IT WILL INSPIRE YOU: "I CAN ONLY IMAGINE" (OPENS MARCH 16, 2018)

MOVIE REVIEW:

The first time I saw the band Mercy Me LIVE was 15 years ago when WinterJam went through Bloomington, Illinois. Success was wearing very well on lead singer Bart Millard as his mega-hit song “I CAN ONLY IMAGINE”, not only became the biggest Christian hit song of all time, in modern history but was all over the secular radio stations. I mean, who would not want to go to Heaven? The lyrics of this song and the rising melody, combined with expert phrasing made it a perfect balm for the easy listening mainstream radio types.

Fifteen years after the release of the song, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE was made into a full-length feature movie starting some pretty good mainstream stars. Anyone who knows the background of Mercy Me or the story behind the song itself “I Can Only Imagine”, will know it is lead singer’s Bart Millard’s personal life story....to a certain extent.

Growing up an only child in the dusty small Texas town of Greenville, Bart Millard (played in the movie by J. Michael Finley) just barely made out of his teenage years alive, after a lifetime of physical and emotional abuse by a very abusive father. His mother had flown the coop after one too many beatings from Millard’s father. In the soon to be released I CAN ONLY IMAGINE (March 16, 2018), Bart Millard’s father is played by the great Hollywood actor Randy Quaid, who has played in good family movies before. Quaid is completely in character, superb and gave an amazing portrayal of Bart's real-life father.

Purely by accident, Millard was found out to have a powerful singing voice and a lot of talent. After high school football injury sidelined him permanently, he went into music up to and after graduation. Due to the continuing abuse at home, the post-high school Millard, could not wait to get out of his father’s house and go launch what he thought would be a good music career.

Along with three other high school friends, the musical quartet hit the road and with some minor success. In the meantime, Bart was busy doing some emotional abuse of his own. His relationship with his high school sweetheart (now his real-life wife Shannon) was going further south than Galveston, Texas. The movie, expertly done by the Erwin Brothers of Alabama reminds me of another true story spectacular event they produced in recent years called Woodlawn!

If you loved Woodlawn, with its gritty and bold screenplays and acting, you would more than love I CAN ONLY IMAGINE. How this song came to be is incredible in itself. The Bart Millard I once stood next to at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport early one morning a few years ago, was not the same arrogant young man who ended up writing and performing this multi-million crossover pop/Christian music hit. J. Michael Finley did a great job portraying the Mercy Me lead singer and frontman and throughout the movie. He takes you through a wave of emotions, concerning Bart, from his very sympathetic years through high school, to the unbearable years when the band was in its infancy, to the great man of God, he is today.

There is one very touching (and warm) surprise in I CAN ONLY IMAGINE and you will have to see it to get the full story. Through the Erwin Brothers great story-telling and weaving of the perfect choice of character actors, whether it was Trace Adkins or Randy Quaid or J. Michael Finley as Bart Millard, the viewer is taken on a really inspiring soft roller-coaster ride. It can be emotional at times, so feel free to take your Kleenex. But like all Erwin Bros. movies, there are some great humorous moments. The Erwins are well-known for movies like Mom's Night Out, October Baby and others, apart from Woodlawn.

This is an unsolicited, unpaid or un-anything review. I just loved the movie and predict it to be the biggest Christian movie of the year. It may not bring in the $1 billion that some Hollywood blockbuster would, but this one has something more important than any Hollywood movie- REAL HEART! It has also eternal consequences, as Jesus is boldly proclaimed and it is for the entire family. The Erwin brothers (Jon and Andrew); Producer Kevin Downes (actor from Courageous) and Executive Producer Cindy Bond have made, what could very well be,  the best movie of 2018. We shall see!! God bless.

CLICK HERE FOR I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WEBSITE
GET TICKETS HERE FOR YOUR LOCAL THEATER

PSALM 103 VERSE 6 - GOD IS FOR THE OPPRESSED

The Lord performs righteous deeds and judgments for all who are oppressed (Psalm 103:6)
If we are honest, we would admit to think out loudly “how long, Oh Lord, shall the wicked triumph (win, rule, reign)”?  There would actually be nothing wrong with this question, because it is a direct quote from the Bible, namely, Psalm 94:3.

In evil times such as these, where we see our Christian brothers and sisters, their homes, churches and very lives constantly in the crosshairs of one particular religious system or another socialist government, we are hard-pressed to not be concerned.  Even in the so-called “civilized” western world (Europe, the UK and North America), the religious liberty of Christians are under increasing assault to the point of absolute unfairness. Even the crucifix necklace on a British airline stewardess, her own private jewelry, became an issue in recent years.

Still, Psalm 103 verse 6 tells us that the Lord performs righteous deeds and judgments (or justice) for all who are oppressed. All of this is true, even if the timing we look forward to, wish would happen, and God’s OWN Timing, do not sync!

Right off the bat, we must understand that the righteousness or righteous deeds which God does for His people reside in His provision for our Salvation and provision. There is nothing more important.  Faith is the key. The Bible tells us that Abraham believed God and it was reckoned unto him as “righteousness”. Because Abraham, or you or I believe – God does something amazing – He takes our Faith in Him and makes us in right standing before Him. Do not despise this because on Judgment Day – when the majority of the world will fall into disrepute and the pit, the Standing before God is what will carry us into heaven.

The justice of God, however, can both either be swift and/or delayed for those who are oppressed and/or treated unfairly. In fact, the object or victims of anti-Christian persecution can be assured of one thing – that they belong to God and their destination is heaven.  Some of the judgments against the wicked may be postponed to the after-life, but there are some consequences, in this life, for those who oppressed God’s people in this life.  The sins of the fathers are visited on the sons. This is evident to anyone who looks at these things with objective eyes. The children of the wicked become twice as much children of perdition as their predecessors and usually have more difficult lives than their quirky ancestors. 

As in anything else, if some of these children of the wicked repent, turn to Jesus Christ, ask forgiveness and attempt to make things right, they are absolutely welcome into the kingdom. There is ample evidence of former terrorists who have been radically saved and are now serving Jesus Christ both here and in Israel, as fellow heirs in the Kingdom.  Even a son of Madelyn Murray O'Hair, who got the US Supreme Court to remove the Bible and Prayer from the American public square, is now a pastor. God saves whom He will save. However His justice will never be denied.

Psalm 94 is a great example of Scripture explaining scripture. Psalm 94 is almost like a spotlight on the message of Psalm 103, verse 6. Note the underlined passages, by way of explanation and marvel at how the Lord speaks out in the open, about His Ways and How He plans to deal with things.
Psalm 94:1-15
1  O Lord, God of vengeance,
God of vengeance, shine forth!
2  Rise up, O Judge of the earth,
Render recompense to the proud.
3  How long shall the wicked, O Lord,
How long shall the wicked exult?
4  They pour forth words, they speak arrogantly;
All who do wickedness vaunt themselves.
5  They crush Your people, O Lord,
And afflict Your heritage.
6  They slay the widow and the stranger
And murder the orphans.
7  They have said, “The Lord does not see,
Nor does the God of Jacob pay heed.”

8  Pay heed, you senseless among the people;
And when will you understand, stupid ones?
9  He who planted the ear, does He not hear?
He who formed the eye, does He not see?
10 He who chastens the nations, will He not rebuke,
Even He who teaches man knowledge?
11 The Lord knows the thoughts of man,
That they are a mere breath.

12 Blessed is the man whom You chasten, O Lord,
And whom You teach out of Your law;
13 That You may grant him relief from the days of adversity,
Until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not abandon His people,
Nor will He forsake His inheritance.
15 For judgment will again be righteous, 
And all the upright in heart will follow it.