Friday Night Movie: M 10.28

Every now and then, you come across something that absolutely shakes you to the core and that you just have to share...

The other night, I was bored to tears, so I searched around YouTube to see if I could find a cool, Christian movie to watch. I stumbled upon this little-known gem titled M 10.28 (this refers to Matthew 10:28).

Some people might roll their eyes when you say "Christian film," but I think Christians have produced some pretty awesome films: A Thief in the Night and A Distant Thunder are classics that have stood the test of time! 

Which brings me back to M 10.28: The description on YouTube described it as being a movie about Hell. Now, since I've been a Christian and lived in Christian circles 25+ years, I've seen my share of Hell plays and corny Christian B movies (for every A Thief in the Night, there are a dozen other movies that don't quite hit the mark), so I was a little skeptical--but this is the first Christian movie that actually terrified me--and I'm a bit of a horror movie connoisseur!

It's still a low budget film: some of the dialogue and acting is a bit wooden or corny, but there's also a lot of realism here. There's a young teenage girl who might or might not be a Christian, getting involved with shady friends, who lead her down a dangerous path, and she ends up at the wrong place at the wrong time (I actually identified with this character and this is a lesson for all Christians--young Christians especially). But then the movie shifts its focus from her to the fate of one of her shady friends--and that's when things really get exciting!

Some people might argue that you shouldn't use scare tactics as an evangelism tool and, to an extent, I kind of agree: I think people should be in a relationship with God not just because they don't want to go to Hell, but because they want to know Him, because they want to enjoy Him and His love, because they want to give love back to Him, and because they've finally realized that humans were created for the sole purpose of being in a relationship with God. 

But I do believe that fear can be used to get people's attention! If you walked up to the average person and asked them if they wanted to be set on fire and to burn forever, I'm guessing most people would emphatically say, "No!" So the reality of Hell, that it is a place of eternal burning, torment, and separation from God and the enjoyment of His love, needs to be brought to people's attention and I think, sometimes, Christians need to be reminded of this.

When I watched this film, I was reminded of just how terrifying Hell will be and that there will be no escape. Once you're there, it will be too late! I was ashamed of myself for being too embarrassed or afraid to talk to my friends about Jesus. Ezekiel 3:18 really frightens me:

"When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand."

I think about all the opportunities to share the gospel that I missed or squandered. I don't know how God is going to deal with those Christians--when we stand before Him and He shows us all the people who died and went to Hell, who came across our paths at one time or another, and that we just kept our mouths shut because we wanted to be cool, wanted to fit in, didn't want to offend them with God's Word, or didn't want to be dismissed as a religious nut or oddball. I don't know what the penalty will be...

The world tells us that Christians are being judgmental and unloving when they tell others to repent, to turn away from sin, and to believe the gospel ("Judge not!" is a popular refrain these days), but it's NOT love to let others die in their sins and go to Hell! In fact, the Bible says it's hatred:

Leviticus 19:17

"Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him."

Thus, I think this film has a message for both Christians and unbelievers...

M 10.28 is less than an hour long, which makes it perfect for the short-attention span culture of our day.

A few other quick caveats: I think this film was made in the 90's, so you're gonna see strange things like cassette tapes. I'm also not sure why the ambulance attendants were wearing goggles. 

Also, when I saw this movie on YouTube, it was in 6 sections; this link shows the full movie. But for some reason, the people at this link cut the end credits abruptly and attached a David Wilkerson sermonette at the end. I almost wish they'd just allowed the end credits to roll so the viewer could sit silently, reflecting upon what they've just seen, rather than suddenly hearing Wilkerson yelling.

But, in any event, without further ado, I give you M 10.28:

See also How to Know Jesus and Receive Salvation post.