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Plan of Salvation:
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever shall believe
in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life.
Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt
be saved.

A Message From Good News Press

The Christian message is often re-
ferred to as the "Gospel," which
Pictured President George H.W. Bush, President Bill Clinton, Billy Graham, Franklin Graham and President Jimmy Carter all came together
means "good news." Specifically, it
for the dedication of the Billy Graham Library in 2007. Rev Billy Graham met with over 13 US Presidents and preached to millions.
is the good news about Jesus—who
Billy Graham, Evangelist to the World, Dead at Age 99 He is, what He has done, and what
He offers. Essentially, the message
is that Jesus was God in the flesh,
Official Obituary he comforted his country and the ing Jesus Christ. No one was more that He came into the world to rec-
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 21, world when he spoke at the National surprised than Graham himself. oncile humanity to Himself, and
2018 - Evangelist Billy Graham Cathedral in Washington, following “I was opposed to evangelism,” he that his salvation is freely offered to
died today at 7:46 a.m. at his home the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. At said. “But finally, I was persuaded each person who will respond in
in Montreat. He was 99. three global conferences held in by a friend [to go to a meeting]… faith. The Gospel message explains
Throughout his life, Billy Graham Amsterdam (1983, 1986, 2000), and the spirit of God began to speak that salvation is only possible
preached the gospel of Jesus Christ Graham gathered some 23,000 to me as I went back night after through the Crucifixion and Resur-
to some 215 million people who at- evangelists from 208 countries and night. One night, when the invitation rection of Jesus. Through his sacri-
fice, Jesus paid the price for our sin-
tended one of his more than 400 territories to train them to carry the was given to accept Jesus, I just fulness (rebellion against God), thus
Crusades, simulcasts and evangelis- message of Jesus Christ around the said, ‘Lord, I’m going.’ I knew I was offering us forgiveness. Then
tic rallies in more than 185 countries world. headed in a new direction.” through his Resurrection He con-
and territories. He reached millions During the week of his 95th birth- Several years later, Graham’s “new quered death, removing it as the
more through TV, video, film, the day in 2013, Graham delivered his direction” led him to the Florida Bi- penalty for our sin and replacing it
internet and 34 books. final message via more than 480 tel- ble Institute (now Trinity College of with the offer of eternal life that is
Born Nov. 7, 1918, four days before evision stations across the U.S. and Florida), and later, Wheaton College only available from Him to all those
that place their faith in Him.
the armistice ended World War I, Canada. More than 26,000 churches in suburban Chicago, where he met
William Franklin “Billy” Graham participated in this My Hope project, fellow student Ruth McCue Bell, the
Jr. grew up during the Depression making it the Billy Graham Evange- daughter of medical missionaries in
and developed a work ethic that listic Association’s largest evange- China. The couple graduated and
would carry him through decades of listic outreach ever in North Ameri- married in the summer of 1943. Mr.
ministry on six continents. ca. and Mrs. Graham and their five chil-
“I have one message: that Jesus Preferred Baseball to Religion dren made their home in the moun-
Christ came, he died on a cross, he Graham, a country boy turned world tains of North Carolina. They were
rose again, and he asked us to re- evangelist, who prayed with every married for 64 years before Ruth’s
pent of our sins and receive him by U.S. president from Harry S. Tru- death in 2007.
faith as Lord and Savior, and if we man to Barack Obama, was raised
do, we have forgiveness of all of our on a dairy farm in Charlotte. Back After two years of traveling as a
sins,” said Graham at his final Cru- then, “Billy Frank,” as he was speaker for the Youth for Christ or-
sade in June 2005 at Flushing Mead- called, preferred baseball to reli- ganization, Billy Graham held his
ows Corona Park in New York. gion. “I detested going to first official evangelistic Crusade in
While Graham’s primary focus was church,” he said when recalling his 1947; but it was his 1949 Los Ange-
to take this message to the world, he youth. les Crusade that captured the na-
also provided spiritual counsel to But in 1934, that changed. At a re- tion’s attention. Originally sched-
presidents, championed desegrega- vival led by traveling evangelist uled to run for three weeks, the “tent
tion, and was a voice of hope and Mordecai Fowler Ham, 15-year-old continued on next page See Billy
guidance in times of trial. In 2001, Graham committed his life to serv- Graham
 Good News Press - Page 2
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What Is Good Friday?

Good Friday is a holiday celebrated by
the Christian Church in commemoration
of the day Jesus died on a cross. Chris-
tians believe that the death of Jesus as a
willing sacrifice paid the penalty for the
sinfulness of humanity. As a result, we
can receive forgiveness today.
Partner With Us in Sharing the tell our neighbors Christians around the world consider
about the Good Jesus to have been God in the flesh—the
Good News of Jesus Christ to our second member of the Trinity. (The Trin-
News of Jesus
Community! Christ and reap ity is the understanding that God is one in
Good News Press is a Christian outreach eternal rewards. essence but exists with three centers of
- publication in the San Francisco Bay Area. personhood.) Seeing the hopeless and
Good News Press
This popular high-quality, newspaper, in- sinful condition of humanity, he chose to
believes that this
forms and inspires believers, as well as enter into Creation in the form of the
commission begins
plant seeds into the hearts of men and in our own back- man, Jesus Christ. So why was the death of Jesus necessary?
women. yards. There are Arriving as a baby born to a virgin named According to Christian teaching, God is a
e
Good News Press covers world, national, more than 7 Mil- Mary, Jesus grew up among us. At about God of love as well as a God of justice. His
and local religious news and events, and lion people in the Bay Area. We want to the age of 30, Jesus began his public minis- love desired to offer forgiveness to all of
features inspiring Christian articles and in- share the good news, and bring to them the try of teaching, healing, and proclaiming humanity for its sinful rebellion against
sights. It is available, both digitally online love of Jesus Christ. the Kingdom of Heaven. him. But his justice demanded that wrongs
and in full-color printed format. be punished, and the punishment for re-
• Urgency… We believe that these are the Three years later, the Jewish religious
Christian newspapers reach a targeted audi- last days and that Jesus Christ is soon to bellion against God is death. So the solu-
leaders (who felt threatened by Jesus’ ris- tion was for God to become a man and
ence-specifically a family oriented, audi- return. ing popularity) conspired against him. The
ence, with strong loyalties and convictions. Good News Press is produced by Baron & pay the penalty in our place.
Bible describes how they paid people to
Why Support Good News Press Connie Woods. Support Our Work by Call- give false accusations against Jesus, imply-
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Roman authorities that were ruling over Jesus’ death was only temporary. On the
Israel at the time. third day—the day we know as Easter—his
s
Join our Directory: www.goodnewspress.us Jesus was subsequently arrested, put on tomb was found empty. Over the next
trial, and sentenced to execution by cruci- forty days, hundreds of eyewitnesses re-
Promote Your business or Ministry fixion. After verifying that he was dead by ported seeing Jesus alive. He had walked
thrusting a sword through his side, the with them, taught them, and eaten with
Romans allowed the body to be taken them. Their conclusion: Jesus had risen
Rev. Billy Graham Continued down and buried in a tomb belonging to
Joseph of Arimathea. Guards were sta-
from the dead.
Today, Christians still observe the Good
tioned to watch over the tomb to ensure
Friday/Easter weekend as pivotal to their
e “tent meetings” were extended for a Graham said, “Christ belongs to all that no one, especially the disciples, tried
faith. All of Christianity hinges on the
total of eight weeks as hundreds of people. He belongs to the whole to do anything to the body. death of Jesus and his subsequent resur-
thousands of men, women and chil- world.…I reject any creed based on The Bible reveals that this was all part of rection from the dead. It teaches that,
dren gathered to hear Graham’s hate…Christianity is not a white God’s plan from the beginning. Several because of his death, we can experience
messages. man’s religion, and don’t let any- Old Testament prophecies written centu- forgiveness. And because of his resurrec-
ries earlier foretold the crucifixion of Jesus tion, we can know he has authority over
On the heels of this campaign, Gra- body ever tell you that it’s white or in detail - even before crucifixion became life and death.
ham started the Billy Graham Evan- black.” a common form of execution.
gelistic Association, which was in- Graham spoke to people of all eth-
corporated in 1950. Since 2000, nicities, creeds and backgrounds.
Graham’s son, Franklin, has led the Early in his career, he denounced
Charlotte-based organization, which racism when desegregation was not
employs some 500 people world- popular. Before the U.S. Supreme
wide. Court banned discrimination on a
Billy Graham may be best known, racial basis, Graham held desegre-
however, for his evangelistic mis- gated Crusades, even in the Deep
sions or “Crusades.” He believed South. He declined invitations to
God knew no borders or nationali- speak in South Africa for 20 years,
ties. Throughout his career, Graham choosing instead to wait until the
preached to millions in locations meetings could be integrated. Inte-
from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to gration occurred in 1973, and only
Zagorsk, Russia; and from Welling- then did Graham make the trip to
ton, New Zealand to the National South Africa.A 1977 trip to com-
Cathedral in Washington. In 1973, munist-led Hungary opened doors
Graham addressed more than one for Graham to conduct preaching
million people crowded into Yoido missions in virtually every country
Plaza in Seoul, South Korea—the of the former Eastern Bloc
largest live audience of his Cru- (including the Soviet Union), as well
sades. as China and North Korea.
Breaking Down Barriers Continued on Page 4
Preaching in Johannesburg in 1973,

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Movie Review: Black Panther by Christian Spotlight on
Entertainment
Shortly after the events of “Captain
America: Civil War,” T’Challa (Chadwick
Boseman) is still grieving the loss of his
father T’Chaka, who was killed in an ex-
plosion. Being sworn in as king of one of
the most mysterious nations in the world
(Wakanda) definitely brings its challeng-
es. After holding off a daring challenge to
the throne from a mountain tribesman,
T’Challa receives word that the secret of
his hidden nation could be getting out to
the public.
Wakanda is hidden by an invisible shield
created by a metal called “vibranium”
that was discovered from a meteor. This
element has allowed them to make re-
markable advancements in technology,
science, infrastructure and transportation
(it’s like a futuristic utopia of sorts).
T’Chaka and his predecessors wanted to
keep the vibranium to themselves be-
cause they feared the rest of the world
would use it for negative purposes such as
war.
It turns out, however, that someone is
out to get revenge on T’Chaka and take
over Wakanda. He also plans to use the
nation and its resources to initiate truly
horrible things.
Entertainment Value
As far as the story is concerned, “Black
Panther” follows some typical superhero
plot points, but it does make a few chang-
es along the way. Perhaps the biggest
change is in how the villain is represent-
ed. He doesn’t really play a big part until
close to an hour into the film. Until then,
we are entertained by a more minor vil-
lain named Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis).
There are several stabs at humor (not
unusual for a Marvel flick), and thankfully
the jokes are very good-natured and fun-
ny.
Speaking of the villain, he’s one of the
most interesting villains Marvel’s put to-
gether. He’s given interesting reasons
behind taking over Wakanda. Michael B.
Good News Press - Page 3
Jordan gives an energetic performance
that adds a layer or two more than
what you might expect a villain to have.
As for Boseman, he aptly provides the
heart and soul of the strong but gentle-
hearted character. Lupita N’yongo gives
a memorable performance as the kind
Nakia. Movie fans and “Lord of the
Rings”/“Hobbit” fans, may be excited to
see Martin Freeman (reprising from
“Civil War”) and Serkis together again
in an interesting scene. There are a lot
of characters to keep up with, however.
This makes veteran actors such
as Angela Bassett and Forest Whita-
kerhave less screentime than people
might have hoped for.
Ludwig Gorannson’s score cleverly mix-
es African beats with some orchestral
pieces. The production design and cos-
tume design carry bits and pieces of
originality and uniqueness. The visual
effects, like most superhero movies, are
impressive, but sometimes over-the-
top. The action sequences are exciting,
but the camera work is a bit shaky in
places.
As for the usual Marvel elements, Stan
Lee’s cameo doesn’t disappoint. And the
second post-credits scene is worth wait-
ing for.
Positive Messages
The most prominent message here is the
importance of making wise choices, and
the dangers that can come from negative
ones. Throughout the film, the events
involving the villain are connected to a
poor decision made by T’Chaka years
ago. The Bible warns us that we reap
what we sow.
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for
whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he
also reap.” —Galatians 6:7
In the midst of this, the film also points
out the importance of integrity. T’Challa
and the people are lied to about an event
that supposedly happened years ago.
Some of this controversy causes some
Wakandans to question T’Challa’s right
to rule. This idea clearly relates to a
verse in Proverbs.
“Whoever walks in integrity walks se-
curely, but he who makes his ways crook-
ed will be found out.” —Proverbs 10:9
It is through hearing this dark family se-
cret that T’Challa realizes that he can
learn from his family’s past mistakes, as
well as his own. In addition, he can use
the wisdom he’s gained to motivate him-
self to become a better leader for his
people. At the same time, Nakia reminds
him that “no human is perfect,” assuring
him that mistakes are part of people’s
lives.
Continued on Page 5
Recipe: Skillet Lasagna
Skillet lasagna is delicious,
nutritious, fast!
Luscious lasagna is a
perennial favorite for family
dinners and holiday get-
togethers.
Most classic recipes
call for extensive preparation
and baking. That just doesn't
cut it for an after-work fami-
ly dinner. Cook pasta according to
But here is an easy package directions, omitting
take on classic lasagna. This salt. Meanwhile, combine ri-
recipe is made in a skillet cotta cheese, water and pepper
and takes half an hour from in small bowl; set aside.
start to finish. Heat a large skillet
over medium-high heat. Add
Hunt's 'Classic sausage and onion; cook 3 to 5
Skillet Lasagna' minutes or until sausage is
8 ounces dry bow tie pasta, crumbled and onion is tender,
uncooked stirring occasionally. Drain.
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese Add undrained tomatoes,
2 tablespoons water tomato paste, 3/4 cup mozza-
1/4 teaspoon ground black pep- rella cheese and cooked pasta
per to skillet. Stir to combine.
12 ounces Italian pork sausage Drop spoonfuls of ri-
1/3 cup chopped yellow onion cotta mixture on top of pasta
2 cans Hunt's Diced Tomatoes mixture. Sprinkle with remain-
with Basil, Garlic and Oregano ing mozzarella cheese. Reduce
(14.5 ounce, undrained) heat to low; cover and cook 2
1 can of tomato paste, 6 ounce to 3 minutes or until ricotta
1-1/2 cups shredded part-skim mixture is hot and mozzarella
mozzarella cheese, divided cheese melts.
Serves six.
Kids started this children the following year
but, to the rescue, came Pres-
U.S. Easter tradition ident Rutherford B. Hayes who,
on April 22, 1878, welcomed
In the 1800s, the roll- players to the White House
ing lawns of the U.S. Capitol backyard, the first official
were an irresistible target White House Easter Egg Roll.
for kids on Easter Monday. In those more innocent
One of the few days off years, families picnicked on
for kids and adults, Easter the lawns while the kids
Monday also included lots of rolled eggs, leaving behind
leftover hard-boiled eggs. dead grass, trash, broken egg
Naturally, the Capitol shells, and many hidden and --
soon became the site of egg increasingly smelly -- eggs.
rolls, in which children would Cut to 1937 when the
compete to see whose egg could annual crowd grew to 50,000
roll farther without breaking. people, inadequately accommo-
It became quite the thing. In dated on the South Lawn. Only
fact, around 1876, 10,000 kids WWII stopped the event and the
showed up to egg roll. Accord- increasingly enthusiastic
ing to history.com, the spec- crowds. When the Roll resumed
tacle was so noisy that no after post-war rationing end-
business could be done in the ed, it began to assume its
House and Senate chambers. By modern, and much more con-
the end of the day, the lawns trolled, form with an egg roll
were in ruin. Outraged Con- for little kids and various
gressmen immediately wrote activities.
Today, the White House
legislation protecting the
Capitol turf. President Ulys- holds a lottery to distribute
ses S. Grant signed the bill 35,000 tickets for the Egg
two weeks later. Roll. If you win one, get
A showdown was avoided ready for hours of lines and a
the next year when rain dis- fairly short experience on the
couraged the annual invasion White House lawn, but a very
of egg rollers. memorable family photo.
Police discouraged the

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Billy Graham cont’d from Page 2
- Jesus Christ fulfilled during His lifetime that
e orded history to not believe that the resur-
Graham authored 34 books, includ-
ing his memoir, Just As I
Am (Harper Collins, 1997), which
remained on The New York
Times best-seller list for 18 weeks.
In 1996, Graham and his wife, Ruth,
s received the Congressional Gold
Medal, the highest award Congress
can bestow on a private citizen. He
was also listed by Gallup as one of
the “Ten Most Admired Men” 61
times—including 55 consecutive
years (except 1976, when the ques-
tion was not asked). Graham was
e
cited by the George Washington
Carver Memorial Institute for his
contributions to race relations and
by the Anti-Defamation League of
the B’nai B’rith.
Throughout his life, Graham was
faithful to his calling, which will be
captured in the inscription to be
placed on his grave mark-
er: Preacher of the Gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
“There were a few times when I
thought I was dying, and I saw my
whole life come before me…” said
Graham at his Cincinnati Crusade
on June 24, 2002. “I didn’t say to
the Lord, ‘I’m a preacher, and I’ve
preached to many people.’ I said,
‘Oh Lord, I’m a sinner, and I still
need Your forgiveness. I still need
the cross.’ And I asked the Lord to
give me peace in my heart, and He
did—a wonderful peace that hasn’t
left me.”
Billy Graham is survived by his sis-
ter Jean Ford; daughters Gigi, Anne
and Ruth; sons Franklin and Ned; 19
grandchildren; and numerous great-
grandchildren. His wife, Ruth, died
Good News Press - Page 4
June 14, 2007, at age 87, and is bur-
ied at the Billy Graham Library. A
private funeral service is planned at
the Billy Graham Library, on a date
to be announced. In lieu of flowers,
memorial gifts may be made to the
ongoing ministry of evangelism at
the Billy Graham Evangelistic Asso-
ciation, online
at BillyGraham.org or via mail, sent
to the Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association, 1 Billy Graham Park-
way, Charlotte, NC 28201. Notes of
remembrance can be posted
at BillyGraham.org
About the Billy Graham Evange-
listic Association
The Billy Graham Evangelistic As-
sociation is a nonprofit organization
that directs a range of domestic and
international ministries, including:
Franklin Graham Festivals, Will
Graham Celebrations, The Billy
Graham Library, The Billy Graham
Training Center at The Cove,
SearchforJesus.net, the Billy Gra-
ham Rapid Response Team of crisis-
trained chaplains, My Hope with
Billy Graham TV ministry and oth-
ers. Founded in 1950 by Billy Gra-
ham, the organization has been led
by Franklin Graham since 2000. The
ministry employs some 500 people
worldwide and is headquartered in
Charlotte, North Carolina, with ad-
ditional offices in Australia, Canada,
Germany and Great Britain.
“HE WHO HEARS MY WORD
AND BELIEVES IN HIM WHO
SENT ME … HAS PASSED
FROM DEATH INTO LIFE”
(JOHN 5:24 NKJV).
Evidence of the Resurrection Can Help You
Share the Gospel By Rev. John B. Sorensen
Every year about this time, the skeptics
and the naysayers seem to come out of the
woodwork to debunk Jesus Christ, His
claims, and what He came to accomplish
on this earth. How do we, as Christians,
answer those who argue against the resur-
rection and the person of Jesus Christ?
History is our greatest resource when
speaking with a skeptic. There are hun-
dreds of historical biblical prophecies that
can help us defend the Gospel when we are
sharing the Good News with someone who
does not believe. We would have to do Let’s also consider all the prophecies in the
away with hundreds of proven facts in rec- Bible. Our founder, Dr. D. James Kennedy
claimed that there were 333 specific proph-
rection exists. Let’s discuss a few. ecies that included 456 known historical
facts. The Bible includes 66 books that
My friend and author, Jerry Newcombe were written between about 1400 BC and
made a great point in an interview I had the end of the first century, and we have
with him last year: Jesus’ disciples were the proof that the prophecies included in the
original skeptics of the resurrection. He Old Testament were written at least 400
said, “They first heard about it through years before Jesus was ever born on earth.
women and didn’t believe it. But they were The book of Isaiah alone was written 750
so changed and transformed that they went years before Christ. No one could have
out into all the world and spread His mes- known such details except for God!
sage, and most of them died as martyrs for
their faith . . . if the disciples made this up, Easter is one of the most attended church
they would have died for something that services in the year. Many people are simp-
they themselves didn’t really believe.” ly waiting for an invitation from a friend.
Don’t let the skeptics and the naysayers
What changed them? Jesus appeared to scare you away from sharing the Gospel of
them. They saw first-hand the scars in His Jesus Christ and inviting a friend, neighbor,
hands, His feet, and in His side. Psalm or co-worker to attend church with you
22:16, Zechariah 12:10, and Isaiah 53:5 all this Easter Sunday. That invitation just
prophecy that the Messiah would be might be the door they have been waiting
“pierced.” Psalm 22:18 goes even further for to learn more about Jesus Christ. And if
to foretell that the Messiah’s accusers you are reading this article and don’t yet
would gamble over His clothing, a prophe- know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord,
cy fulfilled as recorded in both Matthew I encourage you to not let another Easter
27:35 and John 19:23. go by. To learn more, visit
www.eesteps.org for a clear presentation of
The four Gospels in the New Testament the Gospel.
are first-hand eyewitness accounts of what _____
the disciples personally experienced. Addi-
tionally, dozens more testify to experienc- Rev. John B. Sorensen, D.D. is the Presi-
ing a personal encounter with Jesus after dent/CEO of Evangelism Explosion Interna-
His death. Such first-hand accounts from
tional, headquartered in Arden, N.C. EE
eyewitnesses are sufficient, along with phys-
has been a leader in equipping Christians to
share their faith for more than 50 years.
ical evidence, to prove the accuracy of a
For more free tips and resources, visit
historical event.
evangelismexplosion.org.
The Passover Story
The Passover story About 3000 years the first born of man and beast.
ago, the Israelites were enslaved by
Egyptians under the rule of Pharaoh To protect themselves, the Israelites
Ramses II. were told to mark their homes with lamb's
blood so that God could identify and
According to the "Book of Exodus," Mo- "pass over" them. The pharaoh finally
ses, was told by God to go to the phar- agreed to let the people go and they hur-
aoh and demand the freedom of his peo- riedly left. The Israelites were free, but
ple. Moses warned the pharaoh that God the pharaoh's army pursued them
would send great plagues to the people through the desert toward the Red Sea.
of Egypt if the Israelites were not freed.
Then a miracle occurred. The waves of
The pharaoh ignored the warning and the the Red Sea parted, and the Israelites
demand for freedom. In response, God were able to cross to the other shore.
sent a series of plagues to the Egyptians. When they had crossed, the sea closed,
Still, the pharaoh ignored them until the trapping pharaoh's army. The Israelites
tenth plague was upon him: the slaying of were free at last.

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Continued from Page 3 - Movie Review: Black Panther by Christian Spotlight on Entertainment
The film discusses ideas regarding what
makes a good leader, as well as the idea of
whether to remain faithful to a nation re-
gardless of who is the leader. T’Challa is
often tempted to take people’s lives, but is
always advised that the world will see
what he does. He later exercis-
es grace toward others, willing to try to
bring them to the light. In one other mo-
ment, he shows compassion for (and tries
to save) someone who took a bullet for
one of his fighters (even if it means risking
Wakanda’s safety in the process). In many
ways, T’Challa showcases an attitude and
persona that brings to mind what the
Apostle Peter said,
“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind,
sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart,
and a humble mind.” -1 Peter 3:8
T’Challa and the rest of his crew willingly
risk their lives to try and save their coun-
try and the world.
Negative Content
Language: The MPAA’s PG-13 reasoning
included a “rude gesture”. This comes
from T’Challa’s sister towards the begin-
ning. She gives the “middle finger” in re-
sponse to one of her brother’s teasings.
She is reprimanded for this action.
Elsewhere, there are four uses of the s-
word, three uses of “h***,” and one “a**.”
“Oh my g**” is uttered once.
Sexual Content: There are a couple of
passionate kisses between couples. The
females on Wakanda wear tight outfits
(though some complain about it). A few
outfits in a gambling place are low-cut.
Males go shirtless in Wakanda fairly often. it is the first real superhero movie having
Drugs/Alcohol: Someone orders whiskey
at a bar. Other alcoholic drinks are spot-
ted on tables. A serum apparently has the release seems very timely.
power to weaken someone.
Violence: This is the biggest of the content tone in comparison to the rest of the Mar- ing a decision for their family.
concerns. Overall, the violence is a little vel Cinematic Universe (which is entering
more visceral than you might expect from its 10th year). The result is an entertaining
a superhero movie like this. An early scuf- ride with some nice original touches. But
fle involves gunshots, punches and Black
Panther using his claws. However, the
shaky camerawork keeps the biggest im-
pacts off-screen. A couple of flashbacks to War,” “Black Panther” definitely has
the U.N. explosion in “Captain America:
Civil War” are seen again.
Good News Press - Page 5
A man is knocked across a
room by stored energy. A
fight in a gambling room
involves gunshots, spears
stabbing people (mostly off-
screen) and an explosion. A
chase involves cars traveling
at high speeds, crashing,
flipping upside down and
literally being blown apart.
A fake arm is ripped off.
Someone is shot with a gun
three times, with somewhat
bloody entry wounds seen in
two places. Others are killed
by gunshot. Someone is
killed by sharp claws. A
bomb explodes a brick wall.
A man blocks a grenade
from exploding; we see a
limited reaction. Rhinos and
other large creatures knock
soldiers away in another action scene.
Ships are fired at and explode. Someone is
run over by a car; we only see the person
in the car and hear a bump.
T’Challa gets into a couple of “challenge”
fights for the throne. Both result in some
severe injuries. A man is stabbed in the
side before wrestling his opponent down.
In another fight, a man slices his oppo-
nent’s face. But the opponent slices his
side and leg before stabbing him and then
throwing him off a waterfall. Another fight
involves characters getting hit into a wall
by a train, and more stabbing. Someone
takes out a sword (bloodlessly).
The film’s opening segment, told in sand
figures, involves images of slavery and war
with spears and airplanes firing. Someone
is poisoned and passes out.
Other: Wakanda has an odd religion that Some have been critical about the
movie being just politically-correct
involves ancestor worship and powerful
serums or spells. The movie’s opening commentary. And it is true that a
prologue tells a story involving a Panther few moments/lines of dialog may
god giving special powers to the first bring to mind certain ideas involving
“Black Panther.” A man is buried alive racism. However, I thought that the
and drinks a serum that allows him to go stronger messages of integrity, self-
into an altered state and speak with his reflection, grace and striving to
deceased father in a spirit world. He does make wise choices mitigated these
this twice. The villain does the same. The concepts. And the movie presents a
serum is made from a glowing purple flow- true, honest hero that models com-
er. There is also a serum that causes passion and respect for everyone,
T’Challa to lose his abilities; we see him regardless of skin color.
react and slightly convulse to both serums.
As for content concerns, the vio-
Characters lie and steal, at times. The lence is the major concern here. I did
hear a few younger kids cry in the
villain’s plot involves implications of start-
ing a war between races. audience at the screening I attended.
While not very bloody, “Black Pan-
Conclusion ther” is intense, and the shaky cam-
erawork at times may induce motion
“Black Panther” currently has many peo-
sickness for some. Wakanda’s spirit-
ple talking. Similar to “Wonder Woman”
uality also will likely be a turn-off for
last year which had a female superhero
some families. On a more positive
lead, this movie is a cultural touchstone as
note, foul language is infrequent, and
there is no inappropriate humor or
an African lead. Considering the contro-
strong sexual content. Ultimately,
versy involved in today’s world, the film’s
with the PG-13 rating in mind, parents are laughs and excitement one would expect.
encouraged to take the content problems
The overall movie has a different feel and listed here into consideration before mak-  Violence: Very Heavy
 Profane language: Minor
In my opinion, “Black Panther” doesn’t
reach the top pantheon of Marvel films.  Vulgar/Crude language: Moderate
It’s sometimes messy and unbalanced in
it’s not one of the superhero genre’s most
moving tales. Unlike the emotional heft at its pacing. And it doesn’t deliver the same  Nudity: Minor
gut-punching, jaw-dropping twists and sur-
the end of “Wonder Woman” or “Civil
prises of “Thor: Ragnarok” or “Civil Sex: None
War.” But, it’s still entertaining and
heart, but it doesn’t emotionally move or
unique for a Marvel film, and includes the
inspire in the same way.

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Bitcoin and Bible Prophecy :: By Britt Gillette
2017 ended with Bitcoin making daily
headlines. If you’re not familiar with
Bitcoin, it’s a specific type of cryptocur-
rency (a secure digital currency). It
made daily headlines mostly due to the
mania surrounding its steep rise in price.
Why are so many people euphoric about
Bitcoin? Many think it will replace the
U.S. dollar. They say it’s the future of
money. Others say Bitcoin is worthless,
and its price run-up is a bubble certain to
burst. So which one is it? Is Bitcoin the
future or a passing fad?
I don’t know. Time will tell. However, I do
know this. Cryptocurrencies and elec-
tronic transactions will dominate the fu-
ture. And many believe the technology
behind Bitcoin will be the reason that
happens. So what is this technology? It’s due to inconvenience. Outside of muse- er, I don’t have a lot of
called blockchain, and many believe it’s um showcases, it will disappear forever. confidence in the security
the future of financial transactions.
Blockchain Transactions
So what is blockchain? In simple terms,
blockchain is a growing online record.
Here’s a simplified example: Let’s say
Citizen A agrees to buy a product from
Citizen B using Bitcoin. When he does,
the blockchain records the transfer of
the Bitcoin from Citizen A to Citizen B.
When Citizen B eventually buys some-
thing using the Bitcoin, his transaction is
added to the existing record. This goes
on and on forever, generating a record
of every transaction in the life of a spe-
cific Bitcoin. If this is all blockchain did, it
wouldn’t be revolutionary. But a second
component makes blockchain ground-
breaking.
Unlike other electronic transactions,
blockchain records are public. They
don’t exist in a centralized location such
as a commercial bank or the U.S. Feder-
al Reserve. Instead, they’re stored over
a large decentralized network. This
means blockchain records are on com-
puters all over the world. And this makes
cryptocurrency counterfeiting almost
impossible, since altering any past rec-
ords requires widespread collusion
across the entire network.
This is the main reason so many people cy. No one will be able to tell the differ-
are excited about Bitcoin. They believe
the public records make it less suscepti- real dollar bill. And when that hap-
ble to fraud and theft. But that’s not the
only benefit. They point to others as
well. One of Bitcoin’s benefits is its lim-
ited supply. Unlike many government-
backed currencies, Bitcoin features a
fixed number of coins. So a central bank
can’t print more Bitcoins and destroy
their value. Many also believe Bitcoin
offers a greater level of privacy protec-
tion and anonymity. Why? Because
even though blockchain records are
public, each transaction is tied to an
online address rather than any infor-
mation related to a person’s identity.
Because of these benefits, many people
Good News Press - Page 6
believe Bitcoin (or perhaps some other
cryptocurrency) will become the money
of the future. Is this realistic? Yes. I think
so. First, the decentralized nature of
blockchain records makes their transac-
tions more secure. And as more and
more business is conducted online, peo-
ple will demand greater levels of securi-
ty. Second, all paper money will soon be
obsolete. And when that happens, cryp-
tocurrencies will be the most efficient
and convenient alternative.
The End of Paper Money
Whether it’s blockchain-backed crypto-
currencies or some other form of elec-
tronic currency, paper money will soon
disappear. It won’t just fall out of favor
How can I be so sure? Because counter- and anonymity of Bitcoin
feiting will soon be impossible to pre-
vent. Advanced technology makes it
certain.
New technologies will soon lead to desk- say Bitcoin can’t be hacked. Is that really
top printing of 3D objects where every
molecule is perfectly positioned. With
such technologies, we can’t stop coun-
terfeiters. They’ll flood the world with
perfect copies of every national curren-
ence between a fake dollar bill and a
pens, both will be worthless. World gov- tion in the world.
ernments won’t have a choice. They’ll
quickly do away with all physical curren- In a world where paper money no longer
cy, and all economic transactions will go
electronic.
Because of the benefits mentioned earli- The Coming Global Economic System
er – security, supply stability, and priva-
cy – the use of non-government-issued Long ago, the Book of Revelation fore-
cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin will
become more widespread. But do cryp- economic system eerily similar to a
tocurrencies really provide the promised world dominated by cryptocurrencies.
benefits? While many insist they do, I
believe history proves otherwise.
Bitcoin and Global Gov-
ernment
Unregulated cryptocur-
rencies like Bitcoin take
power away from govern-
ment. They also invite tax
evasion and other illegal
activities. And trust me –
government loves taxes,
and government loves
control. Is it realistic to
believe governments will
continue to take a hands-
off approach when it
comes to Bitcoin and oth-
er cryptocurrencies? I
don’t think so. And in the
face of government pow-
and other cryptocurren-
cies.
Let’s take security for instance. Many or the forehead (Revelation
13:16). Without this mark, the people of
true? Maybe, but I’m a bit skeptical. I the world won’t be able to buy or
find it hard to believe national govern- sell anything (Revelation 13:17). How
will this work? It remains to be seen. But
ments with their massive resources
won’t be able to hack Bitcoin. Even if the rise of cryptocurrencies provides us
counterfeiting of Bitcoin proves with a glimpse as to how it might func-
impossible, Bitcoin exchanges tion.
and user accounts are still sus-
Cryptocurrencies require that all transac-
ceptible to fraud and hijacking. I tion records exist in the public domain.
believe in due time, the idea that
While names and other identifiable infor-
Bitcoin offers total security will mation won’t necessarily be part of the
prove false.
public record, governments have the
And what about personal priva- resources to unmask those identities.
cy? Those who champion This will especially be true of the Anti-
Bitcoin say it offers anonymity christ’s global government, which will
because each coin is linked to a have power over all the people on the
specific public address rather face of the earth (Revelation 13:7).
than a person’s name or home Hacking cryptocurrencies will be easy
for such a government.
address. But is it realistic to be-
lieve governments (or even indi-
With cryptocurrencies and e-commerce,
vidual hackers) can’t unmask mark of the beast technology is already
the identity of each person be-
here. In order to control who can buy
hind a Bitcoin address? I think
and who can sell, the Antichrist will need
the answer is obvious. Govern- a system capable of tracking every
ment, with its massive re-
transaction on earth. Cryptocurrencies
sources, can identify every and public blockchain records provide
Bitcoin user. And since Bitcoin transac- such a system.
tions use blockchain, which is an open
and public record, governments can So what does all this mean? It means
track and follow every Bitcoin transac- we’re fast approaching a time the proph-
ets warned about. The end times are
near. The tribulation, the Antichrist, and
global government are all near. But that
exists, that last sentence should grab
also means something else. It means
your attention. Why? Because the Bible the return of Jesus is also near. So have
described such a system nearly two no fear, Jesus is coming (Revelation
thousand years ago.
22:20)!
Britt Gillette is author of the free
ebook Coming to Jesus as well as the
told the establishment of an end-time books Signs of the Second Com-
ing and Racing Toward Armageddon.
Receive his book 7 Signs of the End
Times for free when you sign up for his
The Bible says a time will come when a
global dictator will require everyone on monthly newsletter.
earth to receive a mark on the right hand
 Good News Press - Page 7
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Living for Christ in the End Times :: Dr. David R. Reagan

The Bible clearly teaches that society will degenerate in the
end times, becoming as evil as it was in the days of Noah
(Matthew 24:37-39). The Apostle Paul, speaking as a proph-
et, says that society will descend into a black pit of immorali-
ty, violence, and paganism (2 Timothy 3:1-5). He asserts
that men will be “lovers of self, lovers of money, and lovers
of pleasure.” People will be “boastful, arrogant, and unholy,”
and children will be “disobedient to parents.”
Sounds like the evening news, doesn’t it? In short, we have
arrived.
Signs of Coming Persecution
We should be deeply concerned over these developments,
not only because we are witnessing the destruction of our
beloved America, but because both Jesus and Paul prophe-
sied that when these things occur, the Church will come un-
der attack and individual Christians will be persecuted.
Jesus said that as lawlessness increases, “most people’s
love will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). He stated that in this
hostile atmosphere, many professing Christians will “fall
away” and will proceed to cooperate in the persecution of
their former brothers and sisters in Christ (Matthew 24:10).
Paul indicates the same thing when he says that people will
be “haters of good” and that they will therefore be “brutal”
and “reckless,” reviling those who stand for righteousness (2
Timothy 3:2-4).
We are watching these prophecies come true today before
our very eyes, both here in America and around the world.
As our culture has secularized and paganized, Christianity,
the Church, and Christians have come under increasing at-
tack as “intolerant bigots.” (See Dennis Pollock’s editorial on
page 9.) The attacks are going to intensify, and it is going to
become increasingly difficult for Christians to stand for right-
eousness. Jobs will be lost. Careers will be destroyed. Chris-
tians will even be sent to prison for speaking out against
evils like homosexuality because such pronouncements will
be labeled as “hate crimes.”
What then are those of us who love Jesus to do as we face a
rising wave of ridicule, harassment, and persecution for our
faith? How shall we live for Christ in the end times? Let me
suggest a few guidelines.
1) Order Your Priorities —
The starting point is to review your priorities and make cer-
tain that God is first in your life. Be honest with yourself.
Don’t play games. Don’t kid yourself.
Most Christians have allowed their priorities to get very
mixed up. Usually, job or career is number one, family is
second, and God is third or even fourth behind an obsession
with sports or something similar.
Ask yourself this question: If God were to give you the op-
portunity to make one request, what would it be? Would you
ask for money? Power? Fame? Success?
Solomon asked for wisdom, but David asked for something
ten thousand times more profound — he asked for intimacy
with God (Psalm 27:4). And, because he put God first, he
states in Psalm 27 that he did not fear life (verse 1) or death
(verse 13). It is also the reason that he is remembered as
“the man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22).
2) Stand on the Word —
The Bible says that the end times will be an age of deception the Spirit. For example, there is a tendency to write off the
(Matthew 24:24, 1 Timothy 4:1, and 2 Timothy 4: 3-4). In
fulfillment of that prophecy, we are today being bombarded
with false but alluring religious systems offered by the Chris-
tian cults, Eastern religions, and the New Age Movement.
Most professing Christians are sitting ducks for spiritual de- performs a dual role. For the unbeliever, He is God’s Evan-
ception because the average Christian is not certain what he gelist. He is the one who works on human hearts to draw
believes. And even when he is able to articulate a belief, he them to the Cross in repentance. No one is saved apart from What does it mean to hate the world? It means we are to
usually does not know why he believes it. The result is that a the testimony of the Spirit (John 6:44 & 65).
Jehovah’s Witness can turn the average Christian into a
theological pretzel in two minutes flat.
Anyone can be deceived. If you are to guard yourself against
deception, you must get into the Word and stay in it on a our Enabler. He is also God’s Potter, for one of His basic
daily basis. Also, you must test everything by the Word (1 responsibilities is to daily shape believers more fully into the
John 4:1). For Catholics this means discarding doctrines like image of Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).
purgatory that have no basis in the Word whatsoever. For
Protestants it means being alert to the twisting of scriptures One of the ironies of the Christian life is that we cannot serve
or the manipulation of verses out of context. On every doc- God in our own power. Rather, the only way we can effec-
trine, the Bible needs to be searched from Genesis to Reve- tively serve the Lord is by relying on the power of His Holy
lation to see what is said about the particular topic. Spirit who resides within us. It is possible to quench and
grieve the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19 and Ephesians 4:30).
3) Believe in the Power of God —
The Word calls on us to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians
I am convinced that most professing Christians are deists. A 5:18). This can happen only if we are willing to release the
deist is a person who believes in an impersonal god who Spirit to become the Lord of our lives. Most of us are content
never intervenes in human affairs. According to Deism, we to let the Spirit be resident in our lives. He does not want to
are supposed to cope with our god-given reason, our talents, be simply a resident; He desires to be president.
and the wisdom of the Scriptures. As far as the deist is con-
cerned, at the end of the First Century, God retired, the su- Is that the case in your life? Is the Holy Spirit on the throne
pernatural ceased, and the age of miracles came to an end. of your life? Or is He being treated as an unwelcome guest?
There is no way you will be able to withstand the pressures
But the Hebrew Scriptures teach that God never changes of end time society without relying daily on the power of
(Malachi 3:6). And the New Testament specifically states God’s Spirit.
that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, yes and
forever” (Hebrews 13:8). 6) Practice Tough Faith —
There is no way we can cope with the evil of end time socie- Faith comes easy when everything is going smoothly. When
ty in our own strength. Anyone who tries to do so will be de- there is good health and prosperity, it is easy to praise the
feated. Our only hope is to turn to a God who is alive and Lord. The test of faith comes when all the circumstances of
life turn sour.
well, who is still on the throne, who hears prayer and an-
swers prayer, and who still performs miracles. God has not promised believers a rose garden. We live in a
fallen world. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. The
We must realize that the Bible teaches that we can limit God
by our unbelief. This a great paradox. Think about it — alt- wicked prosper. Justice seldom prevails.
hough God is all-powerful (Luke 1: 37), we who are power- It is easy for the righteous to grow discouraged. This calls for
less in comparison can nonetheless limit His power by our the practice of tough faith — the kind of faith that is not de-
unbelief (Mark 6:1-6). That’s because God is a gentleman. pendent on circumstances. It’s the kind of faith that hangs in
He does not force Himself upon us. If we want to try to cope there when the going gets tough because of a confident be-
on our own, He will let us. He responds when we reach out lief that “all things work together for good for those who love
to Him in faith (James 1:6). the Lord” (Romans 8:28).
4) Persist in Prayer — God never promises that believers will be immune to suffer-
One of the greatest blessings God has given believers is ing. What He does promise is that He will be there to walk
supernatural communication. God cares for us personally (1 through the trials with us. He promises to be beside us when
Peter 5:7), and He desires to communicate with us (James we “pass through the waters” and “walk through the fire”
4:8). Because He loves us, He earnestly desires our fellow- (Isaiah 43:2). And He states that He will be there when we
ship (John 4:23). “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm
23:4).
The tragedy is that most professing Christians seem to be
inclined to turn to prayer as a last resort — only when all What is the quality of your faith? When life turns sour, do you
turn to God, or do you question Him or even curse Him? One
else has failed and the situation has become desperate.
Some of this reluctance to seek God in prayer is due to of the keys to hanging tough is to learn the promises of
God’s Word (like Philippians 4:6-7, 11-13, and 19) and start
pride, and thus the Scriptures continually exhort us to hum-
ble ourselves (1 Peter 5:6). Others fail to depend on prayer claiming them in prayer when confronted with the challenges
because of unbelief. They either think God doesn’t care, or of life.
else they think He is no longer active in history. 7) Keep an Eternal Perspective —
But the Bible says “we do not have because we do not ask” We are to be in the world but not of the world (John 17:11 &
(James 4:2). How many blessings of God have you left on 16). That’s a difficult principle to follow. It constitutes a daily
the table because you tried to handle your problems your- struggle.
self? The Bible also says that “the prayers of a righteous
man can accomplish much” (James 5:16). Do you interpret It is so easy to get our eyes off the Lord and focus instead
this to mean that the power of your prayers depends on your upon the world in which we live. The daily demands are so
righteousness? That is not what it means. If you are truly pressing. And one of the greatest of those demands is that
born again, then you are a righteous person because you we conform to the world — to the world’s language, dress,
are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus (Isaiah 61:10). entertainment, and values.
5) Rely on the Holy Spirit — That’s why we are constantly exhorted in Scripture to consid-
er ourselves as “aliens, exiles, and strangers” who are just
Most professing Christians seem to be afraid of the Holy passing through this world (Hebrews 11:13 and 1 Peter
Spirit. This is usually due to a lack of knowledge concerning 2:11). We are told to “set our minds on things above, not on
the things that are on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). And we
Holy Spirit as some sort of impersonal force — like “The are warned to never fall in love with the world or grow com-
Force” in Star Wars.
fortable with it (Romans 12:2 and 1 John 2:15-16). In fact,
We need to understand that the Holy Spirit is a person. He is Jesus said we are to “hate our life in this world” (John
the supernatural presence of God in the world today. He 12:25), and His brother, James, said “friendship with the
world is hostility toward God” (James 4:4).
hate the evil world system that prevails in society. We are to
hate a system that glorifies violence and immorality and
With regard to the believer, the Holy Spirit is God’s indwell- which depreciates the value of life.
ing presence to provide us with power and guidance. He is Continued On Next Page
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Living For Christ In the End Times Continued

As C. S. Lewis once put it, “We are to live like commandos Regarding holiness, the Apostle John put it this way:
behind the enemy lines, preparing the way for the coming “We know that when He appears [the Rapture], we
of the Commander-in-Chief.” In other words, we are shall be like Him [glorified] . . . And everyone who
to live yearning for the day when Jesus will burst has this hope fixed on Him, purifies himself, just as
from the heavens to bring peace, righteousness, and He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). Regarding evangelism,
justice to the earth. Peter writes that the only reason Jesus has not yet
8) Look for Jesus — returned is because “God does not wish that any
should perish, but that all might come to repentance”
This brings us to the final guideline I would like to (2 Peter 3:9).
emphasize regarding how to live for Jesus in the end
times. The Bible tells us point blank that we are to A Spiritual Mirror
live “looking for Jesus” (Titus 2: 13). Paul provides us with a spiritual mirror for end time
conduct. He says we are to “deny ungodliness and
Most Christians are so caught up in the world that worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and
they live thinking about anything but the return of godly in the present age, looking for the blessed
Jesus. This is a sad state of affairs because Jesus’ hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God
return is our “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13). And His and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Titus 2:12-13).
return is imminent.
When you look into this mirror, what do you see?
Another problem is that most Christians know so Are you walking in the center of God’s will? Have
little about Bible prophecy that they cannot get excit- you ordered your priorities to put God first? Are you
ed about the Lord’s return. How can you get excited standing on the Word of God, testing everything by
about an event you know nothing about? Ignorance it? Do you believe in a personal, caring and all-
produces apathy. powerful God who hears prayers and answers pray-
And apathy about the Lord’s return has tragic conse- ers, and who still performs miracles? Are you relying
quences. It robs us of an eternal perspective, and it daily on the power of the Holy Spirit? Are you prac-
destroys any sense of urgency about reaching lost ticing tough faith, refusing to allow the calamities of
souls. It also undermines a powerful motivator for life to overwhelm you? Are you keeping an eternal
holy living. perspective, refusing to get comfortable with this
world? And are you daily looking for Jesus? Is the
You see, when a person comes to truly believe that Rapture in your heart? Is “Maranatha!” on your lips?
Jesus is returning and may return any moment, that
person will be motivated to holiness and evangelism.