A very Special PSA for a Very Special Event. My Sister is doing something exciting...!

Where the Arts meets Gospel missions is one mighty accurate way to describe the "Curtain and Lights Theatere Company".  This company is driven by the Sword of the Spirit (the Holy Bible),  motivated by genuine compassion and desire for missions work locally and globally ,empowered by the Grace and Spirit of God Himself!

Jesus spoke through Paul to the Corinthians and to us today that ..whatever you do, do so to the glory of God" (see 1 Cor. 10:31)
My sister's, as is her theatere company, as is to know, love and obey God more every day for the glory of God in all nations.

Below is the all the information straight form Heather herself, as a guest blogger today,you need to know to see and experience her next show!

"Join us for our upcoming Concert Series:
“Songs of the Stage and Screen”

A collection of songs from Classic Broadway Musicals and Hollywood Films.

Featuring Songs from: Mary Poppins, Frozen, Mulan, Little Women the Musical, The Little Mermaid, Hercules, The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast, and More!

Starring Nathan Johnson, Jackson McDaniel, Conner McDaniel, Katelyn McDaniel, Grayson Fink, Regan Fink, Jaelyn Fink, Becky Glenn, Kristin Glenn, and Heather Anderson.

Hosted by Brittany Heflin Cortez

Directed by Heather Anderson

Performance Dates:
Thursday February 22nd at 6:30 PM
Friday February 23rd at 6:30 PM

Venue: The Stephenson Chapel at First Baptist Church Decatur, Alabama

Tickets: $12.00
Proceeds will fund our upcoming Summer 2018 production of Annie the Musical which will benifit the Alabama Children's Home."

When a mentor and dear friend dies: Brother Larry Rutledge (1941-2018)

I never understood why at baby dedications, they would say "stand if you promise to help raise this baby and guide them in the Word and in good works". The reason that made me question this practice? It was due to only the parents are in the homes and they are the ones who raise children, not this big group of people who are standing and will possibly never talk to that baby as they grow up.


That is up until Brother Larry Rutledge died Tuesday 2/30/18 at the age of 72. As much as any person can know about another*, I believe he was a born-again Christian.The Bible says we will know them by their fruits. Well, Mister Rutledge was fruitful.


                The misunderstanding of the baby dedication, changed for me right then.

                           I then realized that Larry Rutledge had helped raised me.

As soon as I read on Facebook at 5am Wednesday morning, that  I realized something quite spectacular about a great number of people who are also members of the local church.

During grade school at church, Larry Rutledge was one of the RA teachers taught me about missions, the Bible, and the missionary David Livingstone.  For as long as I can remember Larry Rutledge would talk to me in kindness and truth.  Finally Brother Larry Rutledge lived worthy of the Gospel and in all ways above reproach. In a way that all who knew him noticed.

Just like the people who stand and vow at baby dedications, Mr. Larry helped raised me in the faith. He wasn’t sinless but I full heartedly believe that my dear friend did repent and believe in the Sinless one!

If Larry were still alive today he would agree and proclaim that, God created man in good relationship with God and sin marred that for all of us through Adam's fall. Then Larry would remind us, I believe that while hell is for all who sin, God made a way to avoid Hell and be most importantly have a restored relationship with God. For God so loved the world, that Jesus became sin on the Cross, that while we are still sinners Christ died for us. While death came through Adam how much more so would many be saved through the only Way, Jesus Himself. Who said that in order to be truly born-again Christians, individuals must Repent and Believe the Gospel.

*No one can know for absolute certain if someone is a Christian, and we should never do God's work, in declaring someone saved. It is always between the individual in need of grace and God, the giver of Grace whether or not someone is a believer.  

TIME IS RUNNING SHORT "Rush of Fools" for the Glory of God.

  Donate here to the campaign which ends FEB 12th, 2018! 

 "God is a very independent, self-sustaining God. We can write out our map, our journey of what we want to do with our lives, but God is above all of that," ... “Our encouragement would be to seek first His kingdom as a believer and that His plans and His ways are higher."-Kevin Huguley vocals, guitar for Rush of Fools. [1]

Why I personally recommend supporting the Rush of Fools financially, and soon. 

They have a goal to go full-throttle with three exciting and unprecedented content/experiences with this campaign:

1. Brand New Music from Rush of Fools!
2. Video Content, 24 new music videos!
3. Something I have never heard of but am stoked about, it's called a "digital backstage pass" (see link for info on all this is!

The truth of God should lead the believer to genuine praise and reverent worship of thanksgiving and proclamation of what we know to be true of the God of the Bible. 


With many bands, it, unfortunately, seems that they seem to sacrifice either theologically sound content or the sound of heartfelt emotion.

  In steps, some Fools who from the songs I know and the research I have done I see a band that clings to the truth of the Bible as supreme (Acts 17:11) and that truth leads them to songs of joyfully and seriously worshipping the King of Glory. 


The Band "Rush of Fools" is obviously who I am referring to in this moment. Their name originated from Scripture and their content saturated with the faithful truth about God, humans, and why we are hopeless and helpless apart from Jesus. 

The truth of God should lead the believer to genuine praise and reverent worship of thanksgiving and proclamation of what we know to be true of the God of the Bible. 

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

They are not the first Fools to trust in Jesus in music and they won't be the last, praise the Lord. For someday all of those this world thought foolish for repenting and believing in a Savior who died and rose from the dead, will all be singing around His throne in Heaven forever and ever! I suggest going and reading Revelation 7, 21, and 22 the telling of what the finished work of the Great Commission will be like in Heaven. 

"... It’s this redemption that empowers and encourages us to continue as a band. ...Our story isn’t over; it will continue to be molded and shaped. As we look forward, we remember this lyric: “…all our yesterdays and all of our tomorrows are held in Your hands”. We’ve experienced it firsthand. It's Jesus that carries us and becomes the Hero of our story. The hands of Jesus that carried the cross to His death are the very hands that carry us now. And that’s the story we live to tell." [2].

Let me, the author of this blog (Zack), as a fellow believer in Christ simply echo three things that Rush of Fools is radically vocal about in a world of seemingly uncertain of anything at all. 

• The Joy and Seriousness of knowing God Himself through the Gospel of Jesus the Christ as revealed in Scripture alone. And declaring this good news to a world in need.  (See John 3:16-21; 1 Timothy 2:5-6...Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 1:14-15; Romans 1:16) An accurate summary presentation statement of what the Bible is by a well- known preacher and sender of missionaries: 

[3]."The gospel is the good news that the only true God, the just and gracious Creator of the universe, has looked upon hopelessly sinful men and women and has sent his Son, God in the flesh, to bear his wrath against sin through his substitutionary death on the cross and to show his power over sin and death through his resurrection from the grave so that everyone who turns from their sin and themselves and trusts in Jesus alone as Savior and Lord will be reconciled to God forever." -Posted on the web at IMB (The International Mission Board)

•As Christians, there is great value in being transparent about the fact that we are sinners too. One of the most common complaints and oppositions to "Christianity" is that it is filled with hypocrites. 

So to answer many individuals valid questions, if we all sin what makes Christians any different, from say, the person of any other religion (or supposed non-religion)? 

Simply put, God does.  

For it is by the overwhelming Grace of God Himself that we have been saved through faith, and this is not of our own doing, so there is no room for bragging or looking down on other sinners who need Jesus just as much as we Christians still do. 

Rush of Fools band, songs, and interviews I have been watching here of late display their belief in the Bible's clear teaching that while we are still sinners, evil at heart, opposed to God, there is a Way to be reconciled to God. In fact, the Way has a Name, and His Name is Jesus, God Himself in the form of man. 

John 14:5-6 says: Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

So Jesus makes the difference between being dead in our sin and being alive in Christ Jesus the ruler of Heaven and Earth. God made Jesus who never sinned to become sin on the Cross to take the punishment for sinners so that, sinners as we are, might become the righteousness of God! 

u God convicts, calls, and ultimately converts men unto Himself.

uWe are to humble ourselves and Repent of our Sins and Believe solely on the atoning work of Jesus Christ.

I end with this, the Gospel is the only way and one way to support the Gospel going to the Ends of the Earth is by giving to this rare opportunity with these men who are serious about Jesus and His Word.

Links and quotes..................................................................................................................................................

[1] Quote from a CBN news Article from video called Rush of Fools: An Overnight Sensation" 

Watch 'Rush of Fools: An Overnight Sensation' on CBN.com[as well as gain access to the short video's (3:11) full transcript]

   http://cbn.com/tv/1421195549001  

[2] QUOTES FROM THE ABOUT THE BAND section online on their website right HERE

[3]. Dr. David Platt: IMB President, 2014-present day. 

Carolyn Anderson, my dear Grandmother's birthday (video:17:47)

Great advice, wisdom, and discussion between two of my dear family members. 

My First Trip to the Beautiful Country of Haiti. With Recap Vid. (9:43)

In the year 2012, I went along with the local church I am a member of, to the country Haiti!

Our group of fourteen “short-termers” stayed for a week. The sum of our mission was to serve, encourage, and learn from the full-time missionaries and local Christian churches in the area. 

We stayed at the, then much smaller, "Alabama House"*, where short-term missionaries were very blessed to be able to stay while in Jacmel, Haiti. At this location, we had no hot water or air conditioning, we were right above some sort of disco tech that was lively from 10 pm till somewhere about 4:30 am, and directly across the street resided the city’s community dump for burning trash. However, many in Haiti didn’t have near the luxuries that this house we stayed in did. In this house, we had food to eat, shelter from storms, beds to sleep in, and clean water to drink. Millions of dear people living in this country, to this day, still do not. These living conditions we saw were quite a culture shock to most all of our team, compared to our high amenity houses we were used to.

In spite of (or possibly in part, because of) these few minor inconveniences this trip was a joyful, yet sobering, glimpse into what my Brother and Sister's in Christ daily lives are like as missionaries here. It is anything but easy for the missionaries in the spiritually dark country of Haiti. As this was my first time out of the United States it was also my first look at the work of God practically being done through local churches in a different context than I am accustomed to.

I was blessed and changed for life by briefly experiencing the nation, seeing the poverty, and meeting and ministering to the dear sweet people.

Please watch this short, hopefully inspiring, video that I documented first hand in Haiti and enthusiastically (although less than skillfully) edited together when I got home. 

Being actively involved in local and global missions is mandatory in order to Biblically follow Jesus.

I would like to challenge the Christian after having watched this video and reading this blog post to take some serious time in your own life to pray. Pray about where God would lead you if He wants you to go yourself to see and to serve. Perhaps now is not the right time. Maybe you are called to be a “sender” rather than an overseas “server” for this season in your life.

But when we are called to go, may we not go as tourists or for Instagram likes, and may we not go so we can return home to saying, “we were blessed more by them than we were to them” (that commonly said statement is a selfish reason to serve others. Even though serving others is an incredible  blessing from God, it is a sad sentiment and reflection on many of our churches that won’t lift a finger unless we get something big in return).

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, instead of these vain reasons above, let’s, joyfully armed with truth and genuine compassion, go for an opportunity to learn from people different than we are! Let’s go to support the ministries and local churches already in place (if there are any) and encourage the Christians who live there all the time! And most importantly, let’s do all of this to bring glory to God by being obedient in caring for people in urgent physical and Spiritual needs. It is an honor and privilege that God has chosen to include us in His gathering of people to Himself from every tribe, tongue, and nation. He graciously, allows us to be a part of the Great Commission because of His love for us.

 May we pray, send, and go in order to take the Gospel to the ends of the Earth!   

*[The location of this particular "Alabama House" described above is across town from the current missionary housing facilities of this same ministry. It is far less unaccommodating as I described the first home we resided in during my first visit to Jacmel. This new, beautifully constructed and strategically placed for ministry, location is for the God-centered  ministry of Children’s Hope which is based out of Montgomery, AL, hence the name "The Alabama House".]