Summary: Watch for FREE – The Pilgrim’s Progress. This relevant film is about facing trials of many kinds, but deciding to continue the journey. The film is based on one of the world’s most widely read books written by the late evangelist John Bunyan while in prison.
Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. – 1 Timothy 4:15 (ESV)
Two Filmmakers
This week I would like to introduce you to a friend of mine, Steve Cleary, the founder of RevelationMedia. Steve is producing iBIBLE, a visual interactive Bible that is free to the world. We will be talking more about the iBIBLE project in future Thinker Updates.
Steve started his work in missions in 1989 as a volunteer for The Voice of the Martyrs. He joined the staff in 1990 and traveled with the founders Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand around the world. Their story has been told in the book “Tortured for Christ,” and recently made into the award-winning film of which Steve was the executive producer.
Of course, Steve and I connected through filmmaking. We both won top awards this past year at the International Christian Visual Media Convention (ICVM). Patterns of Evidence won best documentary for The Moses Controversy.
Steve won awards for the animated film The Pilgrim’s Progress. I will let Steve explain more about this below. But Steve has provided a great opportunity for our Christian readers and anyone interested in classic literature to view the film for free.
Keep Thinking,
Tim Mahoney
John Bunyan was also in self-quarantine
If you have been reading my emails, you know I have been recovering from a heart attack in January. My doctor called this week and explained that with my weakened heart, the COVID-19 virus would be especially dangerous for me. Therefore, Debra and I agreed it would be best if I practiced a self-imposed quarantine for the next few weeks. Fortunately, I can do most of my work from home.
I am sure many of you reading this are also under quarantine, or practicing social distancing as a family, and my prayers go out to you if you or your family have contracted the virus or happen to be at a higher risk, as I am.
This past week, we launched the free online viewing of The Pilgrim’s Progress, and it was an immediate success. After launching, our team was looking for ways to expand the campaign around the USA and around the world. It was then that I realized an interesting fact: John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim’s Progress, was also under a self-imposed quarantine when he wrote his famous allegory—not what you might think, but a choice he had, nonetheless.
You see, when John was arrested, they offered to let him go free if he simply agreed to stop preaching the gospel. However, with such a passion to reach the lost, John knew he wouldn’t obey man’s laws; he would preach. Therefore, he refused their demands and remained in prison for a total of 12 years!
John Bunyan had a choice: Stop preaching, or be imprisoned. He believed being imprisoned was better than disobeying God. That is passion and dedication! Would I do the same? Would you? In reality, John chose a life of isolation over agreeing to the government’s laws against preaching.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. – James 1:2-3 (ESV)
There was a time during his imprisonment when the guards let him sneak out of prison to be with his family and preach—only he had to literally sneak back in later that day. God is faithful! And of course, John Bunyan became one of the most important preachers in history after penning The Pilgrim’s Progress!
Situations around the world are difficult right now. A portion of our country, and the world, have shut down. There is a global risk of one of the most contagious viruses mankind has ever seen. People have lost jobs, and lives are at risk. However, we can have confidence that God is faithful!
Many men, women, and children have faced severe persecution because they chose to serve Christ, even knowing the risks. My spiritual mentor, Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, spent 14 years in communist prisons because he chose to lead the underground church. His wife, Sabina, also served in a labor camp on the Danube. Many of their Christian brothers and sisters never survived the prisons. To live as a Christian contained far more risk, but they gladly faced it to serve Christ!
Even during this time of social distancing and quarantines, we can serve God. Ask Him what He might have you do, how you can glorify Him in this time. I’ve always believed that the best blessings come from the most difficult of trials. Men like John Bunyan and Richard Wurmbrand would surely agree!
Throughout history, we can see that in times of difficulty, persecution, and even plagues, God is with His people, and He is with us in these difficult days as well. Of that we can be certain. Did you know that nearly all of Martin Luther’s students fled from the university in 1527 because of the Bubonic Plague? Because he and his wife Katherine took in so many sick and dying people, their house had to be quarantined even after the plague ended.
I am so encouraged now to be airing The Pilgrim’s Progress online for free. To me, it is the best allegorical story that represents the true Christian life. Think of it as an extended parable. It is not sugar-coated. When people shared with me that the story may be too strong, I answered that it is certainly not “The LEGO Pilgrim’s Movie.” Our desire was to stay true to the spirit of the book.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS FREE
The Pilgrim’s Progress encourages the believer and evangelizes the lost! When we made the film, we said it was not ours to own. It belonged to John Bunyan and the Church, and we are just stewarding the film!
Please consider joining us in one or more of these ways to help share the message of The Pilgrim’s Progress during these trying times.
- Share on your social media. If you have a Facebook account, share this post about the free online viewing of The Pilgrim’s Progress. We also set up www.WatchPilgrims.com/Patterns as an easy domain to share. We have already had thousands of people a day coming to the site from social media.
- Share with your church. We have spoken with many churches that are overjoyed to share the online viewing with their entire congregation. Would your church, while worshipping at home, like to see the film? Simply use their social media pages or email list (with permission from the pastor) and encourage people to go to the website
- Support the outreach. Of course, while we offer the airings for free, we have expense in supporting the bandwidth and getting the word out. If God is leading you, please consider making a contribution to support the free airings. Simply click this link to make your donation.
Together we will serve our God who is always faithful!
From our home to yours, have a blessed weekend,
Steve Cleary
CEO/Founder : RevelationMedia
