By Michael Thompson
A new John Lennon movie, released to coincide with the 32nd anniversary of Lennon’s Dec. 8, 1980, death, has received more than 100,000 views in just four days.
The movie was produced as a companion to a new book by evangelist Ray Comfort, “The Beatles, God, and the Bible”, which exposes the theological side of the Beatles, offering unique and fascinating insight into the spirituality of the the world’s most famous rock band.
Comfort, the movie’s producer, noted “this generation doesn’t go to the conventional sources for news and information.”
“They are engrossed in their own world of social media – texting, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc., and if we want to reach them with the message of everlasting life we have to enter their world,” he said. “That’s what we have done with this movie. ‘Genius’ is reaching a culture with the gospel through an effective medium; using a fascinating subject – the Beatles, who have crossed generations, selling more than 2.3 billion albums.”
Comfort said that he wants to convince Christians that the movie can reach a hell-bound world, and he wants them to view it, “like” it, comment on it, and push it through Facebook and Twitter. He points out that this lifts the YouTube ratings, so more people get to hear the Gospel. “Genius” has been commended by many national Christian leaders, including John Piper, who so appreciated its potential to reach the lost, he tweeted it four times in four days.
The Los Angeles-based producer added: “In the past, missionaries have traveled to far countries with the message of the gospel – with great hardship and often with the loss of life. In contrast, we can reach millions instantly from the comfort of our homes by merely hitting the ‘send’ button on our computers, or with iPads, or phones. Romans chapter 10:15 asks, ‘How shall they preach unless they are sent?’ In this case ‘Genius’ can be the preacher and it can be ‘sent’ all over the world through this amazing medium.”
“The Beatles, God, and the Bible,” to be released Dec. 18 by WND Books, can be pre-ordered now at the WND Superstore.
“I’m a most religious fellow … I was brought up a Christian and I only now understand some of the things that Christ was saying in those parables.”
These words, spoken by Lennon, cut to the heart of Comfort’s new book that explores the spiritual motivation of the band.
The second book in a series of cultural and religious exposés, Comfort takes a trip down Abbey Road with Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, showing the evolution of their spirituality. From the height of their fame in 1965, when all four Beatles professed to be atheists, Comfort sheds light on how each member started singing a different tune when it came to their spirituality as time marched on.
The book recounts the years before the Beatles were formed – John met Paul at a church function – their march to creating worldwide Beatlemania and the spiritual lives of each member after the breakup.
“With countless books having been written on the Beatles, it’s great to see one addressing this vital and fascinating topic,” said J. Jackson, the lead singer of ApologetiX. “The Fab Four had an enormous spiritual influence on the world, but what about their own spiritual influences? Ray Comfort approaches that topic with the same passion and research we’ve come to expect from him in everything he does.”
Comfort is the founder, president, and CEO of Living Waters Publications. After relocating from New Zealand to Southern California in the late 1980s, Comfort introduced pastors and churches to a biblical teaching he called “Hell’s best kept secret.”
The enthusiastic response that followed took Comfort’s Living Waters Publications ministry to a whole new level. From humble beginnings, LWP has become an internationally recognized ministry, reaching the lost and equipping Christians with every necessary resource to fulfill the great commission.
Comfort is the co-host, with Kirk Cameron, of the award-winning television program “The Way of the Master,” which airs in 70 countries.
Comfort is a best-selling author of more than 60 books, including “You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence, But You Can’t Make Him Think,” “Hitler, God, and the Bible” and “Nothing Created Everything: The Scientific Impossibility of Atheistic Evolution.”
Comfort’s look at John Lennon:
