DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT is an excellent political thriller with a Christian message. The United States government has created an operation to ban the Bible and create its own “Truth Bible.” An underground Christian activist has asked Christian leader, Nate, to smuggle Bibles to seven churches in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Nate tries to enlist the help of the activist’s former friend, Jim, to help. However, Jim’s wife was murdered by government agents, and Jim is afraid for his adult daughter’s safety. Can anything convince Jim to help? And, will Nate’s smuggling plan succeed?

DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT is a superbly written, suspenseful thriller. Writer Josh Strychalski has inserted some really good twists and turns. The performances in DISCIPLES are strong, and the direction by Bret Varvel, who plays Nate, is excellent. DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT has an inspiring Christian, biblical worldview. It sends a powerful message about protecting, spreading and defending the Word of God. It also sends a strong warning against government tyranny. DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT is one of the best faith-based movies and best thrillers in recent years.

(CCC, BBB, ACACAC, PPP, V, D, M):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Very strong Christian, biblical worldview about protecting the Word of God Written, the Bible, spreading its Gospel message and defending the Bible’s views of the effects of sin and the need for salvation through Jesus Christ’s work on the Cross alone (a man shows his younger brother how, if you water down the Bible’s view of sin and eliminate its messages on Hell, Judgment, Justice, and punishment, you do away with Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross for our sins), and movie strongly opposes big government tyranny and defends freedom of speech, freedom of worship and freedom of the press, plus movie overcomes the tyrannical government’s attack on the Bible, Christianity, the Gospel, and Christians, and its universalist, antinomian indoctrination of the American people;

Foul Language:

No obscenities or profanities, but three or four times people pray to God, the Lord and Jesus in an informal way;

Violence:

Light violence includes government agents shoot at people, a man is shot dead and another is seriously wounded in one shooting incident, a Christian is deliberately assassinated off screen, camera cuts away as a speeding train accidentally hits a pickup truck stalled on the tracks, government agents arrest people, woman hits a woman with a shovel as the woman holds a shotgun on two people to earn some bounty money, people run from some pursuers, and brief fighting and punching;

Sex:

No sex;

Nudity:

Image of upper male nudity from afar as man lies in ambulance after being shot;

Alcohol Use:

No alcohol use;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

Woman smokes cigarettes in two scenes, but no drugs; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:

Tyrannical government lies and creates its own bible, twisting the words of passages such as movie explicitly shows that the government has changed the words of John 3:16 to give a false universalist, antinomian gospel with no Hell and no Justice to deceive the people while it bans the real Bible (the government’s bible is also clearly much smaller).

DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT is an excellent thriller about seven people intent on smuggling Bibles into Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky when a tyrannical government creates a false flag operation so it can ban the Bible and persecute Christians. DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT is a superbly written, suspenseful thriller with strong performances and excellent direction, and an inspiring Christian, biblical worldview that sends a powerful message about spreading the Word of God and warning against government tyranny.

A former pastor named Jim Edwards has withdrawn from preaching after an armed government official killed his wife at an anti-government Christian protest in Springfield, Ohio. Since then, the President of the United States has used the protest to ban the Bible and create a government-approved “Truth Bible.” The smaller, government approved Bible has watered down the Word of God. It even rewrote John 3:16 to preach a universalist, antinomian message of tolerance and “inclusion,” eliminating any notion of Justice, Hell, Judgment, or punishment.

Jim used to work with the leader of the Springfield protest, known only as “The Apostle.” The Apostle has reached out to a friend of Jim’s, named Nate Smith. Nate is still part of an underground church. The Apostle asks Nate to smuggle some hard-copy Bibles to seven churches in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.

Nate has a plan, but he needs Jim’s expertise help to help carry it out successfully. However, Jim declines, because he doesn’t want his adult daughter, Ashley to die like his wife did. Ashley wants to help Nate, though, even though her father ties to forbid her.

Can anything convince Jim to help? And, will Nate’s smuggling plan succeed?

DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT is a superbly written, suspenseful thriller. Writer Josh Strychalski has inserted some really good twists and turns that keep viewers engaged. Josh also plays one of the Bible smugglers, who faces some emotional family obstacles. The performances in DISCIPLES are strong, and the direction by Bret Varvel, who plays Nate, is excellent.

DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT has an inspiring Christian, biblical worldview. It sends a powerful message about protecting, spreading and defending the Word of God. It also warns against government tyranny. DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT is one of the best faith-based movies and best thrillers in recent years.

As a faith-based movie, DISCIPLES IN THE MOONLIGHT will be hard to beat when it comes time to hand out awards next year. It should be a contender in the Academy Awards, but Hollywood hates to reward thriller movies, much less thrillers with an overt Christian message about the right to worship.

The Los Angeles County medical examiner has listed Richard Simmons’ cause of death as “deferred” pending investigation after the fitness guru died Saturday.

The medical examiner‘s database confirms that Simmons (born Milton Teagle Simmons) was found in his Los Angeles home. It also notes that his body is “ready for release” and the case is currently open.

Sources told The Times on Saturday that there was no evidence of foul play at Simmons’ home. The self-proclaimed Weight Saint and TV personality died a day after his birthday. He was 76.

“I don’t want people to be sad about my brother. I want them to remember him for the genuine joy and love he brought to people’s lives,” Simmons’ brother, Lenny Simmons, wrote in a Facebook post Sunday. “He truly cared about people. He called, wrote, and emailed thousands of people throughout his career to offer help.”

Lenny continued: “Don’t be sad. Celebrate his life!”

Simmons was known for his brightly colored exercise outfits and the energetic exercise-video empire that made him a regular fixture in pop culture in the late 1970s and ’80s. He was also known for appearances in TV and film projects including “CHiPs,” “General Hospital” and “What Women Want.”

“I do consider myself a clown and a court jester, and I do love to make people laugh, whether they’re laughing with me or at me,” he told Men’s Health in 2012. “I just love what I do, and I’m a teacher more than anything.”

Simmons retreated from the public eye in 2014 after undergoing knee surgery but resurfaced years later to deny rumors about his health — including that he was transgender and undergoing gender-affirming surgery to live as a woman.

In 2022, a TMZ documentary reignited speculation about his whereabouts, prompting Simmons to thank his fans for their “kindness and love” in a cheery Facebook post.

Earlier this year, Simmons revealed he had been diagnosed with skin cancer — specifically basal cell carcinoma — and received treatment to remove the cancerous cells. He offered his fans the health update days after raising concerns with a cryptic Facebook post about death. “I am not dying,” he clarified in a separate statement in March.

“It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have,” he wrote. “Sorry for this confusion. Love, Richard.”

Tom Estey, who represented Simmons for more than 30 years, confirmed to The Times that there will be a public “celebration of life” for the fitness personality, though plans are not yet set in stone.