Connect with us

Movie

‘The Chosen’ actor details encounter with Holy Spirit: ‘From the outside in, He overtook me’

Published

on

Texas — Actor Nick Shakoour, who plays Zebedee in the hit series “The Chosen,” recently described an encounter with the Holy Spirit at the end of season three that took him from believing in God to knowing that Jesus is real.

The young adult actor, who plays an older fisherman who is the father of two of Jesus’ disciples, James and John, shared his experiences with The Christian Post during a set visit.

“I did not think I had a shot in a million years to play a 50-year-old fisherman in Capernaum. From there, it just was a journey of ‘I don’t know what this is going to be about.’ But I knew it felt good coming here,” Shakoour said.

“At the time, I called it the vibe. In hindsight, it was the Holy Spirit definitely guiding us throughout this whole process because there’s no way that all of this would have happened if it wasn’t for God.”

Created by Dallas Jenkins, “The Chosen” has grown into a global phenomenon, having been streamed by over 500 million people worldwide. Season four of the history-making series is now underway, and a recent partnership with Lionsgate is expanding the show’s reach.

Shakoour revealed that, prior to “The Chosen,” he had never felt led to act in a faith-based production.

“How many faith-based projects are out there? There’s a lot, and I’ve never been interested in being a part of any of them or let alone acting in them or watching them. This has just been mind-blowing. Zebedee has become my favorite on-camera character to play. It’s so fun getting to be him,” he shared.

Taking on the role of Zebedee has changed how Shakoour views his faith in Jesus, with him declaring, “I don’t even [just] believe in Him anymore. I know Him!”

“I was invited to a church conference when I was here last September during season three, a few days before I flew back to California. I had people lay their hands over me, and it was at a point in time where I realized I wasn’t exactly happy even though I was on a successful show and something was missing,” the performer explained.

“I called out to God that day in a desperate way wanting to meet Him.”

Shakoour described a supernatural encounter with the Holy Spirit that changed him.

“I ended up at this conference, and the next thing I knew, my organs felt like they were being burned away. [It felt like] I was being vibrated and microwaved at the same time. And from the outside in, He just overtook me, and I fully came to understand who He is,” Shakoour testified.

“Since then, it’s been one encounter after the next, one relationship after the next. The reason I say I don’t believe in Him anymore is because I know Him now.”

The Hollywood actor believes “The Chosen” was what God used to bring him to that closeness in relationship with Him.

“I don’t have to try and believe in Him anymore like I used to. I used to always believe in God and Jesus, but it’s been amazing,” Shakoour continued. “This show has been a conduit, I believe, to get me here for this specific encounter that I had, which I never thought.”

He described it as a spiritual surgery and says he now understands why he was so comfortable in his role as Zebedee.

“When I’m stepping into this role, and then with the layers of the costume department so brilliantly designing that specific getup for Zebedee, and the makeup and hair department, how they can age him to look the way he does. When I step into him, I’m literally overtaken by this overwhelming warmth and protection. And, in hindsight, it was always God.”

Shakoour said God has “made me feel what it feels like to be a dad. I feel like a dad on the show. I genuinely feel like I’m a dad. I’ve never been a dad yet. But I feel what it’s like to be a dad.”

The sensation, the love that he feels while on set with his on-camera sons, is “natural,” and it is “something I never thought I’d be able to even fulfill. Like, I can’t relate to this guy. He’s a fisherman in his 50s, and he’s a dad.”

Season four of “The Chosen,” set to premiere in 2024, delves into the realities of life’s dark moments, painful moments, and even death. Shakoour said the show is perfect for the times we’re living in.

“What I’ve come to realize is our world is paralleling so much what’s happening in ‘The Chosen,’ and in ‘The Chosen,’ people are starting to take cover under the wings of Jesus,” he added.

“Some things that I’ve been telling a lot of close friends and relatives recently is that, in my heart, I keep hearing, ‘Take cover under His wings now.’ Based on everything we’ve been through, we don’t know what the future holds, but we do know that if we know Him, then no matter what’s thrown in our faces by evil, that He is going to triumph eventually, just like He did back then and He will once again.”
Sources:Christian Post

http://theendtimeradio.com

Movie

Actor Mark Wahlberg Attributes All of His Success to His Faith: ‘Stay Prayed Up’

Published

on

Actor Mark Wahlberg is crediting his faith for the massive success he’s had in Hollywood.

“My faith, and my family, and just finding good balance,” Wahlberg told Fox News, cataloging the reasons for his success. “But I have to attribute all my success to my faith.”

The “Patriots Day” star made his comments at the opening of his new restaurant, Flecha. He also had the establishment blessed by Bishop Kevin W. Vann of the Diocese of Orange Christ Cathedral.

Wahlberg is no stranger to sharing about his Catholic faith. In addition to being outspoken, he funded and starred in the 2022 film “Father Stu” about amateur boxer-turned-priest Stuart Long.

“You got to stay prayed up,” Wahlberg told fans the year the movie was released. “God bless you.”

Prayer is certainly central to the actor’s life. He has said he starts each day with Scripture and invocations. But Wahlberg doesn’t foist these values upon his kids. Knowing they see his daily example of devotion, he hopes it resonates with them.

“Even with my faith, I don’t force it on [my kids]. But they know that dad can’t start the day without being in prayer, can’t start the day without reading my Scripture or going to Mass,” Wahlberg told NBC’s “Today” in 2022. “And hopefully, instead of forcing that on them, they’ll say, ‘Well, if it works for dad, maybe it’ll work for us,’ and they’ll kind of gravitate toward it on their own.”

The actor’s consistency in his faith has been notable over the years, as he has discussed the impact clinging to God has had in his life. In fact, Wahlberg has repeatedly spoken about the power of faith not only to bring good things into his life but also to help him cope with issues that might unfold.

“As soon as I started putting my faith and focus on God, good things started happening for me,” he told Fox News in 2023. “And even when they didn’t, it gives you the coping skills to deal with things that are inevitable, like loss and failure and those things.”

Wahlberg added, “But, you know, again, my faith and my family, those are the most important aspects of my life.”
Sources:faithwire

http://theendtimeradio.com

Continue Reading

Movie

Angel Studios’ New Film Brings Message of Adoption, Hope to Big Screen

Published

on

It’s a story that needed to be told, says “Sound of Hope” writer and producer Rebekah Weigel, because Possum Trot is not just another small Texas community near the Louisiana border, but a town that chose to live out God’s command to care for the orphan.

“This is such an amazing story,” says Weigel, an adoptive mother herself, adding, “we need to see more churches step in” the way that Bennett Chapel Missionary Baptist Church did.

Back in the 1990s, W.C. Martin, the pastor of the small church in Possum Trot, and wife Donna felt the Lord call them to adopt a child. Martin began preaching to his rural church about what the Bible says about adoption, and the congregation was moved to action. In total, 22 families in the church adopted 77 of the hardest-to-place children in the foster care system.

“There’s probably only a couple hundred people in the community of Possum Trot, an unincorporated area,” Weigel says, “but, you know, they took it seriously, and they did it together as a community. And I think that’s something I really loved about this story, was just the sense of doing it together, like bearing each other’s burdens, and, you know, when one was weak, they came together, and they helped each other, and I think we need more of that.”

Now, the inspirational story of what happened years ago in the little community of Possum Trot is hitting the big screen on July 4 in the feature film “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot.” Angel Studios is distributing the film. To learn more and purchase tickets, click here.

Weigel joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss the true story behind the film and the experience of telling such a moving story through film.
Sources:BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS

http://theendtimeradio.com

Continue Reading

Movie

‘Hungry For God’: Powerful Moves of Revival, Thirst for Bible Sweeps College Campuses

Published

on

Jennie Allen has had a front-row seat to much of the revival unfolding across America, particularly among young people.

She’s been speaking on college campuses and witnessing Gen Z’s rising interest in faith and the Bible.

“It is so real,” Allen recently told  from the red carpet of the KLOVE Fan Awards in Nashville, Tennessee. “There’s no hype. They actually are hungry for God. It’s been the most beautiful thing.”

Allen has seen massive college-age audiences hang on her every word as she shares the Gospel, with the fervor so strong at some schools she’s found herself impromptu baptizing young people in the backs of pick-up trucks — or even in local creeks.

“They are responding to the Gospel,” she said. “And they are showing up in droves. So, it’s been super encouraging that this generation wants God.”

Allen said she first noticed Generation Z’s hunger in 2018 when she spoke at Texas A&M about sin, and the young audience immediately responded in a truly “special” way.

“They were hungry,” she said, noting the intense interest wasn’t lost on her. “They were willing to be honest; they wanted God.”

Allen said the experience of ministering to young people has had a profound impact on her life as well. Today, she’s focused on reaching youths with the Bible’s message of grace and redemption.

“I want to just keep my head down, and be faithful, and not be distracted by many things,” she said. “So, for me, it’s given me such clarity, such boldness. I want to serve God, and I want to serve them well, and I don’t want to hold back.”
Sources:faithwire

http://theendtimeradio.com

Continue Reading
Advertisement The EndTime Radio

Featured

us news5 mins ago

ഓസ്‌ട്രേലിയന്‍ പാർലമെൻ്റിൽ നിന്ന് ‘സ്വര്‍ഗസ്ഥനായ പിതാവേ…’ എന്ന പ്രാര്‍ത്ഥന നീക്കം ചെയ്യണമെന്ന് ആവശ്യപ്പെട്ട് ഗ്രീന്‍സ് പാര്‍ട്ടി എം പി മെഹ്റിന്‍ ഫാറൂഖി

ഓസ്‌ട്രേലിയന്‍ പാര്‍ലമെന്റിലെ ഉപരി സഭയായ സെനറ്റില്‍ നടപടികള്‍ ആരംഭിക്കുന്നതിനു മുന്നോടിയായി ചൊല്ലുന്ന ‘സ്വര്‍ഗസ്ഥനായ പിതാവേ…’ എന്ന പ്രാര്‍ത്ഥന നീക്കം ചെയ്യണമെന്ന ആവശ്യവുമായി ഗ്രീന്‍സ് പാര്‍ട്ടി വീണ്ടും രംഗത്ത്....

us news13 mins ago

പ്രതീക്ഷിക്കാതെ സംഭവിക്കുന്നതിൽ നിന്ന് ദൈവം മാത്രമാണ് രക്ഷിക്കുന്നതെന്ന് ട്രംപ്

യു.എസ് : പ്രതീക്ഷിക്കാത്ത സംഭവിത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ദൈവം മാത്രമാണ് രക്ഷിക്കുന്നത്. നിങ്ങളുടെ നിലപാടുകൾക്കും പ്രാർത്ഥനകൾക്കും എല്ലാവർക്കും നന്ദി. നാം ഭയപ്പെടേണ്ടതില്ല, പകരം നമ്മുടെ വിശ്വാസത്തിൽ ഉറച്ചുനിൽക്കുകയും ദുഷ്ടതയ്‌ക്കെതിരെ...

Sports1 day ago

ബ്രസീലിയൻ ഫുട്ബോൾ പ്ലെയർ റോബർട്ടോ ഫിർമിനോ ഇനി സഭാ ശുശ്രുഷകൻ

മാസിയോ : മുൻ ബ്രസീലിയൻ ഫുട്ബോൾ പ്ലെയറും ലിവർപൂൾ സ്ട്രൈക്കറുമായിരുന്ന റോബർട്ടോ ഫിർമിനോ ബ്രസീലിലെ ഇവാഞ്ചലിക്കൽ സഭയുടെ പാസ്റ്ററായി ചുമതലയേറ്റു. ജൂൺ 30 ഞായറാഴ്ച മാസിയോയിലെ തൻ്റെ...

National1 day ago

അസ്സംബ്ലിസ് ഓഫ് ഗോഡ്‌ മലയാളം ഡിസ്ട്രിക്ട് ക്രൈസ്റ്റ് അംബാസഡേഴ്സിന് പുതിയ ഭരണ സമിതി.

പുനലൂർ : അസ്സംബ്ലിസ് ഓഫ് ഗോഡ്‌ മലയാളം ഡിസ്ട്രിക്ട് ആസ്ഥാനത്ത് നടന്ന തെരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പിൽ അസ്സംബ്ലിസ് ഓഫ് ഗോഡ്‌ മലയാളം ഡിസ്ട്രിക്ടിന്റെ പുത്രിക സംഘടനയായ ക്രൈസ്റ്റ് അംബാസഡേഴ്സിന് 2024-...

world news1 day ago

നൈജീരിയയിൽ വീണ്ടും ഫുലാനി തീവ്രവാദികൾ മൂന്ന്‌ ക്രൈസ്തവരെ കൊലപ്പെടുത്തി

നൈജീരിയയിൽ നിന്നും വീണ്ടും ക്രൈസ്തവ രോദനം. ക്രൈസ്തവവർക്ക് നേരെ ആക്രമണം അഴിച്ചുവിട്ട് ഫുലാനി തീവ്രവാദികൾ. സംസ്ഥാനത്തെ ബസ്സയിലെ കിമാക്പ ജില്ലയിലെ മയംഗ ഗ്രാമത്തിൽ ഇസ്ലാമിക തീവ്രവാദികൾ പതിയിരുന്നു...

world news1 day ago

നിക്കരാഗ്വയിൽ വീണ്ടും വൈദികന് പ്രവേശന വിലക്കേർപ്പെടുത്തി

മിഷനറി പ്രവർത്തനങ്ങൾക്കായി അമേരിക്കയിലുണ്ടായിരുന്ന നിക്കരാഗ്വൻ സ്വദേശിയായ പുരോഹിതന് രാജ്യത്ത് പ്രവേശിക്കുന്നതിൽനിന്നും വിലക്കേർപ്പെടുത്തി ഒർട്ടേഗ ഭരണകൂടം. മിസ്കിറ്റോ സ്വദേശി റോഡോൾഫോ ഫ്രഞ്ച് നാർ എന്ന വൈദികനാണ് ഭരണകൂടം പ്രവേശനവിലക്ക്...

Trending