Celebrating the Birth of Jesus!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Bruce and Sharon are in South Africa as we speak, ministering the love of Jesus to the people He loves so much.

As you have seen from the latest JOHN eNewsletter, there are many precious saints around the world, working so hard to create awareness about this soul-winning project...and the work of JOHN continues on until the day the lights go down, a screen flickers to life, and a young child or a teenager or a man or woman sits down and "sees" Jesus, the Word of God, revealed in THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN... (It gives me goosebumps just to think about that day!)

I want to wish every one a blessed time of celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus!

And I'll see you in the New Year.

Right now, I hear "Be still and know that I am God."

This holiday season--while busy--will be a time of rest for me. I want to know the peace that surpasses all understanding as the Word says, "He will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him."

So let's do just that: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus!"

Shalom.

"...All Other Ground is Sinking Sand"

I came back from church tonight, having just viewed a Christian film with the youth. In this film, someone sings the words of this hymn:

My hope is built on nothing less / Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness / I dare not trust the sweetest frame / But wholly lean on Jesus’ name / On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand / All other ground is sinking sand / All other ground is sinking sand

And then, browsing through John's gospel, I read the words of Jesus, which caused the words from a modern-day chorus to echo in my heart...

The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, My servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me. (John 12:23-26)

And if I'm blessed with the riches of kings / How could I ever think that it was me / Don't let me forsake sacrifice / Jesus, You be lifted high / You be lifted high / You be lifted high in my life, O God / And I fall to my knees / So it's You that they see, not I / Jesus, You be lifted high

"Be Lifted High" / Leeland Mooring / (C) 2006 Meaux Mercy (admin. by EMI CMG Publishing)

Happy Thanksgiving

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds (Psalm 9:1).

Create in Me a New Heart

Literally this past weekend, a renewed passion for sending out the simple message of God's love that is so strikingly displayed in the sacrifice of His Son to rescue us from sin and Hell -- the Gospel -- is growing in me, and it is filling me with excitement and with joy -- joy at the truth of what Bruce observed one time when he said that the Lord is "perfecting our faith" through the making of JOHN.

Reading your prayers in Prayer Chain #3 I cannot help but be blessed. I cannot help but feel in my bones that JOHN is way beyond "beyond" in scope and scale -- of what God is doing and is planning to do.

Not only will the film itself be used by the Holy Spirit to bring countless many to Jesus, this process of raising the funds, and believing God for JOHN to come... it is a journey in faith that all of us are taking. It is the Lord perfecting the faith of His children.

So, dear saints! Let us "not grow weary in doing good!"

For God honors the labor of our hands. He honors every phone call we make; every email we send out; every postcard we write. And every sacrificial Dollar, Rand, Won, Euro, Pound, or Kuna (and etc.) that is given for this project we call THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN - the Lord sees.

The Lord sees. What more could we need or ask for -- than the fact that our Jesus sees us. HE SEES US!

PRAISE to HIS NAME!

Prayer Chain #3

Per your request, another one. But, I have a feeling the Lord is the one who is directing us to make good use of this blog and pray for the explosive ministry that is, and will continue to be...THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN.

Let my prayer come before you:
incline your ear to my cry!
(Psa. 88:2)

I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
let the humble hear and be glad.

Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt his name together!
(Psa. 34:1-3)

Let's go all the way till the end of November. Then I'll close with the "amen."

Jehovah-jireh

It was like déjà vu, sitting there on the bench just outside the restaurant in Burbank. I was wearing the same ball cap. The same shoes. The sky was bright blue and dotted with the same puffy white clouds.

I saw Bruce's car pull in. As he stepped out of the car, I stood up. Greeted him. "Hey, brother! How you doin'? Good to see ya!"

That took me back...to the first time I sat on that bench, waiting.

Right now I'm feeling a sense of déjà vu. Or another way to put it is we're back on first base. But, there's something different about it. There's a new level to it. A new movement -- a kind of unseen spiritual momentum that only God can do, and only God is responsible for.

Even Bruce's time spent in his father's hospital, and my time spent in my own hospital -- I feel those were an "inauguration" of some kind (if I can say it that way) in this Kingdom adventure we call JOHN. Prayer Chain #2 confirms this in my spirit.

Because this is for souls. This is for the gospel. This is for the Name of Jesus. That is what's at stake. His Name. And so, our God Himself goes before us in this.

Check out Bruce's comment about the picture below, of a major newspaper in South Africa with an article about a guy who was declared Not Guilty:

The Lord showed me through this that He can do in the blink of an eye what man can't do. Putting my book on the front page of a national newspaper that goes out across the world in the online edition, across worldwide news agencies... It's a publicist's dream -- AND GOD DID IT WITHOUT EFFORT, no publicist, no cost, no nothing... Just the stroke of His Spirit's favor. He spoke to me through that photo of what He'll do with JOHN -- Him doing what only He can do -- in the blink of an eye. GLORY!

So we keep praying. We keep knocking. We keep seeking. We keep sharing the vision for JOHN. We keep sending out those emails. We keep making those calls. Because we know our God goes before us, and we believe Jehovah-jireh (The LORD will provide).

Prayer Chain #2

Another round of two-sentence prayers. In two weeks, I'll close with an "amen."

Father, we look to you.

Your power is strong, amazing beyond words. Lord, we wait with open arms and longing hearts for the birthing of a film that will reach out, and reach out--to people who need "just" Jesus.

When Leaving a Comment 2

Praise God!

Everytime I see a new comment on this blog, I get so excited, and praise God that He's brought us together in this work.

As the blog grows, in order to aid in the better communication in our blog world, let me ask you to follow a simple procedure when leaving a comment:

If you DO NOT have a Blogger account, please do not use the "Anonymous" option. Instead, please select the option called "Other" and type in your screen name. This is so that we don't end up with a bunch of comments - all by a person named "anonymous." When choosing the "Other" option, you do not need to submit an email address.

Examples of screen names (the possibilities are endless as you can make up any screen name as you'd like):

• jesus-luvr
• chloe s.
  
• jesus freak 2001
• james k.

If you DO have a Blogger account, please log in to your account and leave us a comment identifying yourself using your Blogger name.

The Architect of the Roller Coaster

Life in the kigdom of God can feel like a wild roller coaster ride. But, what we need to remember in those moments when we're hanging right before a drop, is this: that this car will never go off the track. And the designer and architect of this track is Jesus Christ. He is faithful. He is the "author and perfecter" of this roller coaster ride (Heb.12:2).

And that is why we pray, knowing that He is. That prayer chain was fun! What a blessing! Now, who is with me? Let's scream ourselves silly as this roller coaster plunges on, fastened securely onto the promises of God:

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!

Bruce on the RADIO #8

October 6 - NOW ARCHIVED
Live interview on the program "Northland Notebook" at 8:40AM PDT. You can listen online at www.wwjc.com
Listen to the archived interview now.

October 9
Live interview on KPYN-AM in Atlanta, Texas at 7:00AM PDT. You can listen online at www.amen900.com (Click on LISTEN LIVE)


"Christian Water Cooler" Interview Archived
You can listen to Bruce's live interview now archived. Click here.

Email from Bruce #2

From: Bruce
To: Ronald
Subj: South Africa Crusade
Date: September 29, 2006

Hi, little brother. Back from Africa, praise Jesus. Sooo sleepy. Off to sleep the traveling off. I'll call you when I come back to life. Thanks.

From: Ronald
To: Bruce
Subj: RE: South Africa Crusade
Date: September 29, 2006

"I'll call you when I come back to life."

Will that be in three days? :-P

Happy hibernating. See ya soon.

By the way, the prayer chain is still going! And it's going strong. I feel very strengthened by the prayers, and I know these prayers are precious in the sight of our God. We're coming together in even greater unity. PRAISE JESUS.

Prayer Chain

Hello everyone :-)

While Bruce is ministering in South Africa, I thought it would be fun to start a "Blogo-Prayer-Chain," here.

(But, first a word of encouragement. The phrase, "do the things you did at the first," comes to mind. I've decided to repeat old ideas to increase awareness of JOHN. And try contacting again the people I've contacted before. "Do the things you did at the first.")

Now, here's how the prayer chain works. I'll start it off here with the first sentence or two. Then, everyone keeps adding an additional sentence (limit - 2 sentences!)

Two weeks later, I will end it with an "Amen."

Sounds like fun. Here goes...!

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for bringing us together with a passion to bring Jesus to many people through the Gospel put on film. Holy Spirit, please continue to breathe your breath of life on us...

We're on YouTube and Google Video

Bruce's video greeting is now available on

YouTube



and

Google Video



You can use these videos to email them to your friends or embed these videos on your own space, blog, or website. (Google Video even lets you download the video!)

Enjoy!

How Beautiful...

How beautiful on the mountains /Are the feet of those who bring good news / Who proclaim peace / Who bring good tidings / Who proclaim salvation / Who say to Zion / "Your God reigns!" (Isa. 52:7)

Did you receive the September John e-Newsletter in your email box today? There's so much more in the newsletter that blessed me--stories of God's people touching lives and blessing others--but, let me just share with you this little picture:

God's people are out there, armed with the free materials they ordered from the website, and talking to people! I know there are so many more "out there" in so many different ways, shape and form, spreading the word about the Word that is about to "come to life" on film! (Sorry, I had to use that pun!)

I'm running out of words adequate enough to express the joy of knowing that we're all coming together to bring the salvation and joy and love of Jesus to the hearts of many, through a "little" movie called The Gospel According To John. PRAISE JESUS.

Bruce on the RADIO #7

Bruce will be on the radio.


"Christian Water Cooler w/ Bill Gruber and Caz Taylor" on wsRadio.com
Saturday, September 9, 2006
11:00AM PDT

Click here to listen live!

Suddenly

Some of you will remember this picture. It's from an email that was sent to us from one of the John supporters:

I experienced a little bit of this kind of thing happening to me last night. I was talking with two of my good friends over the phone. (The three of us were on a "party line.") We were making all kinds of small talk, and then the conversation started turning deeper. And all of us were facing one kind of dilemma or another. And we were complaining, seeing no way out of our individual dire situations when all of a sudden, one of us said, "Wait a minute. The whole point of our Christian lives is to 'seek holiness.' That's the answer for me! I'm supposed to seek holiness, and not worry about trying to do a balancing act between living as a Christian and living in the world."

This, of course, had a ripple effect on all of us, and we were suddenly seeing the "solution" to all our so-called problems. We needed to focus on the truth that the Christian life is meant to be tough, and because of that we rely on the Holy Spirit to give us grace and strength to carry on.

Yeah, the three of us realized what had just happened: God had "snuck up on us" and had made His way into our conversation. It was amazing! I thought, this excitement was what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego must have been feeling in the fiery furnace when they saw the "fourth man"--the preincarnate Christ--in the flames, with them.

I mean, suddenly He was there in our conversation--"without previous warning."

And is it okay if I believe, that just as suddenly, He'll make provision for John, as His people respond in giving of themselves for the saving of lives...through a "little" film called, The Gospel According To John.

So, let's keep on, in bringing about greater awareness of John throughout the body of Christ, because we'll never know what someone might do with a postcard we gave them; with a web address we gave them; or a DVD we showed them; or a brochure; or a web banner. We just never know. God can do anything.

The Rabbit Hole

As with some of my previous posts, the subject of this entry will eventually have something to do with John.

I feel like I am right now sitting in front of the character "Morpheus" from the film The Matrix (1999). And he's asking me if I'm ready to--if I want to--go down the "rabbit hole" of discovery that will lead me to see things in the light of reality.

In the film, The Matrix, we have a world where human beings are grown in a factory by sentient robots, and the robots have created a computer program whereby people are made to live in a virtual fantasy world that looks and feels just like a normal world, when in fact all the humans are asleep in coffin-like containers, hooked up to a computer, while their body's natural energy is harvested for the use of the robots.

Of course some of the humans have figured this out, freed themselves from the computer-generated virtual world called "the Matrix" and it is now their mission to free others, by exposing the truth about the Matrix to individuals who are willing to listen.

Once again I've been asking deep questions as to "Why am I here?" and "What purpose am I serving?" and "Am I even making a difference in the kingdom of God?"

These past two months, the Lord would take me down another "rabbit hole," one that would cause me to examine myself once again, in the light of reality. I began to see my own deep-rooted character flaws. And with this understanding, He's slowly chipping away at my stubborn-ness...my pride.

And finally, the answer to "Why am I here?" -- is that I am here to make a difference. By being Jesus--not of my own strength, but by "dying" to myself and letting Jesus' character ooze out through me. I know, I'm being vague, but right now, it's the best I can explain. The Lord is giving me a course-correction, a heart-correction, a motivation-correction.

And He's showing me, that if I am to do anything that holds water, is that I have to know that it's about that man that Jesus loves. That woman that Jesus loves. That child. That teen. That college kid.

It's ringing in my ears: "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and WEEP WITH THOSE WHO WEEP!"

Every time you become a listening ear to some one who needs another human being to catch their tears, see their blood, and send prayers to God...

...and every time some one sends a dollar in toward the realization of John--it is to do a small thing for His glory that actually holds water. Done in sincerity. Done in humility. Done in the grace of God. Done in the hope that we would, together with other precious human beings, go down the rabbit hole of discovering the flesh-and-blood love of Jesus Christ--together crying, together bleeding, and together triumphing in Love, in Truth, in Beauty--who is Jesus Christ--the Word of God made flesh.

"In the beginning was the Word..."(John 1:1) Imagine that.

The e-Newsletter...and more

There is so much going on at the John website!

Bruce is doing some more radio and TV appearances on behalf of John.

Sharon at Marchiano Ministries has set up a brand new, awesome John e-Newsletter that is full of updates, new information, and reports coming in from John supporters all around the world--and of the wonderful things that the Lord is bringing about. (This is also a great tool to spread the news about John because you can fill out a form to have the newsletter emailed to your friends!)

Go to www.gospelaccordingtojohn.com and click on recent updates to get in on all the goings on.

Finally, a word of encouragement to all of us involved in this kingdom project (and to any Christian laboring for His kingdom):

Currently my Bible reading plan is taking me through the book of Nehemiah. In reading chapter 4, it really blessed me: The Jewish people have returned from their captivity in Babylon to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah's leadership. And I saw how everyone contributed, how everyone did their part, and how the surrounding nations would attack and taunt the wall-builders, but they kept at it, arming themselves with swords, and they kept at it, saying:

"Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes [...] The work is great [...] Our God will fight for us"(Neh. 4:14,19-20).

And so, we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. (And go, go, go, sign up for the e-newsletter if you haven't already!)

Precipice

FADE IN:

It's been weeks now that Bruce has been praying. Serving. Caring. For his father who is battling what doctors tell him is an immune system malfunction leaving his blood deficient in platelets.

I myself was diagnosed (in March 2006) with chronic kidney disease due to IgA Nephropathy - my kidneys have been declared unviable. It's a degenerative disease. I'm 23-years-old, and my doctors have told me that my immune system has been silently attacking my own kidneys since I was (roughly around) 13 years old, and that there's no stopping it.

But, now I'm showing signs of recovery. Barely a week out of the hospital I was taken off of all my blood pressure meds. And two months ago the evaluation was: "Your kidneys are holding up." As of last week it's: "Your kidneys are stable."

And starting this past Sunday, I can feel a renewed surge of energy and clarity of mind, that I hadn't known since March.

Bruce's father, too, is healing. Doctors can't figure it out but they took him off all meds 2 weeks ago, and suddenly, "unexplainably" his platelets are rising. Today they crossed into six figures - more than twice what the doctors were aiming for. (Bruce is now praying harder than ever, though - says he's holding out for perfect!).

Is it okay if I believe that these are simply manifestations of God's healing grace, "For by His wounds we have been healed."

And now JOHN is "front page news" over at ChristianityTodayMovies.com

DISSOLVE TO:

The title of this blog entry is "precipice." Webster's Dictionary defines the word this way: "a very steep or overhanging place."

That's exactly where I feel I am in my life. (What is going to be the final outcome? How will these themes play out in my life?) And that seems to reflect the current nature of this JOHN journey - as if He's pushing us toward another precipice. But, exactly what it is, or where it's headed, or how all the details will weave together in His hands, is a mystery to me.

And that's when I remember what Bruce has been saying all along - that God is building a testimony through JOHN. That, the story of the making of JOHN will ultimately be a testament to the sheer "bigness of God," unimaginable, and that testimony is as important as JOHN itself.

This is why Bruce is approaching JOHN the way it's being approached, as God put it on his heart and as God led him. Bruce has said it many times: God desires to build a testimony through the making of JOHN by which it will be impossible for anyone to take credit or glory - by which it will be so obviously only by HIM.

I'm a youth pastor. My heart goes out for my students and today's teen-agers who don't remember the passion and joy-of-Jesus that was the film Matthew. (They don't remember Star Trek, either - in any of its various incarnations.)

All kidding aside, I think it's time the Gospel be put on film one more time - for the Boomers with their emptying nests, for Generation X-ers with new families, and for my generation - the Millenial Generation - who are growing up in a distinctively artificial world of MySpace and iPod.

And if it means going through the Refiner's fire one more time, that's okay. If it's going to mean more souls coming face-to-face with Jesus the Son of the Living God - then it's worth it all.

Because, on the other side of this precipice, I know Who stands there to catch me.

Bruce on the RADIO #6

Mornings with Scott & Lorri
7:30 AM (CST)
Sirius Radio ch. 159
July 26, 2006

Abiding in Christ
Syndicated Daily Radio Program
(Check local listing on Sirius Satellite Radio)
July 28, 2006

A Second Prayer for JOHN

This is from an email we received from one of our supporters in the State of Washington, Kathy R. Hope it blesses you, as it did me.

Father in heaven, what would you have me do now to encourage Bruce and the [Marchiano Ministries] team?...

I speak a blessing over them in Jesus' Name, to prosper God's work in their hands, to turn that Sword of the Spirit in their hands, this way and that, so that the light sparkles off the Word in all directions, so that the light flashes into people's eyes and catches their attention. As light sparkles on the blue waters, so let the light of Your favor sparkle on the Word as they hold that Sword up...

Oh, Lord Jesus, give them strength, courage, and wisdom to hold You up high. Draw all men to Yourself. Draw those trapped in Islam. Draw those snared in materialism. Draw those blinded by humanism. Draw all men, all men, all women, all children, all, all, unto Yourself, Lord Jesus. To the glory of God the Father, to the heart's joy of God the Father, to the expansive shout of joy of the Holy Spirit, Holy Breath of God singing over creation, exulting in the power of Your strength, mighty to save...

Father, what do we have to offer You but our love and our lives, and the prayer that You would make us obedient and faithful. You alone can touch our lives to bring beauty and meaning into being. Thank You, Lord. We thank You with all our hearts...

Open up the way before this Gospel film. Lift up the way. Open the doors. Open people's ears and spiritual eyes and hearts, to see what You see. We want to move with You, Lord, not ask You to move with us. Make it clear to us what is the next step. Teach us to dance with You, Lord...

And thank You so much for all that has gone before this step; all the steps up to now, all Your provision that we are discovering as we move forward with You. O God, we long for Your hand of blessing, protection, and guidance on our lives, on the work of our lives...

Father in heaven, we worship You. We lift up the needs of the people in our sphere, near and far. O God, be glorified, be lifted up. We love You, Lord.

Amen, to that.

Bruce on the RADIO #5

Date
July 17-21, 2006


Time
Nightly 6:10 p.m. PDT

Station Information
Total Impact with Kurt Goff
SOS Radio - Las Vegas

Listen online at:
www.sosradio.net

The Revelation to John

I just wanted to share with you about what I'm learning through that other book that God chose the Apostle John to write: The Book of Revelation.

"Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy,
and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it,
for the time is near."
(Rev. 1:3)

I've been reading the first couple chapters - the letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor. Each of those letters is a loving challenge from our Savior. And the entire book of Revelation reminds us to see the "bigger picture," of the spiritual nature of our existence.

As Bruce has said so many times, God is building a testimony through JOHN. A testimony of lives touched by Jesus. Changed by Jesus. A testimony of the love of God - that we can barely comprehend:

"O LORD, what is man that you regard him,
or the son of man that you think of him?"
(Psa. 144:3)

How He loves us, as to include us in His kingdom work! Let us pray, let us give. And let us pray. And yes - even fast. And let us keep on keeping on - and here's the key - "with all His energy that He powerfully works within [us]"(Col. 1:29).

Praise Jesus!

Email from Bruce

This is an email I got from Bruce today. Thought I'd share it with you, because...it's about the heart of JOHN, which is, the salvation of souls.

Enjoy!

JOHN is different, brother - different in it's goal and that makes it different in every way; down to the writing, casting, shooting style... as long as we keep that goal of souls before us and as long as we stay on our faces before Him we can't go wrong. Seeking, obedience no matter what it looks like to human or "film expert" eyes. Yes, that's the key. Even now as I work with this new script consultant there is the constant pull in her notes to "make it a movie," if you know what I mean. Her notes are good and they're right - if we're making a movie. But we're not making a movie - we're bringing the gospel to film. The thing that has to happen is not drama or a good story... but understanding Jesus, Salvation, the kingdom of God. I tell you, as I meet with Christian media and industry folks, I am learning that this is a very difficult thing for them to wrap their minds around. But the "everyday believers" get it - and that's the "test" we're looking to pass. GLORY TO THE NAME OF JESUS!

Spent loads of time in prayer for the funding this morning. Brother, we just plain need miracles - big miracles. What we need is for awareness to spread through the Body and for folks to be obedient when God whispers to them to give. A dollar here and five dollars there.... spread over the vast expanse of the Body, it's nothing. And that's the miracle God laid before me for the foundation of JOHN. It's a "Body" thing. Not a movie thing or "names of Christianity" thing. It's all of us coming together across nations and denominations, laying our tiny offerings before the Lord, and watching His "tabernacle" (Exodus 53, 36) be built... by His children, through their simple, humble, precious giving. Hey, God's eye is on those "give-ers." They put a smile on His face big time. Glory to Jesus!

So... I'll check in with you later. Let's hit IHOP later this week. (Yes, IHOP is the other key! hee hee!). Let me know when it's a good day.

Bruce on the RADIO #4

From a comment by Sharon (at "New Wine Bottles?"):

Announcing another radio interview that can be heard on the internet!

June 29, 2006
“Live with Jeff and Lee”
KKMS AM980
Minneapolis/St. Paul
5:15 p.m. CDT (3:15 PDT)
www.kkms.com

Anyone, anywhere can listen to these interviews online – just connect to their web site and click on the listen button.

Need to figure out the time zone difference for your location – go to www.timeanddate.com where you will find a time converter. You can convert the CDT by using Chicago to match up to your location – or you can convert the PDT by using Los Angeles to match up to your location.

New Wine Bottles?

Last week I visited the Whole Foods Market in West L.A.

Walking the aisles I saw shelves of wine and hard liquor - Vodka and the like. And what struck me were the bottles. One in particular was white and translucent with a tear drop shape, with an added long beautiful slender neck. It made the drink inside look very tasty (is that the word?).

Wine is still wine, and liquor is still liquor, but my eyes immediately went to that trendy looking bottle.

Now, I don't drink, but I bring this up, because if Jesus used an analogy of "new wine" going into "new wineskins," I figured, I could take a cue from Him and use this modern-day wine bottle design to say something.

This past friday I had the opportunity to show an old Christian music video to my youth group. I grew up on this stuff and I know it tremendously inspired me to live for the kingdom of God when I was 13 years-old. But, I had forgotten that these videos are now over 10 years old. And these kids are of a different generation. Only ten years younger than me, yet they were never around to witness the birth of the Information Superhighway - the Internet as we know it today - is something that, in their minds, always was.

No, I'm not trying to make a separation between the generations. In the Body of Christ, there is no such thing. The Spirit of God brings unity in the bond of love.

But, back to the Vodka (and yes, I'll get to JOHN somewhere in this blog!). It was striking to see it in a deliciously new fangled bottle.

Last week I picked up a worship music CD called "Passion: Everything Glorious." It's a live recording born out of the Passion Conferences in the U.S. for college-aged people. The music is all out rock. Yet, the lyrics, and the spirit of the songs, and the guest speakers (like John Piper, Beth Moore, even Kirk Cameron) often associated with the Passion Conferences - their message is simply this: Let's live a Christ-centered life.

These college kids attending these conferences call themselves the "268 Generation." It's from Isaiah 26:8, which says,

Yes, LORD, walking in the way of Your laws, we wait for You;
Your Name and renown are the desire of our hearts.

One of the songs on this CD is called "All We Need," and a part of the lyrics goes like this: "Rich or poor, God, I want You more / Than anything that glitters in this world" (Written by Charlie Hall. Copyright 2006 by worshiptogether.com Songs / sixsteps Music [ASCAP] / Admin. by EMI CMG Publishing).

Did you hear that? These college kids, instead of drinking it up or partying it up, are saying with all their being: God, I want You more than anything that glitters in this world!

JOHN is a project for the entire Body of Christ. Young and old. Black and White. Yellow and Brown. American and Russian. Chinese and Mexican. African and European. It's for the suburban church. It's for the underground church. It's for those who have bowed the knee to Jesus - and for those who have yet to "taste and see that the LORD is good."

So, I've begun to email the headquarters of the Passion Movement at 268generation.com. I've sent a postcard to the headquarters of JAMA: Jesus Awakening Movement for America/All Nations. These are the ministries that I know of who want to reach the young generation, to call them to arms for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To live God-centered lives. I'm sure there are many more ministries like these.

Oh, how I was touched to receive a message from a believer in Croatia, who prays for JOHN. Oh, how I was touched to see a message from a brother in South Africa. (The World Cup will go to South Africa in 2010. I pray that the Gospel would go forth as well.)

Contact the radio stations. Talk to your local pastors. Talk to your friends and neighbors. Contact the youth conferences. "Preach the gospel in season and out of season."

We are co-laborers in His kingdom. "Onward Christian solider, marching as to war..." As we fix our eyes on Jesus, propelled by the Spirit of God, "we stand alone together," as we strive with the Spirit of God to bring THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN to the screen and JESUS into the hearts of many.

Bruce on the RADIO #3

From a comment by Sharon (at "Bruce on the RADIO #2"):

Here’s an update on two radio interviews coming up:

Saturday, June 24 – 10 a.m. CDT
Circle of Friends
90.1 FM WMBI – Chicago
www.wmbi.fm

Thursday, June 29 – 7:40-8:00 a.m. CDT
The Morning Show
88.3 WJNF
www.wjnf.org

Anyone, anywhere can listen to these interviews online – just connect to their web site and click on the listen button.

Need to figure out the time zone difference for your location – go to www.timeanddate.com where you will find a time converter. Both of these shows are in the Central (US) time zone so just convert the time for Chicago to your location.

A Prayer for JOHN

I read this prayer left by a fellow John supporter and immediately was struck by a sense of awe. It was a prayer so drenched in the Word and the Spirit, it almost seemed prophetic to me.

I recall this prayer now with media opportunities for John beginning to open up and remind myself that it is "not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord."

I remind myself that this prayer is only representative of the countless hours that countless saints of God spent in their prayer closets for the better part of 10 years (I presume) for John.

I hope this prayer blesses you, too (if you haven't yet seen it).

The following is excerpted from a comment by KTR (at "The Word to the World - Pt 1"):

"Father in heaven, thank You for bringing us together in the Spirit. Grant us the grace and courage we need to walk closely with Jesus, identifying with Him in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Grant us Your love for those still in darkness, but more than that, grant us Your love for each other, so that those in the darkness will see our unity in Christ and believe...

"Oh, Lord, we love Your Word. The Gospel of John is such a wonderful gift from Your heart to Your bride. Lead Bruce in putting it into film format, so that multitudes upon multitudes can see and hear how 'I AM' became flesh and dwelt among us, all for love. So that one by one, people can get a glimpse of Who You are, what You've done just for them, and how responding to You is the entire point of their existence...

"Father God, we ask You to cause the growth of this project in love, to let the news of it run throughout the Church and win the support of the entire Body of Christ. We ask that we would continually lay down our thoughts and our ways, and receive Your thoughts and Your ways. We take off our own shoes, our own plans, and we receive the holy shoes of the gospel of peace that You have prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Thank You so much for all of this, for all of each other, for all of You. We bless You, Lord."

When Leaving a Comment

Praise God!

Everytime I see a new comment on this blog, I get so excited, and praise God that He's brought us together in this work.

As the blog grows, in order to aid in the better communication in our blog world, let me ask you to follow a simple procedure when leaving a comment:

If you DO NOT have a Blogger account, please do not use the "Anonymous" option. Instead, please select the option called "Other" and type in your screen name. This is so that we don't end up with a bunch of comments - all by a person named "anonymous." When choosing the "Other" option, you do not need to submit an email address.

Examples of screen names (the possibilities are endless as you can make up any screen name as you'd like):

• jesus-luvr
• chloe s.
  
• jesus freak 2001
• james k.

If you DO have a Blogger account, please log in to your account and leave us a comment identifying yourself using your Blogger name.

I'll write an actual blog entry real soon. Until then, news of Bruce's media appearances on behalf of JOHN is really exciting. PRAISE JESUS!

Bruce on the RADIO #2

I am "utterly amazed" as I write these words...God is awesome!

From a comment by Sharon (at "Bruce on the RADIO"):


Announcing another radio interview:

Saturday, June 24 - 8:00 a.m. PDT
Circle of Friends
90.1 FM WMBI – Chicago

You can listen to the interview online at: www.wmbi.fm

Bruce will be sharing his vision for “The Gospel According to John.” Thanks for your prayers!

Thanks to everyone for their work to help get the word out. It's happening! Praise God!!!

Bruce on the RADIO

From a comment by Sharon (at "The Word to the World Pt 2"):

Just wanted to alert the bloggers that Bruce will be talking about "The Gospel According to John" on ["Live From Seattle with Thor Tolo"] this Tuesday (June 20, 2006) at 5:15 PM [Pacific Standard Time - U.S.]. That’s on 820AM - KGNW in the Seattle, WA area. You can get more information on the station at their web site www.kgnw.com.

Thanks KT for getting the word out to the radio station for us!!!

The Word to the World (Pt 2)

What is the uniqueness of JOHN?

So far, there have been over one hundred "Jesus movies" made. Films about Jesus.

In my phone conversation with Bruce earlier today, I shared with him what I had been learning from a book called When I Don't Desire God by John Piper.

As Christians we all know how important the Bible is to our daily walk with Jesus. It is central. It is our final authority. Jesus is the very Word of God.

But, Piper expressed this very uniquely:

He pointed to 1 Samuel 3:21, "And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD," and expounded it like this: "As the Word was heard, the Lord was seen. In the hearing was the seeing. The spiritual hearing of God's Word becomes the spiritual seeing of God's glory" (Piper, 95).

And that's the goal of JOHN. By making a word-for-word, scripture-by-scripture film of the entire Gospel According to John in the New International Version (NIV) of the Holy Bible, we are presenting before a generation of people saturated by multi-media: the Word of God, so that in hearing it, they may "see" the heart of Jesus, by the Spirit of God.

That's why JOHN won't be "just another Jesus movie." It will be His Word, and the Spirit of God revealing Jesus through that Word.

So, Bruce prays about the scripting process. To weed out everything that is "of man," and seeks only the things of the Spirit - without losing sight of the fact that this is a film, and it must be done with creative/artistic excellence (and still be driven by the Spirit and dripping with His anointing).

"In the beginning was the Word..." (John 1:1).
Drumroll!
Fanfare!
The Glory of God!
Jesus Himself!

The Word to the World

Hello, everyone!

While Bruce is busy attending to his father in the hospital, he's not able to check our blog, but I just got off the phone with him. He's really excited to hear that the blog is really coming alive. He was blessed to hear of comments coming in from various people including South Africa!

"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in ALL THE WORLD."

Thank you for prayers and support so that through JOHN the Word can go out to the world.

I've got to share a lesson I'm learning from a book about the power of the Word... but next time ;-)

Remember Hope

The crucifixion of Jesus was (seemingly) the greatest victory for the enemy. But as it turned out, it was actually the crucifixion that was the defeat of Satan, and hell and death and the grave. It is the cross that has given us life eternal.

It seems the enemy is pulling out all the stops to deter the work of MarchMin and JOHN. Even at my church, I'm experiencing the enemy trying to gnaw away at my spiritual strength - and in turn the entire youth ministry there.

But, we "stick to our guns." We don't buckle, nor do we give in to the ways of men. Instead, we "pray, pray, pray."

Let me share with you a passage of Scripture that I shared with my youthworkers at church today. It's Psalm 71:1

In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.

Where ever it is you are, whatever it is you are struggling through, trust in the words of Jesus, and have hope. His Word is true forever. "Heaven and earth shall disappear, but my words remain forever."

Bruce is standing strong and JOHN continues to move forward in God's undaunted faithfulness.

So, remember the words of Jesus...and have hope. He'll never let you or I to be put to shame because we have taken refuge in Him.

Ideas...

Hi. Ronald here again :)

I just came back from sending another one of the JOHN postcards. And I thought, "I wonder what other are people doing in promoting this project?"

What's your story? Share with us your ideas.

No Need for a Machete Through This Jungle

Where do I begin?

It began in high school.
I had a small part to play in a community film project. A youth anti-tobacco campaign. We were spoofing the popular The X-Files TV series and I played the part of an informant, assisting the special agents on assignment against Big Tobacco.

I was bitten by the bug.
I wanted to “be in film.”
As a writer. Or a director. Someone who could control the story. I would produce stories that shed the Light of the Gospel to darkened hearts of men.

But that was high school. My dreams went bust.
In college I majored in Creative Writing and did not go to film school. Close, but no cigar, as they say. Instead I heard a still small voice: “You won’t have to machete your way through this jungle. Trust in Me.”

There were many false starts and promises. Plenty of opportunities to forsake the commandment to “have no other gods before Me,” and instead place my dreams in the hands of another besides God.

Rare internship opportunities at a Christian film studio in Hollywood. After that, another internship at a major film studio in Hollywood. Secular. Bigger. Better. More potential to “make it big.”

All the while, was I forgetting His words, “Whoever humbles himself will be exalted, and whoever exalts himself will be humbled”?

In the end I returned to my original course. The one I had been inspired to take when I was a sixth-grader: To become a youth pastor.

I graduated college. Started seminary. Turned in applications to local churches.
I was slowly letting go of the False Promises of “making it big in Hollywood.” Instead, I was reclaiming my right as a child of the One who was born in a manger. Jesus peeled away the desirous things in my life that would only serve to distract me and drew my attention back to Him.

Painful as it was, I surrendered. I let go of the many machetes. And I held His Hands and allowed myself to be led by the One who had been through this Jungle called Life On Earth, two-thousand years ahead of me.

That’s when I saw…a website. It read:

“Marchiano Ministries…an exclusive agreement with IBS…to bring to film The Gospel According to John in the NIV…”

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

I had first been introduced to Marchiano Ministries when I was in high school, watching an infomercial about the film Matthew. I waited and waited for the prices to go down. I collected and collected what little allowance money I got. By the time I got a hold of the movie, it was already the late 1990’s and a new video format became available—the DVD. In the intervening time until I could afford to get Matthew, I picked up Bruce’s [Bruce Marchiano, the actor who portrayed Jesus in the film Matthew] book In the Footsteps of Jesus and soaked in the testimonies on set. Soaked in the love of Jesus so deeply experienced by this actor/missionary.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. John was finally coming to film.
I got so excited, I quickly drew up a kind of poster for John that I thought would look great on the MarchMin website to promote the new film project. I emaled it to MarchMin.

Wonder of wonders, a few days later I actually got a response from someone named Sharon, saying they really liked the poster and were interested in possibly using it.

We kept corresponding over email, as I was sending in different versions of the initial poster design, making adjustments per Sharon’s request.

Then, a strange, unbelievable email came from Sharon: “Can you send me your phone number, Bruce would like to meet with you.”

I met Bruce at a small family restaurant in Burbank, CA on a Saturday afternoon in mid-November of 2005. During our long 4-hour conversation about all things Jesus and all things Ministry and all things Film and all things The Salvation Of Souls, I heard a whisper of a reminder in my heart:

“You won’t have to machete your way through this jungle…just surrender your dreams to Me and I will bring you through into Kingdom adventure after Kingdom adventure…that you might glorify Me…You have waited for a John film from MarchMin for nearly 10 years. So has Bruce. This is a moment I have arranged. I planted a dream in your heart you couldn’t fathom, so you never even asked Me for it in prayer. But, this is a moment I have arranged. Ten years I had Bruce carry this burden to bring The Gospel According to John to film. Ten years it took for you, my child, to grow in faith. To deepen in your trust in Me. To come to a place of surrender where I could use you.”

And He still speaks.
After that first Saturday meeting, the next day, a Sunday, I preached in front of a group of thirty middle-schoolers. I am their pastor today.

This Journey With Jesus continues.

Jim Elliot, the missionary to an Amazon tribe, once said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."

Maybe this is what Jesus was talking about when He said, “Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Our journey into the heart of the Savior deepens as we pray and as we labor with the Holy Spirit to bring John to the screen and Jesus into the hearts of many.

This “John Blog” will chronicle that journey. If Jesus ever ran for President, I wonder what His campaign slogan would have been? Can I take a wild guess? “Pick Up Your Cross And Follow Me!”

Follow our progress, as I share our Journey-with-Jesus stories on Making The Film: The Official Blog for The Gospel According to John.