Author: Martin

By Jim Torres “Towers”

Having met and worked with Paul Newman, Robert Lansing, Ralph Waite, Christopher Walken, Tom Baringer, Brian Denehey, Kurt Russell, Janine Turner, Jim Carry, Michele Pheiffer, Jennifer Lopez, Johnny Depp and a number of others and having talked to Norwegians, Germans, Jews, Somalis, Arabs, Haitians, South Americans, Central Americans, Africans, Canadians and of course friends and neighbors, I find that they and all the rest of the earth’s inhabitants were or still are, searching for salvation.

I mention the celebrities because I’ve rubbed shoulders with them and talked to them and I know that although we put them on a pedestal,- they too long for eternal life. After all, they’re only human. Some of them are nice and some of them are not so nice, but isn’t that the case for all humanity? Albeit, some in the church are even worse, so let’s not be too critical of them please. In any event, all of humanity longs for eternal salvation. To be sure, some of us deny the existence of God and eternity all together and even make fun of those who believe. But almost everyone alive is searching.

There are those who cover up their insecurities with frivolity or supposed indifference. Some are television personalities who do this for a living as comedians. If we were able to see how they sleep or don’t sleep at night we’d be surprised to see them tossing and turning or even weeping at the thought of their mortality diminishing day by day. It’s a scary thing to be eternally lost.

Muslims too are searching for salvation, so much so that they pray toward Mecca five times a day on hands and knees (Satan is a tyrannical task master). Some of them even dare strap bombs to their bodies to kill and maim others, even of their own kind, to achieve salvation. They believe that in doing so they will inherit eternal life and they are willing to die for their faith in Allah to earn it. Little do they know that a God who requires them to do so can’t be very benevolent, loving or kind and maybe only using Taqiyya to get them to kill themselves or one another. I only know of one such demigod who seeks to destroy, lie and kill, and he is the very father of lies – Satan.

In this world there is hardly a person who doesn’t care about where they will spend eternity, except for those who willingly shove God out of their lives by rejecting His offer of redemption. Most of them do this out of rebellion for God’s laws of morality. They want to do their own thing in their own way, ending up with Aids or Sid’s and addiction. Others follow this same course for power over others, people like Saul Alinsky and his followers. They seem to forget that they are mortal. For such people all that awaits them at the end of their lives is sorrow and extreme bitterness while they draw their last breath and not knowing what lies ahead.

It’s true that we have become and are becoming more and more secularized, but this is to be expected since the Holy Scriptures tell us that this will be the case in the Last Days. Still though, there are far too many people wallowing in doubt and fear. It seems that no one has taken the time to share the good news of the Gospel with them or cared even to show any concern for them at all. I run across this all the time.

In dealing with humanity, I find that some are lonely, others are grappling with issues we can’t even imagine exist. Life is full of complexities and although we can’t resolve everyone’s problems, we can let them know we care by quoting God’s promises to them and praying for them face to face. How often have we heard someone saying flippantly, “I’ll be praying for you” and you know they will forget you the moment they hit the sack.) That is why I take care to not use that old cliché and pray for them there and then.

One of the benefits of reaching others for Christ is knowing that you are pleasing to God. However, our motives should be grounded on thankfulness toward God’s mercy and loving kindness.

That is why it is so easy for me to talk unabashedly to others about this great salvation. I know without a doubt that unless a person is completely blind to his or her mortality that they are searching for salvation. The overwhelming majority will respond in the affirmative and even at times try to quote scripture showing that they too are spiritually enlightened beings, but these are in the minority. Take The Donald for instance, who misquoted the title of II Corinthians on the campaign trail recently.

“Born Again” believers imbued with spiritual discernment can tell the spiritual age of the one who speaks just by listening to his or her first few words. And as for new believers, you can also tell how they are coming along in their relationship to Christ. Most Christians will submit that Jesus is who He said He is, but have never explored the issue by reading the Bible. And so they fail to understand salvation or the full message of the gospel. Thus the saying, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” In other words, they fail to live life to its fullest and fear facing eternity.

In the midst of all the confusion and uncertainty, we Christians should be eternally grateful to have found the key to life, “the pearl of great price” Christ Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of the Living God. How blessed we are to have found Him or Him having found us, whatever the case may be. We have the blessed assurance of salvation, and eternal life, what could be better?

In closing the following is a verse for those who are still searching for Salvation. “You will find God if you search for Him with all your heart.” Also, and more to the point, “Jesus said, “I am the Way the Truth and the Life, no man comes to the father but by me.” “For you are saved by grace through faith and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God lest any man should boast.” It’s as simple as that.

YBIC

Jim Torres “Towers”   jt.filmmaker@yahoo.com and www.theprophecies2016movie.com

When fishes flew and forests walked
And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
Then surely I was born; With monstrous head and sickening cry
And ears like errant wings,
The devil’s walking parody
On all four-footed things.

The tattered outlaw of the earth,
Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
I keep my secret still. Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.

The Donkey, by G.K. Chesterton

I heard this poem on a study of the book of John.  It is in reference to the Triumphal Entry. The Creator of the universe riding a donkey into Jerusalem.  It made me tear up, the power of it and sheer humbleness of the act.  It was prophesy fulfilled (Zechariah 9:9) and the people knew it, they were singing Psalm 118: “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.“ That Psalm we so often hear isn’t about any old day.  It is about this one day in particular, they were waiting for.  They were declaring Jesus to be the Mashiach Nagid, the Messiah the King.

“He was crucified on a cross of wood, yet he made the hill on which it stood”

The return of Christ won’t be on a donkey friends and he will not be coming in peace.  He will be on a white horse, with the armies in heaven.  To judge and make war.

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had^[a] a name written that no one knew except Himself. ¹³ He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean,^[b] followed Him on white horses. ¹⁵ Now out of His mouth goes a sharp^[c] sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

Revelation 19:11-16″

I met Louis L. at the Beverly Hills Baptist Church in L.A. He was the first Jewish Christian I had ever met. Louis and another young man came to visit our church. They were representatives of Jews for Jesus, a movement that had its beginning in California. Today the number of Messianic Jews is mounting significantly. It’s sad to say that the Pope issued an edict that we “Christians” should no longer witness to Jews. As if Catholics ever really did. I beg to differ.

Even one of our own, namely John Hagee, says the very same thing – believing that Jews will be saved anyway. I’m beginning to wonder about that man – along with the new revelations he comes up with every other day. Anyway, the pastor introduced Louis and I – knowing that I was an outspoken evangelical – albeit not a street corner one. I was thrilled to spend the day with these new brethren and felt privileged to meet their acquaintance. Little did I know that I would lead a Jewish woman to Christ shortly after our meeting. It was as if God was setting me up to be able to share the Gospel with her.

Hilda Hattie was her name. She was a frail little old lady about eighty or even ninety years old and I found her stumbling into the street while stepping off a street corner on a Sunday morning. My wife and I were on our way to the church when I noticed Hilda shuffling slowly down the street, hardly able to hold herself up. All of a sudden she tripped at the corner and fell into the street. Luckily it was on a side street (not that it would have mattered since everyone in Hollywood is sleeping in after a night of hard partying). I had just stopped at the stop sign and jumped out of the car to help her up. I put her in the back seat of the car and asked where she lived so I could take her home. She replied, “I don’t want to go home, I want to go with you!”

“But I’m going to church right now.”

“I want to go with you.”

“Well, let’s go!”

To make a long story short, Hilda was a Jew and was dying. She lived only a block or two from us. I visited her in her final days and hours and was able to lead her to Christ. God works in mysterious ways.

Later, on one of my travels, I met a young Jewish man named Jim C. who was a new convert to the Christian faith. We were staying a few doors from one another in a boarding house in Alabama, and we became good friends. Whenever he had a question concerning the faith I would help him. Jim was enthusiastic about his new found faith. We parted friends as I was called away to work elsewhere.

One day, years later as I was perusing the flea market in Pensacola I heard a shout from behind me “Jim…Jim Towers!” I turned around to see who had called me and it was Jim my Jewish friend. Like me he was an adventurous independent man although a bit younger.

I walked back to him and he came out from behind the jewelry case where he was selling jewelry. We talked a bit, and as we did so, I looked at the things that he was selling. I noticed a ring I had always wanted; it was a solid silver band with an eagle embossed on a rectangular background of turquoise. The eagle with wings spread out was silver as well. I asked him for the price and he told me it was something like fifty dollars. Since I’m not into wearing jewelry I told him I’d think about it and we said our goodbyes.

I hadn’t gotten sixty feet away when Jim called out my name again. I went back and told him I’d buy the ring thinking he wanted to make me a deal and needed the money. Jim was already holding the ring in his hand and asked me to hold my hand out. He slipped the ring on my finger and it fit perfectly. I fished into my back pocket for my wallet and he stopped me in mid- movement. Jim, he said, the Lord told me to give the ring to you. I insisted on paying for it but he only replied, “Please don’t take this blessing from me.” I was flabbergasted for I had always wanted this particular ring after seeing it in a periodical several years before.

While beachcombing on a secluded beach a couple of days later and feeling low, my head began to burn from the intense heat of the midday summer in Florida. I chided myself for not having a cap or hat on my head. Then, about seventy feet away I saw something blue lying on the beach that looked like it might be a cap. Sure enough it was. It was like new with an adjustable clip on the back. I turned it over and to my utter amazement; there on the front of the navy blue cap was the same eagle in flight embroidered on the cap with silver thread just like the ring Jim had given me a couple of days before.

I’ve since lost that cap on my travels, but I still wear that ring today. That was over twenty-five years ago and although I would on occasion look at it over the years and wonder when Lord, when? Only today do I realize the full significance of the Bible verse that these signs had for me, “But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Today I can say, trust in the Lord and He shall bring it to pass. In the meantime, work in His harvest field while you wait expectantly – like I’ve been doing for over forty years. I have a deep contentment and love doing what I can for the kingdom of God.

Jewish people have become dear to me over the years and I’ve gotten to know quite a few after having had a ministry station in a Dunkin Donut shop a few years ago. I’ve eaten with them, gone to the movies with them, chummed around with them and they all knew I was a “born again” Christian who never held back from sharing Christ with them. I guess they sensed that I really cared for them.

In my coffee shop ministry I came to know “Bo” the son of a Rabbi whose father was head of the Synagogue that Benjamin Netanyahu’s family attended, and who lived next door to them as well. I still see him once in a while when I’m in Miami, and he knows what to expect to hear from me, yet he is always cordial and glad to see me. I’ll be looking for him when I go to film in Miami.

I could tell you stories like this until the cows come home, but let me end with this one.

One crotchety older Jewish man named Ugene and I would often talk about spiritual things while sipping on coffee in the coffee shop. He was a highly educated (Law and Medicine) self-reliant macho man, and I could never get through to him. One day a couple of years later, while I was working on a film in Detroit, I learned from a friend of mine that Ugene was in the hospital and dying of cancer (and he was a vegetarian and non smoker!) In any case, He phoned my friend Richard from the hospital and asked him for a favor. The favor was this – to sneak some Matzo crackers and Mogen David wine into the hospital for him to be able to take communion before his impending death. You see, after he contracted cancer he had become a Messianic Jew. I’d like to believe I had something to do with his acceptance of Jesus as his Messiah.

In closing, if you want to live a rich and fulfilling life, I would encourage you to suit up in the in armor of God, “Put on the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of truth, the shield of faith, the sword of the spirit” and shod you feet with the good news of the Gospel. For the fields are ripe and God wants you to join in the harvest…and Jews are not exempt after all, Jesus was a Jew.

YBIC

Jim Torres “Towers”   jt.filmmaker@yahoo,com or www.theprophecies2016movie.com.

While America’s evangelical Christians are rightly concerned about the secular worldview’s rejection of biblical Christianity, we ought to give some urgent attention to a problem much closer to home–biblical illiteracy in the church. This scandalous problem is our own, and it’s up to us to fix it.

Researchers George Gallup and Jim Castelli put the problem squarely: “Americans revere the Bible–but, by and large, they don’t read it. And because they don’t read it, they have become a nation of biblical illiterates.” How bad is it? Researchers tell us that it’s worse than most could imagin.

Fewer than half of all adults can name the four gospels. Many Christians cannot identify more than two or three of the disciples. According to data from the Barna Research Group, 60 percent of Americans can’t name even five of the Ten Commandments. “No wonder people break the Ten Commandments all the time. They don’t know what they are,” said George Barna, president of the firm. The bottom line? “Increasingly, America is biblically illiterate.” [see Barna Group’s web site]

Multiple surveys reveal the problem in stark terms. According to 82 percent of Americans, “God helps those who help themselves,” is a Bible verse. Those identified as born-again Christians did better–by one percent. A majority of adults think the Bible teaches that the most important purpose in life is taking care of one’s family.

#Trump vs #Cruz?

Our Unique Mandate:

A government of the people, by the people and for the people. I believe you and I will be held accountable for this mandate that has come to us at such a high price.

The Illiteracy of the Electorate: What is our biggest problem: Ignorance
or Apathy? “I don’t know and I don’t care!”

Our first priority: Knowing the truth about our leadership. This is the critical role of a free press. However the media NOW takes delight in shaping opinion rather than informing.

“It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, For a throne is established on righteousness.”
Proverbs 16:12

The abandonment of righteousness weakens the seat of government and the stability and security of the nation. The abandonment of truth and loyalty to covenants undermines the leadership of a ruler (Prov
20:28). Bribery is a root issue of private truthfulness (Prov 29:4). Acting on principle rather than driven by expediency. Thus, when integrity is forsaken justice is overthrown.The minimizing of truthfulness corrupts others so that the entire government becomes corrupt (Prov 29:12). Private morality has vast public implications. In the forthcoming election, this is not about political or economic philosophy, it is about moral law, which will outlive this republic…

The Left never uses the terms “litmus test,” or “big tent”: they have
never insulted their constituencies. Is any “tent” big enough to embrace
the corruption they are committed to?
• Big enough to embrace those who would murder children during delivery?
• Big enough to endorse & subsidize sexual perversion,
• Big enough to promote incurable diseases, and
• Big enough to destroy the concept of the family which God ordained?
• Where is the shame? Where is the outrage?

A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man’s heart
directs him toward the left. Ecclesiastes 10:2 nasb

This coming election is not about political views, it is about character; it is about morality; it is about keeping oaths before the Throne of God… The Congress and Senate take oaths. Are they relevant? Are they accountable? They are: before the Throne of God. A mandate and commitment to preserve and defend God-given rights embodied in the Constitution.Our duty is to stand for what is right. The Victory is the Lord’s, should He chose to bless.

(Source from Chuck Missler notes on the book of Romans)

What impacted Jeff Struecker most was not the thousands of hostile Somalis swarming his Humvee, nor the hailstorm of bullets and RPGs as he attempted to rescue fellow Rangers in the ill-fated 1993 raid of Mogadishu made famous by the movie Black Hawk Down.

What impacted him most was the next October morning back at base when his buddies one by one asked him about death and the afterlife.

“It changed my life forever,” Struecker said at Liberty University in a video posted on YouTube. “I would still be a sergeant in the ranger regiment today if it wasn’t for what I saw the morning after the firefight. It wasn’t really the blood and the bullet holes that had an impact on me. It was back at the base the grown men, some of the toughest warriors on the planet, with tears in their eyes. They said, ‘Jeff, what happened to my best friend who just died last night? Jeff, what happens to me if I get on a helicopter or a Humvee tomorrow and I don’t make it home?’

“Almost all of them were saying, ‘Jeff, there was something different about you last night, and I want to know what it was,'” he said. “For the next 24 hours, I had guys lined up to ask me about Jesus Christ because they could see the difference that He makes when you’re getting shot at and when the bullets flying.”

Rest of the story here via CharismaNews (Rangers Lead The Way)

By Jim Torres “Towers”

Most so-called progressives just don’t get it. They are caught in a dilemma of their own making, most of them simply for denying the existence of God and His Christ our Savior. Everyone around the world is on the alert and scared or at the very least apprehensive, as well they should be.

The surprising thing is that some women and men in this country really believe we would be better off by complying with Isis demands and are willing to invite them into our country without reservation. Most liberals simply yawn and get on with life, yet they’d be the first to go to trial, if you can call it that, under Sharia. How foolish.

If Islamic terrorists ever overrun us, so-called Progressives too will be persecuted, dismembered, imprisoned or taxed, and homosexuals will be thrown from the highest buildings (even though many terrorists are homosexuals themselves). I might add that feminists will be killed by stoning, since women are nothing more than fodder for the sexual desires of these evil men called Isis and others with that same ideology. Yet this is being achieved by misleading many bleeding heart liberals who know nothing of the scriptures, much less biblical prophecy; all the while claiming there is no God. I’d like to know who they’re going to be crying out to if that time comes.

Also with the clash of cultures in our society, mistrust, spying and collapse of morals and our constitutional rights, we have a lot to contend with. We older Christians, who should know better, are taking things all too lightly as well. All the while our freedoms and constitutional rights are being taken away incrementally while we nod off. Half hearted Christians, along with the doomed, have been sidetracked by other diversions, thereby taking our eyes off things that really matter. They too are seeing things with a worldly view and becoming politically correct as well.

The majority of us are afraid to speak out and challenge the enemy within our borders. And so, radical Islam continues to make threats and inroads into the United States, and even though there may be some hollow threats made right now, they may not be so hollow in the future. That’s why terrorists are called terrorists, they fully intend to put fear into us and cripple us by it.

Although we know that it would take a substantial military force to bring down our country, a few nuclear devices called EMP’s could help make their threats of taking over a reality. (The follow up to my movie “The Prophecies 2016” is the sequel “The Aftermath”, which is about what we can expect from these evil men should they manage to get their hands on EMP weapons to attack us.)

Nevertheless, God is good enough to begin revealing to “True Believers” and upright folks the intent of Satan’s henchmen, thereby steeling us for what lies ahead. Slowly but surely he is unmasking the lies, plans and turmoil that the Adversary is ushering in to bring down our once Christian country and subdue the world. By reading Bible prophecy we can get a pretty good handle on what’s happening in our world currently and why. It is self evident that Americans have brought this calamity on ourselves by turning our backs on God and His Christ. A verse in Eziekiel 14 tells us this, “Son of man, when a land sins against me, I will stretch out My hand against it…..” and isn’t that what’s happening today in our country?

In the meantime, we followers of Christ are beginning to see the instigators of the culture wars for what they are, unregenerate progressives, secularists, thugs and liars. Their intent, with Satan’s prompting, is to tear the Christian fabric of our society to shreds.   They have been going about it systematically and almost unknowingly to the general public. Many of us have been lulled to sleep by Satan’s diversionary tactics, namely pleasure and greed. Soon football will be televised all day Sunday. Movies and television are becoming more and more sensual, further alienating us from God as we barely give Him a thought or even acknowledge His existence.

The culture wars are on and gaining steam with Blacks against Whites and thugs against policemen. Killing and wanton mayhem rule the streets in all of the big cities, as well as Chicago and Washington DC; and these are places where guns are outlawed! Surely someone had it right when they said, “If law abiding citizens lose the right to have guns then only criminals will have them.”

Just to give you an idea of where we stand today, there was a video on the internet of a number of black teens beating a homeless white veteran to death on a sidewalk with a hammer, a club and by kicking and stomping on his head, all the while laughing as they did so. It was a brutal and heartless attack and they appeared to relish what they were doing. I don’t know the back story, but nobody deserves to be beaten to death by laughing black teens (both boys and girls) or anyone else for that matter.

Again, this is what was prophesied by the Apostle Paul to Timothy. We are now living in that period of time. With the clash of cultures in our society, mistrust, spying, apathy and the collapse of morals and our constitutional rights we have a lot to contend with. Like it or not we are in a spiritual battle like never before.

Case closed.

YBIC

Jim Torres “Towers”     Feel free to write me at – jt.filmmaker@yahoo.com

In comments likely to enhance his progressive reputation, Pope Francis has written a long, open letter to the founder of La Repubblica newspaper, Eugenio Scalfari, stating that non-believers would be forgiven by God if they followed their consciences. Responding to a list of questions published in the paper by Mr Scalfari, who is not a Roman Catholic, Francis wrote: “You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don’t believe and who don’t seek the faith. I start by saying – and this is the fundamental thing – that God’s mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience.

“Sin, even for those who have no faith, exists when people disobey their conscience”

Robert Mickens, the Vatican correspondent for the Catholic journal The Tablet, said the pontiff’s comments were further evidence of his attempts to shake off the Catholic Church’s fusty image, reinforced by his extremely conservative predecessor Benedict XVI. “Francis is a still a conservative,” said Mickens. “But what this is all about is him seeking to have a more meaningful dialogue with the world.

“In a welcoming response to the letter, Scalfari said the Pope’s comments were “further evidence of his ability and desire to overcome barriers in dialogue with all”

By Jim Torres “Towers”

Grade school bullies with sneers on their faces used to ask me, with their fist cocked in front of my face, “Are you sceered now!!?” The only person I ever feared was my dad, but he was a big stern Spanish/Irish bruiser. And so it is, “If we fear God we have nothing else to fear”!

The reason for my writing the things below is for you the reader to take heart; strengthen your arms and legs, straighten your back and walk uprightly in the evil day. And, “May our Lord Jesus Christ …comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.”

As you well know, I love adventure. In addition to what I wrote the last time, I have explored most of Central America, climbed ancient temples and scrutinized the inscriptions found on them. I climbed the hundreds of steps to the top of the Mayan Temple of the Moon on a central plain in Central America. I’ve also been on an archaeological dig on the first Spanish colony on mainland U.S. at Pensacola, Florida, where a young lady’s skull was brought up out of the ground while I was there, not but thirty feet away.

I “discovered” the landing place and the remains of the fort that Hernan Cortes and his men built, along with the foundation of a chapel in front of it. (It was shown to me by a distant ancestor of Cortes’ right hand man, Pedro De Alvarado, before it recently became a tourist destination.) I saw for myself the first church in the New World, the first hospital and the first school, also built by Cortes. I did all of this while researching a screenplay I was writing a few years ago. Just look what God’s done for me. I’ve rubbed shoulders with numerous celebrities, been on stage and sung on stage, been in movies and television, and all with a degree of virtue, character and thanksgiving. Believe me, I’ve been there, done that.

This to me is living, living the life of faith. This means living life with limitless possibilities, and living life with gusto. I consider every experience a gift from God and thank Him for it.

Now, that isn’t to say that I haven’t experienced less gratifying experiences, setbacks and defeat. I have. But defeat only happens when you try to achieve something. In spite of my varied experiences, I’ve also endured failure like most other human beings. But when I received Christ I became “More than a conqueror though Christ who died for us.”

Whenever I’ve felt totally defeated, I’ve cried out to God, “Help Me!” And He always does, even while I’ve fallen asleep with exhaustion He is working things out in my favor. Believe me, I’ve had my share of tragedy, but that has only made me rely on the promises of God. It has made me dig deeply for the nuggets of truth and promises that are only found in the Bible.

On awakening from the dreadful previous day, I find myself invigorated and my strength renewed. Optimism fills my soul and I attack the day with renewed strength and vigor, inviting adventure and victory into my life as I breathe in the very breath of God and say, “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” His blessings are renewed day by day.

I’m not trying to disparage my hum drum, politically correct, fellow Christians, but I can only assume that many, by the way they act, and the things they say, have lived a sheltered life. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but frankly they for the most part don’t know anything about the real world, that is, unless they came to Christ later in life.

Many of them have never breathed deeply and felt the rush of sweet, clean invigorating air filling their lungs while relishing their surroundings. Instead their lives have become institutionally driven and geared. Their lives are mechanical and miserable. By that I mean that their lack of joy comes from having lived a cloistered life; they may as well be monks living in a monastery! Most are paralyzed by fear of their fellow man. Some are lacking in social graces, being intimidated by outsiders. Their lives have become stifled and introverted. Is it any surprise that outsiders view us with suspicion and ridicule when we lack compassion for them and even fear them? “We are in the world but not of the world.” “We are light in an ever darkening world.” The Bible says we are to be salt in the world. Yet we are losing our savor and are ready to be tossed out into the street and be trod on by men.

This may sound ironic, but I have to pity the man who’s never had trials and tribulations in life so he can experience joy. Even the men closest to God, who includes Moses, Jeremiah, David and Peter, have had their times of discouragement, and failure, even to the point of bitter tears. I pity the man who has never cried or tried to achieve something worthwhile. Whenever you are experiencing tragedy, defeat, set backs or heartache, remember that eternity awaits us and this life is only a tiny part of it. What we believers sometimes fail to realize is that we have God on our side (even though we all too often fail to appropriate his promises and internalize them, making them a part of who we are.) Sometimes we don’t even know what His promises are for lack of reading scripture!

For the majority of us, I included, life isn’t always pretty and is often hard even for those of us who know Christ as personal friend and Savior. But sometimes tragedy is often what it takes to draw us closer to God.

Today I went to the world famous Naples fishing pier where thousands of people from all over the world visit each year. I felt that I might be able to share Christ and the Word of God there since the last time I was there I overheard the local fishermen discussing recent world events under the shelter at the end of the pier.

Lo and behold, there was Eddy, a man in his fifties sitting in the shade of the shelter, to whom I had given my double sided card a day before. Eddy called me over and asked me about my prophecy movie. “Hey Jim, tell me more about your proposed movie “The Prophecies 2016”. Apparently he had checked out both sites on the internet in his hotel room. So naturally I jumped right in and explained the premise of it, along with a few Bible prophecies, particularly the one given by Jesus Christ about the second coming and the prelude to His arrival. Eddy paid very close attention to each and every word with a look of concern on his face. Once in a while he would misquote a passage and I would gently correct him, thus I was able to explain things that were prophesied in the Bible and to quote specific verses.

We were surrounded by a few other men, and when I began talking about spiritual things you could have heard a pin drop. (Usually there is constant chatter and banter.) Everyone was soaking it in, just like I thought they would. Indeed, everyone is “sceered” now and alarmed by all the things happening in our country and around the world. It seems that the whole world is just waiting for someone to explain spiritual things to them.

All through the conversation the older Black man sitting beside him never said a word, but I had a feeling he was being convicted by the things I said, which included my testimony.

The fish weren’t biting so I had a captive audience. But since we’re supposed to be “fishers of men” I felt that I had a good catch today. This for me is the apex of adventure, adventure that really counts for something.

In closing, I’d like for you to know that the spiritual and miraculous things that have happened to me in over forty years of one-on-one street ministry are too many to include in this short essay. However, some of them are included in my proposed movie “The Prophecies 2016” making it a true to life story.

So hang in there, be strong, and be of good cheer; relish life and the opportunities it affords.

Trust God and His promises in Christ Jesus.

YBIC

Jim Torres “Towers”   Write me at – jt.filmmaker@yahoo.com

You can receive the synopsis (outline) for my proposed movie “The Prophecies 2016” calling for repentance in the face of current dilemmas or for the outline of the “The Aftermath”.

Write and ask at jt.filmmaker@yahoo.com. Also, you can check out the web page www.theprophecies2016 movie.com about that proposed movie.

YBIC

Jim Torres “Towers”

There are only two world views:
1) We’re product of random chance with no destiny;
2) We’re the result of a deliberate and purposeful Creation…

And every answer to every question in life will derive from our world
view: Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? To whom
am I accountable?

A couple of thoughts that came to my mind among many.

The couple could not have children, the sister of the intended mom posted a facebook story lamenting that.  They are now blessed with 3, but after the initial excitement decided they only want two.  They tell the surrogate to abort the FEMALE baby. Why you ask?  Because, well three is too many after we thought about it.

The paradigm of the “Ascent of Man” is built on the erroneous view of
man as improving himself through education and technology, et al. It
assumes that man develops in response to his environment. It assumes
that with the proper environment and education that one can change
the fundamental nature of Man. [Even in our courts of law, we excuse
responsibility for crimes as the result of environmentally introduced
factors….] This contradicts what the Scripture teaches us: “The heart is deceitful
above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah
17:9).

Surrogate defies biological parents’ #abortion demand

A second surrogate mom carrying triplets and being pressured to abort one of her fetuses is sticking to her guns in a desperate bid to save the unborn child.The birth parents “knew from the beginning that we wouldn’t want to abort unless it was a life-and-death situation,” anguished surrogate Brittneyrose Torres told The Post.

“We would never want to abort a baby’s life.”

Torres, 26, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., agreed to tell her story after seeing The Post’s report last month about another surrogate mom, Melissa Cook, who was being pressured to abort one of the triplets she was carrying. She, too, refused.  After reading that story, Torres reached out to The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network, a surrogacy watchdog, in an effort to fight the abortion demand. Torres is 17 weeks pregnant.

She was initially implanted with two fertilized eggs, in hopes that one of them would develop. Both did, and one split in half, making twins — a not-uncommon occurrence during in vitro fertilization. The twins are male and the third child is female.  “We did not think we would be in this position,” Torres said.

Read the rest of the story at NY Post