Amazing... "Amazing Grace" ....the movie

Well, we were successful in our second attempt to see this film, this weekend.
Sandra & I were able to get in to the matinee on Saturday. We thoroughly enjoyed the film.
We both offer it two thumbs up!
While it is not; a fast paced, thriller or action film... it conveys truths and cause to be proactive in the area of faith & action. It is a must see!

This screen capture, from when William Wilberforce visits the now blind John Newton.

John Newton was, by his own admission, a reprobate and Capt. of a "slave ship". He was met by Christ, (not too unlike how Saul was met on the road to Damascus).
John Newton too, was changed forever. He became a pastor of a church in England where he met Wilberforce in his early years.

It was in Newton's later years, failing health and suffering with blindness, that he challenged William Wilberforce to persevere in his quest to abolish the slave trade.

The quote from the movie that hit me most was... "I once was blind, but now I see..."

I found myself, more than once, with my heart in my throat. The scenes were gripping and provided the resolution in my heart, to persevere in this present day!

The evils of the slave trade of 200 years ago, in many ways relate the questions of today.
I.E. Human Trafficking, Abortion on demand, religious persecution and more!

We all need to see this film... to be challenged to consider how we need to be more involved, and how we cannot turn a blind eye to injustice and most importantly..."to not give up"!

Here again it the link to the movies website: http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/

Please view the trailer. And PLEASE!, go see it!

Be Blessed, be Encouraged, and be Motivated for action!

In HIS Love,

Duane

P.S. Sandra & I will again see this film on the big screen...and be first in line to purchase the DVD upon it's release!

Never Give Up!

Here is the closing paragraph of Chuck Colson's BreakPoint commentary of today.

"Like Wilberforce, we must work to change the hearts of our fellow citizens. And like Wilberforce, we must never give up, but "go on in the name of God," persevering until the battle is won."

The whole commentery can be found here:

http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=6165

It is a good read!

Today is the opening night of the film, Amazing Grace.

Sandra & I will be there. I encourage you as well!

Duane

Slavery then...issues now!

I post today the transcript of Chuck Colson on BreakPoint.org

One Bite at a Time
How to Take on Social Evils
February 22, 2007

Two hundred years ago this week, the British Parliament outlawed the slave trade throughout the British Empire.
This hard-fought battle is beautifully told in the new film Amazing Grace. I watched a preview with President Bush at the White House this week, which was appropriate, seeing that this president has successfully fought against slavery in Sudan and against sexual trafficking.

The movie, which opens this Friday, is sensational. See it, be inspired, and you will learn one of the most important lessons of politics: If you hope to overthrow a great social evil—one to which people have become accustomed—it's crucial that you take the incremental approach.

It's a strategy the Great Abolitionist learned early on. When Wilberforce began his battle in 1787, slavery was both accepted and highly profitable. The slaves lived and died in the Caribbean, far from English eyes.

William Pitt, then prime minister and Wilberforce's friend, introduced a resolution in Parliament to discuss the slave trade. The motion passed easily. After all, the slave industry was not worried about a motion just to discuss abolition.

The next move was to introduce a one-year experimental bill regulating the number of slaves that could be transported per ship.

Wilberforce then gave his colleagues a first-hand look at the slave trade. As depicted in the film, he took several MPs to view a slave ship docked in London. They were horrified by the odor of death.
The slavers woke up then to their danger—and put their money to work. In 1789, despite impassioned speeches by abolitionist leaders, the slave industry prevailed against Wilberforce.
So Wilberforce took his campaign to the public. He and his followers spoke at meetings, wrote songs, and organized a boycott of slave-grown sugar. The tide began to turn—but once again, the slave industry exercised its political muscle.

In 1792, Wilberforce made a motion to abolish the slave trade. In response, the House of Commons demanded that one word be added to the bill: the word gradually. The slavers knew the great value of that seemingly innocuous adverb.

Wilberforce was crushed. Yet, he knew this was a partial victory. For the first time, the House had actually voted for an abolition motion.

Over the next few years, victory often seemed within grasp. But year after year, anti-slavery motions were thwarted and sabotaged. An exhausted Wilberforce almost gave up.
But by 1804, public sentiment for abolition was growing. In 1805, England had a new prime minister, William Grenville, a staunch abolitionist who was willing to try new tactics.
And in February of 1807—twenty years after the battle was joined—Parliament outlawed the trafficking of humans.

The pro-life lobby has learned the Wilberforce lesson. Instead of demanding an immediate end to abortion—an impossible goal—they have passed informed-consent laws and taken on partial-birth abortion. They have spent decades educating the public.

The result: Young people today are significantly more pro-life than their parents.
See Amazing Grace: It will deeply inspire you and teach you how to fight—and win—battles against today's social evils.

Learn from this...and act!

Duane

SuperBowl CHAMPIONS!

I captured this today from a fellow bloggers' site.

The site is:

http://solidrockmin.blogspot.com/

I was humbled and impressed! It is truly a sight to see, all these men, at the top of their game, on their knees. I find that I need to be on my knees more often too. And I'm not on the top of my game!

This past Thursday - Saturday, about 135 men of Grace Church met at a retreat for prayer. The 2007 Men's Prayer Summit. I was at the 2004 Summit, and it was awesome. I wish I had gone this year.

Rise Up O Men of God, rise up!

(but not until after you've spent considerable time on your knees, or even prostrate before HIM!)

Duane

Amazing Grace... the movie

Only two more days!

Sandra & I hope to see the film this Friday.

The billboards are up...the commercials are on the radio and TV.
I hope you'll join us in seeing this new release on the life and impact that William Wilberforce had with his contemporaries in England 200 years ago.

If you haven't seen the trailer, you must!
http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/

We can (and must) make a difference in our culture!

Duane

President Bush today... a quotable quote!

I read this today.

Asked directly why he would not hold talks with Ahmadinejad, Bush said he would only do so if results could be achieved and that he wanted to maintain allied pressure on Iran to give up a drive for nuclear weapons that Tehran denies.
"This is a world in which people say,
'Meet! Sit down and meet!'
And my answer is:
If it yields results, that's what I'm interested in," he said.

My take is this... If the talks yield true "results"... lets talk!
If not, action is required.

Hopefully, today's news from North Korea will make their way to Tehran , Iran.

Duane

"Yes, you can speak to the issue of Iraq on the floor...but just not for 30-45 days"!

I read this on the web today. The post title is my paraphase.
It seems to me that when you are in power, you can play all the cards!

House Republican leader John Boehner (news, bio, voting record), R-Ohio, has said the GOP will have an alternative, but it is not clear that majority Democrats will allow it to be offered on the House floor.

"We're going to have Republicans who are skeptical of (Bush's) plan who'll probably vote for this," he said. Asked if he thought House Republicans would lose a third of their members to the Democrats' resolution, he said, "I don't think we'll lose that many."

Boehner complained Sunday that Democrats had backed out of a promise to allow an immediate, wide-ranging debate on Iraq.

On Thursday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (news, bio, voting record) said Republicans would be permitted to propose an alternative this week to the Democrats' resolution. But on Sunday, Hoyer said that is "not necessarily our plan." Hoyer, D-Md., said a House vote will be limited to the proposed resolution opposing President Bush''s troop escalation and a Republican alternative would be voted on 30 to 45 days from now.

"Live up to your word," Boehner, R-Ohio, told Hoyer.
"Democrats, Boehner said, won't even let us have a substitute. ... Give us a vote this week."

Boehner said Republicans want to offer a resolution saying a bipartisan panel should oversee the president's plan, with benchmarks to keep track of whether it is progressing.

"You're going to have that opportunity," Hoyer replied.
The lawmakers appeared together on "Meet the Press" on NBC.
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Yah! After 30-45 days of liberal media spin doctoring!
....prior to public discussion, or views of the others are heard on the floor!.

Hmmmm, "Sounds fair (toungue in cheek) to me"!

Duane

Amazing Grace

Releasing in theaters across the country the weekend of February
23-25, is a movie based on the life
and passion of William Wilberforce.

The move is titled Amazing Grace.
Here is a link to the offical site. http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/ And also a screen capture from the site.

Sherri Martin of TheVanguard.org (http://www.thevanguard.org/) saw it at a pre-screening.
Here is Sherri's review.
"Last week, we were blessed to see a private screening of the movie, AMAZING GRACE. It is the story of William Wilberforce. A fantastic story, you MUST GO SEE IT. ... John Newton is also highlighted in the movie as a great influence in Wilberforce's life. ...A Must See!"

Rod Martin, Chairman of TheVanguard.org, had this to say on his blog. http://blog.thevanguard.org/291/celebrate-black-history-month-at-the-greatest-movie-of-the-year/

Blessings,
Duane

Chili Dinner in the Chilly North

Last evening Sandra & I attended the 15th Annual Chili Dinner for our senate district (MN SD63).

You can read all about it here. http://www.sd63.org/chili.htm

The evening was to hear from bloggers in the area, and of their endeavors.

Below is a pasted excerpt from http://www.FreedomDogs.com

I also got to meet many good people last night, one of which has his own blog who ought to contact the elder about getting on the MOB blogroll—Duane Jones runs a conservative site with a strong Christian focus called the Right Choices. Duane pointed me to a new answer to MoveOn.Org called The Vanguard started by Rod Martin. Jerry Corsi recently joined TheVanguard.org as Chief Political Analyst.


You can read the entire post here: http://www.freedomdogs.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1537

I feel like Steve Martin in the movie, The Jerk.
Where he states... "Navin P. Johnson...I'm finally somebody!"

I guess it doesn't take too much to get me excited!

Oh well, I thought you might enjoy it as well.

And now, back to the hunt!

Duane

News from the Front

I read this essay by Eddie Jeffers. Eddie is the son of Jeff Jeffers', a friend of Rod Martin.

Here is a link to the essay from Iraq.
http://www.therant.us/guest/e_jeffers/02012007.htm

Rod's Martin's personal blog is: http://www.rodmartin.org/

Rod is spear-heading a new site to counter the left's MoveOn.org.
The site is: http://www.thevanguard.org/

Bookmark the above site , and...
buckle-up.... the ride is only beginning!


Duane

Judge Jones...."No relation to "this" Jones"

Here is yet another of Chuck Colson's "wise words".

Today's BreakPoint commentary pasted below.

Graphic placed by me.

A Cut-and-Paste Ruling - Judging Intelligent Design
February 2, 2007

Judge John Jones once told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he became a judge hoping that someday he would have a chance "to rule in matters of great importance."

Well, last year he got his chance. He ruled on Kitzmiller v. Dover, holding that you could not teach intelligent design in public schools. But given what's leaked out about his decision, Judge Jones is not likely to be remembered as "an outstanding thinker," as Time magazine called him. Instead, we might remember him as the judge who let a litigant write his opinion.

Maybe I am an idealist, but going back to law school, I have always respected judges. I believe they take seriously their oath to uphold the laws and the Constitution and to rule impartially. Sad to say, this judge apparently did not.

Maybe I should not have been surprised because, two months before the case was heard, the judge said in a newspaper interview that he was going to go see Inherit the Wind, the old film about the Scopes trial, hopelessly biased toward the evolutionists' view. He said he wanted to do it to get a context for hearing the Dover case. I wrote him and explained that it is historically inaccurate; he never replied.

Now it turns out that even as the media was praising Judge Jones for his brilliant insights, the Discovery Institute found that ACLU attorneys had actually written key sections of the ruling. In the section on intelligent design, more than 90 percent "was taken virtually verbatim from the ACLU's proposed 'Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law'," so says the Discovery Institute.
Thus, as the Discovery Institute notes, the central part of the ruling reflects no original, deliberative activity or independent examination of the record on the judge's part.
And that's not all. The problem when you let somebody else write your decision is that they may make a mistake. And you, then, look silly.

For example, Jones misrepresented biochemist Michael Behe; he claimed that Behe said that articles purporting to explain the evolution of the immune system were not good enough. But what Behe actually said was: "It's not that they aren't good enough. It's simply that they are addressed to a different subject." This came right out of the ACLU's writings.

Jones also claimed that intelligent design "is not supported by any peer-reviewed . . . publications." Again, wrong and, again, straight from the ACLU's brief.

This, it turns out, is not even the first time or maybe the worst of Judge Jones passing off other people's words as his own. In a commencement address, he "employed direct quotations from the book The Founding Fathers and the Place of Religion in America," according to World magazine, "without providing citation or indication that he was quoting."

As World magazine noted, none of what Judge Jones did in the Dover decision amounts to a violation of judicial ethics. But other judges will hardly be impressed, which is a good thing since the press are saying this is a precedent for future cases.

The Old Testament warns judges: "You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality." Cutting and pasting from one side's brief does not say much for impartiality—something for you to point out next time someone throws the Dover decision in your face.
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Copyright (c) 2007 Prison Fellowship

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I hope that you too, find this a good read... and a call to action in our nation.

Duane