Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Alice Cooper is considered an American icon. But decades ago, the young musician was spiraling out of control allowing fame, fortune, and partying to drive him to the brink of destruction – that is until God stepped in and turned his life completely around.

“Everything that could go wrong was shutting down inside of me,” Cooper once told the New York Daily News. “I was drinking with Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix and trying to keep up with Keith Moon and they all died at 27.”

Living on the edge of despair and desperation, Cooper was faced with two choices: either allow his alcohol addiction to kill him or give it all to Jesus.

“It was on the road – with all that dead time – when I would really drink too much,” Cooper told Classic Rock. “I didn’t have an off switch. And finally, it caught up with me.”

The year was 1977 and Cooper was at the height of his career, but delving deep into the bottom of the bottom.

“I woke up one morning, threw up blood,” Cooper told Greg Laurie on TBN’s Praise segment. He told the evangelist that his wife Sheryl looked at him and simply said, “Party’s over.”

She and Cooper’s manager, Shep Gordon, held an intervention telling him, “We couldn’t love you more, and this is tough love.”

The world-famous rock star found himself at Cornell Medical Center, a sanitarium located near the city of White Plains in Westchester County, New York.

“This was pretty much at the height of my career,” he recounted. “But in that hospital, none of the other patients had any idea who Alice Cooper was. And the reason for that was very simple. The other patients were all insane!”

Cooper said God did the impossible while he was at the institute. He believes God supernaturally took his desire for alcohol.

“After two days, I felt great,” he told Laurie. “I came out of there, never once had a fallback…Never fell back on alcohol. Never fell back on drugs.”

“[It’s been] 39 years, 38 years. So God just literally took it away from me,” he said.

“So you don’t describe it as you were cured,” Laurie asked. “You say you were healed?”

“People say, ‘You’re a cured alcoholic.’ And I go, ‘No, I was a healed alcoholic.’ God took it away from me,” he explained. “Even the doctor said, ‘It’s impossible that you don’t at least fall off the wagon at least three or four times because you’re the classic alcoholic.’ And I said ‘What you don’t understand is God took it away from me…It’s a miracle.'”

Cooper continued, “After a while, they went, ‘You know what? God took it away from you…Everything about your life should be deception. That’s  an alcoholic and a drug addict does. They put on this air that they’re cured, but back here they’re doing this and they’re doing that.'”

The rock star added that never happened to him and it led his doctors to recognize the divine in his transformation.

“Even the doctors were [saying],’ miracle. You’re a one-in-a-million case.’ And I said well, ‘You know God works like that.'”

If you don’t know Cooper’s conversion story, it is indeed “one in a million.”

Laurie told  that Cooper found himself using cocaine alone in his room one day at the height of his dysfunction.

“He was snorting it, and he looked in the mirror, and he said, ‘I saw blood coming out of my eyes. I don’t know if it was a hallucination or if it was really happening, but all I knew was I was going to die,'” Cooper recalled.

At that moment, Cooper “called out to God” and his entire life changed.

“My wife and I are both Christian now,” the then 70-year-old performer explained. “My father was a pastor, my grandfather was an evangelist. I grew up in the church, went as far away as I could from it — almost died — and then came back to the church.”

Cooper is now using his platform to help young people understand that God loves them and that the devil is real.

“Be careful! Satan is not a myth. Don’t sit around pretending like Satan is just a joke,” Cooper said. “I think my job is to warn about Satan.”

In a recent interview with Laurie, Cooper said he wants more people to know who Jesus Christ is.

“Most people I know, most young people think Jesus Christ is a swear word…they have no idea who Jesus Christ is. He is not preached enough…the most written-about character of all time, in history. And yet people go out of their way to not believe in Him.”

Laurie asked, “Why do you think that is?”

Cooper replied, “I think it’s because they don’t want to give up their godship. They believe the Hollywood version of ‘I do more good than bad’. And I say Satan has got you right where he wants you. ‘[Jesus said] I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father but by Me.’ Those are the truest words ever spoken. How can you deny that?”
Sources:CBN News

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വാഷിംഗ്ടണ്‍ ഡി‌സി: യേശുവിന്റെ ജീവിതം, മരണം, പുനരുത്ഥാനം എന്നിവ ചിത്രീകരിക്കുന്ന തത്സമയ ആക്ഷൻ തീയേറ്റർ പെർഫോമൻസ് ഈസ്റ്ററിന് മുന്‍പ് 25 അമേരിക്കന്‍ നഗരങ്ങളില്‍ എത്തിക്കുവാന്‍ ഒരുക്കങ്ങള്‍ നടക്കുന്നു. കോറിയോഗ്രാഫി, സംഗീതം, അത്യാധുനിക ദൃശ്യങ്ങൾ എന്നിവ സമന്വയിപ്പിച്ച് പ്രേക്ഷകരെ യേശുവിന്റെ ജീവിതക്കഥയിലേക്ക് കൂട്ടിക്കൊണ്ടുപോകുന്ന പരിപാടി അമേരിക്കയിലെ മുഖ്യധാരാ വേദികളിലാണ് അവതരിപ്പിക്കുന്നത്. കൊളറാഡോയിലെ കൊളറാഡോ സ്പ്രിംഗ്സിലെ ന്യൂ ലൈഫ് ചർച്ചിലെ യുവജനങ്ങള്‍ ഒരുക്കുന്ന പരിപാടി “ദി തോൺ” എന്ന പേരിലാണ് പ്രേക്ഷകര്‍ക്ക് വിരുന്ന് ഒരുക്കുക.

നർത്തകർ, അഭിനേതാക്കൾ, സംഗീതജ്ഞർ എന്നിവരുൾപ്പെടെ നാല്‍പ്പതിലധികം അഭിനേതാക്കളെ ഉൾക്കൊള്ളുന്ന ഒരു വലിയ ടീമാണ് പരിപാടിയില്‍ അണിനിരക്കുന്നത്. ജോൺ ബോലിനാണ് “ദ തോൺ”- ന്റെ സ്രഷ്ടാവ്. വര്‍ഷങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് ന്യൂ ലൈഫ് ചർച്ചിൽ യൂത്ത് പാസ്റ്ററായി സേവനം ചെയ്യാന്‍ ജോൺ ബോലിനോട് മേലധികാരികള്‍ നിര്‍ദ്ദേശിച്ചതാണ് വഴിത്തിരിവായി മാറിയത്. “ഞാൻ ഒരു പ്രസംഗകനായി പരിശീലിച്ചിട്ടില്ല. എന്റെ പശ്ചാത്തലം മാർക്കറ്റിംഗിലും വിനോദത്തിലുമായിരുന്നു. പ്രസംഗങ്ങൾ നടത്തുന്നതിനുപകരം, അന്ന് ഞാൻ വചനം ദൃശ്യാവിഷ്ക്കാര രൂപത്തില്‍ ചെയ്യുമായിരുന്നു. അതിൽ സംഗീതവും വീഡിയോയും കൊറിയോഗ്രാഫിയും യുവജനങ്ങളുടെ ശ്രദ്ധ പിടിച്ചുപറ്റുമെന്ന് എനിക്കറിയാവുന്ന കാര്യങ്ങളും ഉൾപ്പെട്ടിരിന്നു.”- ജോൺ പറയുന്നു.

ഒരു വൈകുന്നേരം യുവജന സംഘത്തിനിടയിൽ, 16 വയസ്സുള്ള ഒരു പെൺകുട്ടി കരഞ്ഞുക്കൊണ്ട് ബോളിൻ്റെ അടുത്തെത്തി. അവളുടെ കൈകളിൽ അവൾ സ്വയം മുറിപ്പെടുത്തിയ മുറിഞ്ഞ പാടുകൾ ഉണ്ടായിരിന്നു. താന്‍ ആ പെൺകുട്ടിയെ നോക്കി അവളോട് പറഞ്ഞു: “നീ അങ്ങനെ ചെയ്യേണ്ടതില്ല, കാരണം 2,000 വർഷങ്ങൾക്ക് മുമ്പ് യേശു നമ്മുക്കായി അത് ചെയ്തുവെന്ന് ഞാൻ വിശ്വസിക്കുന്നു.” തുടർന്നാണ് അടുത്ത ആഴ്‌ചയിലെ യൂത്ത് ഗ്രൂപ്പ് മീറ്റിംഗിൽ ശ്രദ്ധേയമായ ദൃശ്യാവിഷ്ക്കാരം നടത്താൻ അദ്ദേഹം തീരുമാനിച്ചത്:

“യേശു നമുക്കായി നൽകിയ വില, അതിലൂടെ അവിടുത്തെ ത്യാഗങ്ങള്‍ തിരിച്ചറിയാനും നമ്മുടെ കഷ്ടപ്പാടുകളെ അവൻ തിരിച്ചറിയുന്നുവെന്ന് മനസിലാക്കാനും സഹായിക്കുന്ന ഒരു ദൃശ്യാവിഷ്ക്കാരമായിരിന്നു മനസില്‍”. ഇത് യുവജനങ്ങളെ സ്വാധീനിക്കുമെന്ന് അദ്ദേഹം മനസിലാക്കി. അങ്ങനെ 1997-ൽ 200 ഹൈസ്‌കൂൾ വിദ്യാർത്ഥികൾക്കു മുന്നിലെ ആ പ്രകടനം “ദി തോൺ” എന്ന പേരില്‍ ആദ്യമായി അരങ്ങിലെത്തി. ഇത് ഓരോ വിദ്യാര്‍ത്ഥികളെയും ഒത്തിരിയേറെ സ്വാധീനിച്ചു. അന്ന് ദൈവം അവിടെയുണ്ടായിരുന്നുവെന്ന് വിശ്വസിക്കുകയാണെന്നും 200 ഹൈസ്കൂൾ വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളെ ആഴത്തിൽ സ്പർശിക്കുകയും ദൈവസ്നേഹം അവരോടൊപ്പം ഉണ്ടെന്ന് അനുഭവിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തുവെന്ന് ജോൺ ബോലിന്‍ പറയുന്നു.

വൈകാതെ ഈസ്റ്ററിന് ഷോ അവതരിപ്പിക്കാമോ എന്ന് പള്ളിയിലെ പാസ്റ്റർ ബോളിനോട് ചോദിച്ചു. അങ്ങനെ “ദി തോൺ” വ്യാപിപ്പിക്കുകയായിരിന്നു. ഇതിന്റെ ഏറ്റവും ആധുനിക ദൃശ്യാവിഷ്ക്കാരവുമായാണ് ഷോ വരും മാസങ്ങളില്‍ വേദികളില്‍ എത്തിക്കുന്നത്. ഷോയിൽ പങ്കെടുക്കുന്നവർ മുമ്പൊരിക്കലും അനുഭവിക്കാത്ത വിധത്തിൽ യേശുവിനെ അനുഭവിക്കാനും അവര്‍ക്ക് ദൈവവുമായുള്ള ബന്ധം കൂടുതല്‍ ഊഷ്മളമാക്കുവാന്‍ സാധിക്കുമെന്ന പ്രതീക്ഷയിലാണ് “ദി തോൺ” ടീം.
കടപ്പാട് :പ്രവാചക ശബ്ദം

http://theendtimeradio.com

A live-action theatrical performance depicting Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection is selling out mainstream venues across the United States as it begins its spring tour visiting 25 cities before Easter.

Originally created as a play for youth at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, “The Thorn” has grown into a large-scale production featuring a cast of more than 40 including aerialists, dancers, actors, and musicians. It combines choreography, music, and state-of-the-art visuals to create an experience that immerses the audience in the story of Jesus.

John Bolin, the creator of “The Thorn,” moved to Colorado Springs in 1997 and was asked to volunteer as a youth pastor at New Life Church.

“I wasn’t trained as a preacher. My background was in marketing and entertainment but not really in church work,” he told  in an interview. “Instead of preaching sermons, we would do what I called back then ‘illustrated sermons.’ So it would involve music and video and choreography and things that I knew would keep young people’s attention.”

One evening during youth group, a 16-year-old girl went up to Bolin crying and holding out her arms. There were visible cut marks on her arms where she had been self-harming. Bolin looked at the young girl and told her: “You don’t have to do that because I believe Jesus did that for you 2,000 years ago.”

It was then that he decided at the following week’s youth group meeting to do an illustrated sermon that portrayed two things: “the price that Jesus paid for us, so that we could identify with his suffering and know that he identifies with our suffering,” he shared, and also: “I wanted to show what I call the spiritual battle for the choices, destiny, identity, and calling of young people. That they know that God has a call in their life, but the enemy, I believe, also wants to steal, kill, and destroy God’s best plan for them.”

That performance for 200 high school students in 1997 was the first of many times “The Thorn” would take the stage. Despite it being what Bolin called “horrible” in terms of costumes, makeup, and production, he said, “I believe God was there and 200 high school students were deeply moved and touched and felt God’s love present with them.”

The pastor of the church asked Bolin if the show could be performed for Easter, and for the next 10 years, “The Thorn” was performed as an annual Easter tradition in Colorado Springs with thousands of people attending every year.

“Even early on, we were attracting Protestants, Catholics, believers, seekers, agnostics that would come because it was such a different way of communicating and showing the Gospel story that people came from all over the place to experience it,” he recalled.

From there, the show became an independent production and began to travel the country performing in large evangelical churches. And then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and it was forced to stop.

Feeling discouraged in 2021, Bolin had the idea of trying to get “The Thorn” into movie theaters. Thanks to the help of some industry connections, Bolin was able to partner with Fathom Events and in March 2023 “The Thorn” was released in theaters across the country.

While it played in theaters, Bolin thought that one final tour should take part alongside the theatrical run. He reached out to the pastors of churches that had previously hosted the live performance to ask if they’d be interested in hosting one last time, but, to his surprise, they all said no.

“I honestly think God was at work in that,” he said. “So then my wife and I thought, ‘Well, what do we do? We feel like there’s one more live tour in us, but these churches don’t want us.’ And I felt like God said, ‘Go where I would go,’ which is in the middle of the marketplace, in the middle of the public square.”

It was then that Bolin felt called to look into getting the show in performing art centers, “where you’re not in a particular church or anything like that but instead you go to the public square in these performing art centers and present the Gospel.”

“So my wife and I took a huge risk. We actually took out a half-million-dollar loan. And we knew that if it didn’t work, we would have to sell our house,” Bolin shared. “That’s the true story behind the story. We knew [the risk] and we agreed to it. We prayed about it and said, we believe in the story enough. We’re going to try it.”

The husband-and-wife duo went to work booking 10 venues in different cities and promoting the show themselves. They sold out in nearly all 10 cities.

“That was the beginning of a new chapter and what we see as a miracle,” Bolin said.

Now they’re taking part in their largest tour yet with performances leading up to Easter, April 20, in 25 cities including Los Angeles; Austin, Texas; Atlanta; Baltimore; and Charlotte, North Carolina, among others. And for the first time, “The Thorn” will be performed in Spanish in six cities — Los Angeles; Fresno, California; San Diego; El Paso and Grand Prairie, Texas; and Reading, Pennsylvania.

Bolin said he hopes those who attend a show during the spring tour will leave seeing “Jesus in a way they never have before. I hope that they can feel connected to him in a way they never have before.”

“I want people to leave knowing that it’s not just a God that’s way out there but that he knows your story, he knows your name.”

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Actress Patricia Heaton is on a mission to honor God. From her faith-inspiring efforts to defend Israel through her October 7 Coalition to creating uplifting Hollywood content, she remains busy.

She told  during the red carpet premiere of her new film “The Unbreakable Boy” in New York City this week that she believes God has been the key to her long career starring on shows like “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “The Middle,” among other projects.

“When you give everything over to God, He gives it back to you in a way you could never have imagined,” Heaton said. “I feel like God gave me certain gifts and so it’s my responsibility to honor Him in the work.”

As for her latest project, “The Unbreakable Boy” — a film about a family navigating the journey of a child who is both autistic and suffers from brittle bone disease — Heaton said she was elated to play a role in telling the transformative overcomer story.

“The story is wonderful and it’s a true story,” she said. “And it’s a story about a struggle that many families experience today — a child on the spectrum or even just if your kid has learning differences.”

Heaton continued, “You see a story where the struggles are not sugarcoated, but it’s hopeful and redemptive at the end.”

Amid a crazy and confused culture, the actress said “The Unbreakable Boy” tells a raw and real story that is much-needed. The encouraging nature of the film, Heaton believes, is the perfect respite for people who are trying to find peace amid the storms of life.
Sources:faithwire

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