackson
Radcliff, Kentucky

We Christians need to pray for church leaders. If the apostle Paul was always asking people to pray for him, then Christian leaders certainly need prayer because of the terrors the devil is unleashing.
Dele Akindayo
Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria

When Was Jesus Born?

I was disappointed that Stephen Strang seemed to accept the claim that early church fathers selected December 25 to compete with a pagan celebration (Final Word, December). They assumed Jesus was conceived at Passover and calculated His birth date from that time.

Concerning the pagan celebration, Emperor Aurelian established “the festival of the birth of the invincible sun” in A.D. 274, but there is some evidence that Christians were observing December 25 as the birth date of Jesus before A.D. 274.
Eldon Steelman
Las Cruces, New Mexico

My Turn

Our sons and daughters have volunteered to wage war against terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world to secure our freedom. Some of them are still teenagers like David the shepherd boy. Many of our soldiers have died on the battlefield, and others are seriously wounded. Their families are often left alone to hurt and to mourn.

The war on terror is now in its sixth year and it still rages. Our soldiers are battle-weary and in desperate need of reinforcement. I want to issue an urgent cry to the church: Please arise, put on the whole armor of God and stand against the invisible arrows of the evil one. I am asking all pastors, church leaders and ministers to take 10 minutes during your weekly services to join forces in prayer for our men and women in uniform.

We are told in 2 Corinthians 10:4: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (KJV). I believe the war on terror can be won. I believe our soldiers can return home soon to their loved ones. I know that with God all things are possible.
Merle Hodge-Carey
Tampa, Florida

BOOKS

Real Christianity
By William Wilberforce,
revised by Bob Beltz,
Regal, softcover, 224 pages, $.

Published six weeks before Amazing Grace, the upcoming Feb. 23 film on William Wilberforce’s life, “the book that helped end slavery in England” is equally worthy of Christians’ attention, as a primer in basic doctrine for new converts or a refresher course for mature believers. Anyone who reads Real Christianity with 21st-century eyes will squirm over how the author’s comments are as relevant today as they were 210 years ago. The strength of Real Christianity is its exploration of the differences between bland cultural religion and authentic faith. Wilberforce’s no-holds-barred exposition makes it clear that slavery existed because of a weak church that offered no counterbalancing influence to the world. Likewise, one could draw parallels to bondages that thrive today, such as drugs, the craving for prestige or the crass materialism that holds millions of Americans in captivity. The question is whether the church will heed Wilberforce’s words and experience the revival needed to transform it into a shining light to the world.
Ken Walker

Give It Back!
By Kimberly Daniels,
Charisma House, softcover,
224 pages, $.

Kimberly Daniels, a minister of deliverance known as the “demon buster,” exhorts believers to grow in their exercise of spiritual warfare in Give It Back! God’s Weapons for Turning Evil to Good. Acknowledging that this teaching is “not common or comfortable,” Daniels instructs and provokes her fellow Christians to take their place of spiritual authority in what she deems are the last days. A U.S. Army veteran, Daniels finds many similarities between physical and spiritual warfare, and urges believers to get combat-ready. Viewing this book as a training manual for all Christians, the author includes substantial prayers and Scriptures in the text as well as explanations of specific demonic powers. Radical and bold, Daniels urges Christians not to be bound by the status quo, to stop offering “everyday prayers” and not to back down from their spiritual enemy. Illustrations of real-life encounters with the demonic show readers how evil can manifest itself even in the 21st century.
Christine D. Johnson

Get Out of That Pit
By Beth Moore, Integrity Publishers,
hardcover, 272 pages, $.

Bible teacher and best-selling author Beth Moore urges her fellow believers to climb out of the pits of life in Get Out of That Pit: Straight Talk About God’s Deliverance. Defining a pit as “an early grave that Satan digs for you in hopes he can bury you alive,” Moore urges readers not to just try to “feel better” in the pit, but to look to God for complete deliverance. Multiple examples are given of how a person can fall into a pit—with Moore’s husband, Keith, sharing in the foreword how he struggled after witnessing his young brother’s tragic death as a child. But Moore offers hope through the Scriptures, providing three steps to help the “pit-dweller” emerge—crying out to God, confessing and consenting. Moore’s many followers and new readers alike will be encouraged by her Scripture-based teaching as well as her sense of humor and creative bent. Scripture prayers and a study guide also are provided.
Christine D. Johnson

Can Homosexuality Be Healed?
By Francis MacNutt, Chosen, softcover,

112 pages, $.

This revised version of Francis MacNutt’s 2001 book is too brief for an in-depth look at this issue. Still, it contains valuable background information that dispels some politically correct myths about homosexuality and includes a resource list for further study. The author also sounds a compassionate note for homosexuals, a much-needed counterbalance to the judgment, condemnation and scorn often heaped on those involved in same-sex relationships. Ironically, the former priest sees homosexual impulses as a positive—calling them a sign of a deep longing for healthy relationships that can be addressed by the Holy Spirit. MacNutt contends that spiritual healing of homosexuality is possible, citing work by his wife (a psychotherapist) and his own work in intercessory healing prayer. He sounds a call for churches to provide safe places for people who want to change but need patience and understanding as they address deep-seated wounds in their past.
Ken Walker

The Ultimate Comeback
By Tommy Tenney, FaithWords,
hardcover, 208 pages, $.

In The Ultimate Comeback Tommy Tenney contends that after an especially difficult night, morning appears just in time; and, in the secret places of our lives, God is working to bring about promises from problems. Tenney’s look at one biblical figure’s seven-year long “night” is a life-changing description of God’s steadfast love in the face of human failing. Gehazi was Elisha’s trusted servant when suddenly things changed. A series of error-filled decisions turned this man’s life upside down and led to a devastatingly painful fall from favor. Tenney shows that even when plan A for our lives is fumbled away, plan B can surpass everything that came before if we learn from our mistakes.
J. James Estrada

Facing Your Giants
By Max Lucado, W Publishing Group,
hardcover, 256 pages, $.

The Old Testament story of David and Goliath has become one of the most beloved tales of Scripture, perhaps because it’s natural to cheer for the underdog. Now, as he so skillfully does, pastor and prolific author Max Lucado breathes contemporary life into the story in 1 Samuel 17. As those familiar with the story will recall, the famed battle between a God-fearing shepherd boy and a mighty Philistine soldier sees David triumphant over the 9-foot Goliath with merely a stone and a sling. Equating the giant with the problems that confront believers, the author acknowledges that everyone faces his or her own Goliaths, such as disease, debt or divorce, and must choose to be problem- or God-focused. Lucado uses David’s five stones to represent the five decisions every person must make regarding the past, prayer, priorities, passion and persistence. The fast-paced Facing Your Giants will undoubtedly inspire readers to trust God during life’s inevitable difficulties.
C. Brian Smith

MUSIC

My Destiny
By Stephen Hurd, Integrity Gospel.

Stephen Hurd has composed a jubilant compilation of songs that brings to mind an extravagant procession for the most high King. With a full band and exceptional choral vocals, My Destiny: I Know What I’m Here For is an extraordinary CD full of high praise and melodious fanfare. The soulful roots of gospel and the contemporary sound of praise and worship combine for a new way to celebrate and extol the King of kings. Harmonious, upbeat lyrics such as “Give God a great praise / Praise the Lord today!” and song titles such as “The Glory Chant, and “Zamar Celebration” spare no flair in lifting praise into the heavens. Listeners will be filled with joy and wonderment as they take in the musical scene at the entrance to the presence of their King.
Jevon Bolden

My Savior Lives
By New Life Worship, Integrity Music.

Rod Parsley and the New Life Church worship team have taken ownership of the praise they offer their God. The title track, “My Savior Lives,” sets the tone at the start by declaring that this great God, ruler of all, can be as personal as a close friend. Loyalty and unadulterated worship are offered in this new CD project. Listeners will be encouraged to sing along and exalt an infinite God with songs such as “Live to Worship” and “We Will Sing.” From beginning to end, My Savior Lives is a proclamation, a declaration of the mighty works and wonders of the everlasting God.
Jevon Bolden

This Is Who I Am
By Kelly Price, Gospo Centric.

Kelly Price has long been a favorite of mainstream R&B fans. With This Is Who I Am, she steps out into her first solo all-gospel foray. Not a stranger to the genre, she was backup singer for megastar and pastor Donnie McClurkin. Cuts such as “God Is Faithful,” a duet with McClurkin, and the radio hit “Healing” span the gamut musically from old-time church to urban inspirational. Richard Smallwood pens “What a Friend” for Price, and Vanessa Bell Armstrong shares the mic on the church classic “Nobody But Jesus.” She takes the vintage track “Love & Happiness” and converts it to the sanctified tune “Heaven’s Best.” This live recording seems to capture the essence of Price and makes for a fabulous entrance for one of music’s greatest vocalists.
Andrea R. Williams

Oh! Gravity
By Switchfoot, Sparrow Records.

On Switchfoot’s follow-up to the 2005 Nothing Is Sound, the band delivers a funky soul track, “Amateur Lovers,” striking musical similarities to the early years of the Rolling Stones, while singer Jon Foreman laments the human struggle to love effectively. From that musical detour, listeners can assume Oh! Gravity is a progressive project for the band—a relentless creative musical and lyrical exploration. That’s also evident during other moments, including the quirky modern rock of “4:12” or the silky smooth Euro-pop of “Yesterday.” Even with those experiments, however, that’s not to say the entire project is a departure. The group still offers its signature rock sound on songs such as the grand anthem “Awakening” and explosive retro guitar groove of “American Dream.” The San Diego rockers enlisted the help of U.K. producer Tim Palmer (Tin Machine, Pearl Jam, The Cure, U2) to widen their sound and scope with this CD. That collaboration seems to have crafted a landmark release for them.
Dewayne Hamby

FICTION

REAL LIFE

It Happens Every Spring
By Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer,
Tyndale House, softcover,
304 pages, $.

Welcome to the idyllic town of Deepwater Cove, where neighbors know and talk to one another and doors don’t have to be locked. But even in this picturesque place, marriages suffer. Steve and Brenda are struggling to adjust to the empty-nest stage of life. They both have to discover how to reconnect.

CONTEMPORARY

Flies on the Butter
By Denise Hildreth, WestBow Press,
softcover, 320 pages, $.

A road trip is the perfect cure for what ails you. Rose Fletcher, a powerful lobbyist, is on a journey to South Carolina. On her drive south, Fletcher is left to ponder her life, her lies and her adultery. This Southern tale reminds readers that the lost can be found.

ROMANCE

Fair Game
By Elizabeth White, Zondervan,
softcover, 368 pages, $.

Widow Jana Cutrere returns to her hometown with her two children. Grant Gonzales, a former beau, comes back to escape corporate life. Their paths cross because they both want the same land but for different reasons: Jana for a wildlife reserve; Grant for a hunting reserve. The decision rests with Jana’s grandfather. Can they trust God for the outcome?

New on DVD

We Shall Not Be Moved
GT Media $

This Hallmark Channel original movie is now available on DVD. The late award-winning actor and civil rights activist Ossie Davis narrates this 90-minute documentary about how courageous African-American churches influenced the civil rights movement in America. This film includes historic pictures, film clips and personal stories from those on the front lines.

Facing the Giants
Sony Pictures $

Everything is going wrong for Grant Taylor. His high school football team is not winning, parents are trying to replace him as head coach, he’s always having car trouble, and he and his wife are having difficulty starting a family. As he determines to trust God, he learns that nothing is impossible. This film is rated PG for sports violence and discussions about pregnancy.

Milo, the Mantis Who Wouldn’t Pray
Tommy Nelson $

When a storm destroys his Snack Shack, Milo doesn’t know what to do. This praying mantis doesn’t understand that he can just talk to God. He thinks he has to do things to get God’s attention so He’ll hear him. Milo learns that God is always paying attention and ready to hear and answer our prayers.