Thus began a Facebook Comment I received recently. And I am SO thankful for it – SO thankful for precious brothers and sisters who care enough about the Lord and his purposes, and want to wisely steward the finances he’s given them, to take the time to ask questions and openly share their considerations. Glory to Jesus!
I promised this precious saint I would answer her comments through the blog, which is a great idea because there may be many of you who share her same thoughts. So… here I am! Praise Jesus! Of course, I’ll edit her comments just to “cut to the chase,” but let’s go for it!
Bruce, a number of my Christian friends don’t believe it is Biblical to make any images of Jesus, including movies. This makes it hard for me to invite them to be producers : ).
I have heard this before, although very rarely. I would never ever say that what someone believes is wrong – I would never argue a point like this (we have FAR too much arguing going on among God’s children!).
Obviously I personally don’t consider this an issue – and I would invite them to consider the literally millions of people who have found Jesus through film, art, dramas, animation, etc.
What I would say to your friends is, “I totally respect that belief, I totally respect you, and I think it’s awesome that you stand by your convictions. May the Lord reach MANY through you as you seek to represent him in your own ways and your own lives!” Glory to Jesus!
Bruce, I know other people have concerns about times the JESUS film was used in culturally ignorant ways.
I would speak a little more strongly on this one… The JESUS FILM is literally the single-most salvation-producing evangelical reality in all of human history. More people have been saved through this film than through all the evangelists, programs, strategies… combined.
Of course anytime you get humans involved, you will get mistakes, so perhaps some mistakes have been made. But you can say the same about every missionary, ministry, book, evangelist, Bible translation, tract, church… every everything in one way or another. So this argument, to me, feels a bit like straining gnats. Mistakes and all, I’ll stand by the JESUS FILM any day of the week. Praise Jesus for it!
No matter how great a movie we make, it isn’t going to replace
people reaching people.
My standard line is, “JESUS NGL is a film to be produced by the body of Christ, for the body of Christ, to reach their families, neighbors, communities… nations.” Just like with the funding, it all comes down to the everyday believer taking the Gospel to hurting people.
JESUS NGL is simply a “kingdom tool” – a film presentation of the Gospel – to equip everyday believers, churches, ministries, missionaries… to reach their families, neighbors, communities, nations… Glory to Jesus!
Only Jesus can actually save people. A few of the [Facebook] comments have made me uncomfortable, sounding as if we can equate giving to this movie with saving people and concern for this film with concern for souls.
I can promise you, no one equates this film with salvation – they’re just excited about it because they know it has the potential to open the door to millions of salvations – and I’m certainly not going to take that away from them, glory to Jesus! I’m extremely thankful for impassioned believers, and their impassioned support.
About their comments equating giving to the film with concern for souls… I think people were shocked to learn that of the thousands of Christians following JESUS NGL on Facebook, less than 100 have given. So they reacted passionately.
Forgive me, but it’s a statistic that I just don’t get either. I mean, we’re talking about ten bucks. How easy can it get? I mean, when I explain what I’m doing to my non-believer friends, 9/10 of them toss me a ten, it’s such a no-brainer even to them! Glory to Jesus!
I hope we aren’t trying to make God’s Word into an awesome movie because we are bored with it the way it is or doubt its power to save the way He gave it to us.
The way God originally gave us His Word was orally – people sitting around the campfire talking, ha ha! Then a few guys began to write those things down by hand. Then it wasn’t until the printing press, millenia later, that we actually got printed Bibles! So…. if we want to talk about “the way God gave it to us,” does anyone have a match and some wood, ha ha!
Forgive my joking, but seriously, JESUS NGL is simply another extension, avenue, expression… of God’s Word. With each generation people, especially youth, read less and less. BUT THEY LINE UP TO WATCH MOVIES! Glory to Jesus!
At the same time, we who live in the western world don’t realize that the vast majority of the rest of the world cannot read – they’re illiterate. And if you talk about the core reason we’re making this film, it’s not only the western world – it’s these precious, precious souls.
Are we really going to be able to get this movie into theaters around the
world? Is the fact that it is produced by all these private individuals not
going to hinder that in any way?
There are no screen guarantees for any film. At the same time, I can promise you, if millions rise to produce this film, it will not only be the biggest news in the Christian world, but in the film world at large. And with that kind of splash/publicity, the theaters will be lining up to screen what will literally be “the first film in history that was funded/produced by the people themselves.”
I’m telling you, this goes way beyond merely making a movie. It shouts to the whole world who we are as Christians, and how our God is able to do what man deems impossible, glory to Jesus!
Why should people give to this when we could be giving the money to
missionaries and churches we know are reaching people right now?
We should all be giving everywhere we can. I pray you are giving left and right and to everything that is out there reaching lives for Jesus, glory to Jesus! Because at the end of the day, this is how God’s kingdom moves forward – through the giving (in all ways) of His people.
And let’s be honest, at the end of the day all the “stuff” we tend to so easily spend our money on… what does it amount to? I mean, being hard-honest with ourselves, when was the last time we wandered over to Best Buy or whatever, simply out of boredom, and spent more than ten bucks on something that now sits in the drawer… yikes!
I’ve said it many times - Jesus gave His very life… “Lord, help us, that we struggle so much to give the little you ask of us. Oh Father, have mercy!” Glory to Jesus!
I don’t doubt that the Lord has given you this vision and there is nobody I
trust more than you to make “a Jesus movie for a new generation” and not
“ruin the book”! I wanted to lay all my doubts out there honestly because I
really, really want this to happen.
Whew, I’m glad I get some thumbs up there, ha ha ha! Seriously, thank you. I promise you, I’m doing my best. A lot of people on this end are making huge sacrifices – not to mention many of you who are giving selflessly. And I promise you, we will continue until the day this film is complete and in the hands of you who will take it to the world - or until the Lord says, “Hey buddy, cut it out,” ha ha! Glory to Jesus!
Well… I pray this discussion has been a blessing to you, and answers some questions you may have. In fact, I pray it has blessed your boots off!
In conclusion, I’d like to share another email that I received just yesterday. It is one of many testimonies I’ve received based on my film of the 90’s, The Gospel of Matthew. It shares how the Lord used Matthew to touch a little girl’s life, then help rescue her as a teenager, then launch her into a ministry of her own.
I stand so humbled when I read things like this below - and so freshly aware of the value of what we are trying to accomplish in JESUS NGL. May it answer even more of your questions… And so we press forward.
God bless you! Glory to Jesus!
Bruce Marchiano
Dear Mr. Marchiano…
I am 25 years old. The year Matthew came out my family didn’t have TV, but our neighbor would allow me to go to her house while she was gone at work and watch it. For a year, I watched the entire series daily. You made Jesus come alive for me; I still tear up thinking about the compassion in Jesus’ eyes when he healed the leper.
Later, I went through an incredible depression in my mid teens. I only found peace when I was reading my Bible or had Matthew playing. So, often I would go to sleep at night with Matthew playing. Not only did the Lord completely deliver me from depression and an eating disorder, but He began to reveal Himself to me like never before.
When I was 16, several people challenged me to begin memorizing and performing the Scriptures in a dramatized format. Because of Matthew it was easy for me to memorize it and with the help of a drama teacher, I dramatized the first 15 chapters of Matthew. Now the Lord has opened the opportunity for me to perform the dramatization in churches, schools, conferences, and at impromptu places such as the beach, parks, etc.
I only just read about the work you are doing on the new Jesus film. I would like to contribute what I can financially to the project. I noticed you have a place to give online, which I would like to do.
May the Lord bless you richly for your faithfulness and service to Him! I pray He will also mightily bless the development of your film, supernaturally raise up every dollar needed for production, and put the breath of His Spirit’s anointing on every aspect of the film, for His praise and glory!
GLORY TO JESUS!!!!!!!
3 Comments
–Smiling–big…….!!!!
What a BEAUTIFUL and GLORIOUS testimony from the young woman. Truly, God’s word gives life, heals and sets the captives free merely by being spoken. So AMAZING the way the Lord used the Matthew film in such healing ways. Truly, our Lord is WITHOUT boundaries and limits!”No eye as seen and no ear has heard..” Amen and Amen!
Bruce, I wish that the people who doubt the vision of JesusNGL could wake up for even a couple of weeks to the kind of emails that over the years have flooded in to you, speaking of the life changing experiences that Matthew has brought about.. I truly do realize Matthew and JesusNGL and others that may come after should rightfully be only one way out of myriads of ways of reaching out to share the Gospel with others.. but what really gets me about this project is that it’s gonna take ALL of us to make it happen, people are going to have to reach out beyond the barriers of church and denomination.. how cool is that!!! I honestly think the world just possibly might need to see us acting in one accord on something like JesusNGL.. something truly bigger than all of us put together.. and something as personal and unique as that individual sitting someplace in Pakistan that needs Jesus.. I am unashamedly passionate about this film, and I hope something I’ve said will convince others.. God bless u all