“Frasier” actor Kelsey Grammer opened up about how he “cursed God” following the murder of his sister, but love — and a “reawakening” that happened while promoting the film “Jesus Revolution” — restored his faith.

In the wake of his younger sister’s brutal murder nearly 50 years ago, the 70-year-old Emmy-winning actor said his grief was so intense it shattered what little remained of his faith.

“When the deaths occurred, starting with my grandfather, and then my dad — and I didn’t really know my dad — and then when Karen was killed, hanging on to what I’d always seen as a kind of gift of faith, became … hollow faith,” Grammer told Fox News Digital. “It wasn’t working. I thought, ‘Why did I lose this? What happened?’ I felt betrayed by it. And, so, I sort of cursed God at one point and said, ‘You know, hey, I’d rather you didn’t bother to help at this point because, honestly, this was colossal. I’m not interested.’”

Grammer, best known for his role as Dr. Frasier Crane in “Frasier” and “Cheers,” was only 20 years old and studying theater at Juilliard in 1975 when his sister, Karen, 18, was kidnapped outside the Red Lobster where she worked in Colorado Springs. The men who abducted her intended to rob the restaurant but instead took Karen, raped her repeatedly, and stabbed her to death.

Her killer, Freddie Glenn, was convicted in 1976 of Karen’s murder and the murders of two other people. Although the Colorado Supreme Court later ruled that Glenn could seek parole after 30 years, Grammer has twice opposed his release.

“He just thinks it’s been long enough and, so, when do I get out of prison? So, when am I done with mine then? Because I’m still stuck,” Grammer said. “And although this book has helped release a great deal of that feeling, there is a kind of … well, ‘We’re in this together, Freddie, you and me.’ And … if I don’t get free, you’re not either.”

Grammer shared these reflections in his memoir, Karen: A Brother Remembers, which honors his sister’s life and recounts the devastating impact of her loss.

“She was my best friend and the best person I knew,” Grammer wrote in a letter to the parole board in 2009. “She had so much to live for. I loved my sister, Karen. I miss her. I miss her in my bones. I was her big brother. I was supposed to protect her — I could not. I have never gotten over it. … It very nearly destroyed me.”

Karen’s murder was not the first tragedy Grammer experienced. At age 13, his father was shot and killed during a home invasion. Following Karen’s death, his two half-brothers, Stephen and Billy, died in a scuba diving accident in the Virgin Islands.

In his darkest moments, Grammer said he turned away from God, but he now urges others facing tragedy not to follow the same path.

“I would advise people to step away from that. If I could, I would say, rather than turn away from God, turn toward Him in these situations,” he said. “Because it doesn’t [mean] God’s out to get you. But it feels like that sometimes. And that was very hard.”

Over time, Grammer said, love and family helped rebuild the faith he had nearly lost. His wife, Kayte Walsh, and their three children — including a daughter named Faith — brought healing to his life.

“By virtue of writing this book, my faith has gained a little ground. By virtue of meeting Kayte, by virtue of living through what we’ve lived through as well, has fortified my faith,” he said.

Grammar played Pastor Chuck Smith in the faith-based film “Jesus Revolution.” The actor told the Los Angeles Times that the biggest “reawakening” of his faith came while promoting the 2023 film, which dramatizes the “Jesus Movement” of the 1970s.

“I don’t go out proselytizing, but I am not going to deny my faith; I’m not going to deny Jesus Christ,” Grammer said.

“Jesus Revolution” went on to be a significant box office success; produced on a $15 million budget, the film grossed over $51.7 million domestically, more than tripling its production costs.

The award-winning actor has openly discussed his beliefs in recent years and how the road back to God wasn’t exactly easy.

“I’ve had hiccups,” he told USA Today of his faith journey. “I’ve had some tragic times. I have wrestled with those and worked my way through them: sometimes rejecting faith, sometimes rejecting God even, in a period of being pretty angry about it, like, “Where were you?” That kind of thing. But I have come to terms with it and have found great peace in my faith and in Jesus. It’s not cavalier — Jesus made a difference in my life. That’s not anything I’ll apologize for.”

In 2024 appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” he shared how, as a boy, he “would walk […] hand-in-hand with the idea of God’s Word, and God, and Jesus, and stuff like that,” but “difficult things” in his life prompted him to walk away from the faith.

“I cursed God and said, ‘No thanks. I don’t need your help. I’d rather just handle this alone if this is the way it’s going to be.’”

“And eventually, I just kind of got back on track and met — re-met Jesus — I guess you could say, and I carry Him with me, and it’s been a great thing.”
Sources:Christianpost

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Actor Jesse Hutch is most known for his TV and acting career, but the devout Christian is also an outspoken man of faith who experienced a near-death experience that changed absolutely everything.

Long before he ever considered acting, the “Homestead” star was a whitewater rafting guide while attending college. Hutch said he was a wilderness fan at the time, enjoying all things outdoors — so living that out on the job was a fun-filled experience.

“[Acting] was never on my radar,” Hutch said. “Never in my history of growing up was I ever like, ‘I’m going to be an actor.’ Now, that being said, the one caveat is: I did love movies. I always watched movies. I went to the theater. I collected the movie posters. I loved it.”

One day, while working on a river, things took a turn he could have never expected. It was a beautiful and sunny day, but Hutch said the “water level was at a pretty high peak.”

“This particular rapid … was kicking … and there’s three standing waves,” he recalled, noting he was helping lead others on the water at the time.

With the choppiness of the waterway, Hutch’s boat went upside down, and he was plunged underwater in an area called the “green room” — a place where you’re deep enough to be in a current but where the sunlight is making the water appear green.

“All of a sudden, I just feel this pressure on my body,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Wow, I went down pretty fast.’”

Hutch wasn’t panicking, but he knew he needed to swim out. However, the pressure made it impossible. He was forced to make some tough decisions, including going limp to try and relax his muscles and maximize the oxygen he had left.

“I’m quite logical about it,” Hutch said. “I’m not panicked yet, but I know that I’m running out of oxygen and I can feel that.”

That’s when he realized the situation was “not good.” Unable to hold off any longer, his body naturally tried to breathe in and water began pouring into his lungs.

“It feels like someone pours liquid concrete,” Hutch said. “It’s heavy. It goes in. It felt like every part of my body, like where water doesn’t even go went, and it felt like it was in my arms. It felt like my muscles went dead.”

Realizing his life would very likely end, the actor began to recognize he might be “done,” calling it one of the “scariest moments” of his life.

“I knew in my brain I was finished,” Hutch said. “And, immediately after that, I had 100% peace because I ended up in this position where I was like, ‘OK, I’m in your hands, God … I completely surrender.’”

Ironically, despite the pain, chaos, and uncertainty, Hutch said he felt total peace.

“That was the most peace that I ever felt,” he said.
Sources:faithwire

http://theendtimeradio.com

A Christian stay-at-home mom is winning over the hearts of American Idol fans, not just for her strong vocal range, but also for her love for Jesus.

Breanna Nix is a strong competitor advancing on Monday night to the Top 7 of “American Idol.”

NixNation, the community rallying behind her, applauds the 25-year-old for glorifying God before millions.

“So incredibly excited for you,” said one fan. “May the Lord bless you and give exactly what you need to unleash your vocals and live in the moment glorifying Him with the talent He has blessed you with!”

Meanwhile, judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie are applauding the singer for her strong vocal range.

During her top 8 performance, Nix sang Adele’s “Water Under the Bridge,” for “Iconic Women of Music” week.

“I feel like this was just a perfect moment for you,” Underwood said after her performance. “You looked, and sounded, and played the part of a diva, and it was all working.”

“When you got to the back half of that song,” said Luke Bryan, “you just really have an incredible voice.”

Bryan continued, “It was just really perfectly well done. I’m so glad you picked that song. It just felt like the right moment for you. It was great!”

“What I loved the most is you take something as iconic as an Adele song and turn it into your song,” Lionel Richie agreed. “You know how to get to a note and choke it to death.”

Nix, who broke into the competition by performing “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” by Underwood, says she is surprised she has advanced this far in the show and told fans she thought she would never make it past her first audition.

“I’m overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude. To God be all the glory,” she said. “I’ve pushed myself in ways I never thought possible, and the growth I’ve experienced—both personally and artistically—has been life-changing,” she wrote on Facebook recently.

“Thank you, truly, for believing in me, supporting me, and being part of this journey. This is only the beginning,” she added.

Since then, she has continued to let her faith shine.

Nix has not only performed Christian songs like, “Let Your Heart Beat Again,” by former Idol contestant Danny Gokey, during American Idol’s Easter special, but she even told mentor and former Idol winner Fantasia that she has received hate for her beliefs.

“You know, the show has been a wonderful blessing to me, but the hate sometimes on the internet,” she shared. “Being a Christian, there is a lot of opinions that come with it. You know, ‘That’s not what a Christian should wear,’ or, ‘That Christian shouldn’t sing a song like that.'”

What Happened to Canaan James Hill?

Meanwhile, Canaan James Hill, the 17-year-old aspiring preacher, is not moving forward.
Hill had captured “Idol” fans’ attention and blew away “American Idol” judges with his soulful rendition of Earnest Pugh’s Gospel song “I Need Your Glory” during his first audition.

The Texas native did so well that he was handed one of three platinum tickets, which allowed him to bypass the first round in Hollywood.

For his recent performance, Hill chose to sing “Love Wins” by Underwood.

Underwood encouraged Hill to break out of his comfort zone and said she felt like his recent performance “cheated the system.”

“I wanted to see you rock out! At some point, do something really unexpected,” she expressed.

And although this opportunity is over for Hill, many of his fans encouraged him that “the best is yet to come.”

“Hold your head high and know that you are exactly where God wants you to be,” encouraged one fan. “Be encouraged in knowing that THE BEST IS YET TO COME and it’s greater than AI!”

“God has His plans for you and I can’t wait to see where that takes you. Already, He used you to touch millions of lives across the country and the world. At 17 years old that is an awesome accomplishment,” another fan said.

“God has used you already in mighty ways, and your journey is JUST BEGINNING!” another fan wrote on his page. “You are going to go far because God has anointed you and what He ordains NO MAN can stop! You are so loved, and I can’t wait for your first album!”
Sources:BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS

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