Summary: Tim Mahoney casts a vision for Patterns of Evidence and why this work is so significant for today. He shares how you can join in the work, while receiving a special thank you gift DVD of “The Star of Bethlehem.”
Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law. – Proverbs 29:18 (ESV)
Our Next Film – Patterns of Evidence: Journey to Mount Sinai
One of the most significant biblical events took place at Mount Sinai during the Exodus. God tells Moses to declare to the people of Israel, “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagle’s wings and brought you to myself ” (Exodus 19:4).
Today, many scholars dismiss the historical account at Mount Sinai, stating there is no evidence! But Exodus explorers are challenging this claim. They believe scholars were looking in the wrong place all along. Others argue for different mountain locations with supporting evidence that includes ancient inscriptions using the world’s oldest alphabet. This will be part of the engaging investigation that we are excited to present in 2022 and it is just one example of what we have planned for the future.
So I want to build a case for why Patterns of Evidence films are an important faith building experience for you and your family, and show you how you can join the investigation as we prepare to release Patterns of Evidence: Journey to Mount Sinai.
The Truth Challenge
I think it’s very accurate to say we are facing a world filled with uncertainty, and many don’t know where to turn for truth. They don’t know what to believe. In some cases, this includes our children and grandchildren. The world’s youth culture has powerful messages bombarding them daily, creating a world devoid of God, the Bible, and their purpose in life, which the Bible tells us is to glorify God (Isa. 43:7).
Media and the Messenger
We live in a world dominated by the currency of media, social media, mass media, and digital media, all presenting competing worldviews with talented messengers that are reshaping the way we view morality, God, and the world.
Did you know that Netflix’s production budget for 2021 is over $17 billion? It’s hard to fathom what is being created with that investment for just this year. And what about the other media companies like Amazon, Apple, Hulu, and the movie studios like Sony, Disney, Twentieth Century Fox and the TV Networks?
These messengers challenge our beliefs about the past, who we are today, and what the future will become. The messengers reinterpret truth as relative – increasingly calling evil good, and good evil (Isaiah 5:20). And we, along with our children and grandchildren, spend time with them every day. It’s no surprise the kind of impact these messengers are having on our family and our culture.
So what are we to do? As the Psalmist David wrote,
“if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”– Psalm 11:3 (ESV)
It is easy to just throw up our hands and think we can’t change anything. But that is not true. Just as the Israelites were faced with challenges in their day, we too can be encouraged by the biblical message.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9 (ESV)
The Netflixes of the world are not as interested in making Bible-affirming films, but we are. This is our passion and calling.
Preparing the Way of the Lord
When I first started to work on the Patterns of Evidence films. I prayed for several years about what the films were about. I had a sense that what we were doing was really big, in fact, more extensive than I imagined. Every time we thought we were finished, the project kept getting bigger.
One day, I was reading in the book of Isaiah chapter 40,
A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:3-5)
I could see that the Patterns of Evidence approach was lifting up valleys where false interpretations had pushed down the truth; it was removing mountains of doubt and skepticism by looking beyond tradition to the patterns of evidence that really were there.
Of the Lord
This past month, I gave a keynote address to a group of Christian filmmakers, using this theme “Prepare, the Way, of the Lord.” I told them they had to discern if the projects they were choosing to work on were “Of the Lord.” If they were… then people would join in the calling. We have thousands of testimonies that are telling us yes, these films are of the Lord!
I want to share how deeply moved I am in my faith having watched all of the Patterns of Evidence films. Thank you! Profoundly moved in my soul to worship the ONE TRUE God. – Steve
I just wanted to say how grateful I am for what you’ve done, and the answers you provided to the huge questions I had. I can’t begin to tell you how many that was, and how specific my questions were. You addressed SOO many. You answered most of the major frustrations in my search. – Sean
I really needed these films and (you wanna hear a God thing) they literally saved my life. I was at a time in my life a few months ago where I had decided to take my own life. I was on my couch looking through movies and I saw the trailer for the Moses film so I watched it, not knowing there was an Exodus movie. So I found it and watched it and then watched them both 2 more times. So I’m telling you [these] movies literally saved my life. – RK
Casting the Vision
After our first film, Patterns of Evidence: The Exodus, I prayed for wisdom about what to do next. I felt the Lord impressed upon my heart to “Cast a Vision.” So my fellow writing partner and researcher Steve Law and I outlined 18 full-length films, working our way through the Bible with the Patterns of Evidence approach. We are now working on films 5, 6 and 7.
We have the vision but we don’t have the financial resources at this time to move forward with the large scope of this calling. Originally there were 17 investors that supported the first films. But we knew we needed to open up to more people to help with this mission.
Patterns of Evidence Foundation
This past year we launched Patterns of Evidence Foundation, our 501c3 non-profit to preserve and promote the historical credibility of the Bible and pass it on to the next generation!
I am asking you to prayerfully consider supporting Patterns of Evidence Foundation as we work to release the next Patterns of Evidence film Journey to Mount Sinai this coming year 2022. This is a tax-deductible donation.
50/50 Matching Grant
After 20 years of experience and development, we are now able to make a Patterns of Evidence film for $1,000,000. This is modest compared to what the rest of the world is pouring into their films.
We have been given a 50% matching grant by one of our supporting families for a portion of the next film, which will help us greatly. This means every dollar you donate will be doubled in its effectiveness.
There Are Multiple Ways to Give
- Make out a check to Patterns of Evidence Foundation and mail it to: Patterns of Evidence Foundation 6161 Wooddale Ave. Edina, MN 55424
- You can give a one-time gift online, or for some of you it might work better to become a monthly supporter at https://patternsofevidence.com/donations/
- Grant to us from your National Christian Foundation (NCF) Giving Fund: Fed EIN # 85-1693750
For those in the USA and Canada, with a donation of $25.00 or more, we would like to give you a very special DVD “The Star of Bethlehem,” until the end of December. Presenter Rick Larson walks through biblical and historical clues revealing the incredible significance of the celestial event as well as the vastness of God’s creativity.
Thank you for being a part of the Patterns of Evidence experience and I hope you will consider joining us in the funding of this exciting and significant work.
Merry Christmas,
Timothy Mahoney
Director of Patterns of Evidence Foundation
TOP PHOTO: Timothy Mahoney filming with David Rohl scene from Patterns of Evidence: Journey to Mt Sinai at the James J. Hill House in St. Paul, Minnesota. (© 2011, Patterns of Evidence)
