by John Lindsay

 

 

The lottery is a unique way to gage a culture’s level of faith in God. The number of people attending their favorite lottery retailer would likely rival local church or synagogue attendance. The lottery isn’t evil, but it is clearly a symptom of a problem, as well as an indication of our spiritual direction. Either that or I overlooked the Bible character that was blessed for waiting until they came into money before starting their ministry.

Why is it that when we hear that someone wins the lottery we imagine a very large sum of money and when we think of faith we imagine a very small seed? We’ve been conditioned to think that way. It’s interesting that the lottery highly publicizes itself, especially when someone wins it big. And why not? If they don’t take every opportunity to spin what little positive there is, we might just calculate how many thousands of years it would take before our lucky number would hit, and reconsider recommending that behavior to our children through our action.

Since faith is designed to force us to accomplish things which are beyond our resources, what are so many waiting for? It’s clear we need to publicize works of faith the same way the lottery promotes its so-called winners, and, according to John Lindsay, producer of a new God centered morning show, Act of God, currently being performed live at the Circle B Chuckwagon in Branson, not only do we need to highlight faith accomplishments, we need to better prepare those who are ready to take their first faith steps in order to prepare them for the spiritual warfare associated with them.

“The wonderful thing about faith accomplishments is watching the way God does what He does. Through the production process of Act of God, we’ve seen first hand that not only are God’s ways not our ways, they’re polar opposites.”

God has a tendency of asking us to do things while saving the rationale for it until after it’s accomplished. “There were a number of unanswered questions during the production of Act of God,” said Lindsay. “At first the ten songs and four modern-day parables had neither form nor purpose. But God, in His perfect timing revealed His design for Act of God the day before the first rehearsal by revealing the correlation between “Act of God” and the Lord’s Prayer. The reason Act of God was written wasn’t revealed until years after the initial vision: The Bible is effective because it tells stories and records songs. Surely the Apostles remembered everything Jesus said because of the stories He told. Too often even the best sermons can’t be easily remembered because they consist of information out of context. God has reminded us through Act of God, that truth and instruction are best offered and will more likely be remembered when it’s in the context of stories and songs designed for that specific individual or community.

Logical thinkers start with the financial resources then figure out what to do and why, then give it a name, and, finally, produce and market the product. But Lindsay admits, “God didn’t reveal the ‘what’ or the ‘why’ until after it was written, but what really opened our eyes is the fact that if we had had the resources, we would have gone in a different direction than God intended in every way. The best advice for someone beginning a ministry is to ask God for the resources needed for the day and then keep your eyes open. The resources rarely come in the form you’d expect, but if what you’re doing glorifies God and not yourself, they will come. Money was needed to purchase material for the set, but instead, we received raw materials, as well as an angel named David Rabideaux, who offered his tools and art  supplies as well as several weekends overseeing the set construction and painting. Money was needed to purchase costumes. Instead, we received the unsolicited assistance of two angels within the cast along with the generosity of the Pierce Arrow Theater and Silver Dollar City. We may need to think a little less and pray, believing a little more, and assume even after ministries, churches or individuals are asked for financial  assistance and respectfully decline, that God has a more complete and valuable resource in mind.”

The spiritual warfare has been intense ever since Act of God accepted the invitation to open the show in Branson last September, and no one expects it to diminish. It simply proves we’re on the right road and moving forward in the right direction. The individual cast members were told in their audition interviews that if they weren’t ready for a front line spiritual assault, this show wasn’t for them. We constantly remind ourselves that churches are not destroyed from the outside but from within. The cast has been prepared and recognize the wedges of separation that can be imbedded within a body through discouraging words. Consequently, the battles are drawing everyone associated with the project closer.

Act of God originally had a light but slightly confrontational presentation in mind, but God reminded us that the majority of the people in Branson are on holiday, and no one is going to pay to have someone tell them everything their doing is wrong while they’re on vacation. Act of God is appropriate for all ages and is 100% God centered, but you don’t have to be a Christian to enjoy it. Children will love it, parents will get it and Christian’s who understand scripture will know from where Act of God was derived. You’ll be empowered by the inspired music and contemporary parables, but what's most surprising about Act of God will be how much you’re going to laugh.

If you’d like to witness what a loving God can do, inquire how Act of God can be apart of your service or event.  And the next time you consider playing the lottery, remember that God doesn’t need money to do a great work. If your ministry is truly of God, and you remain faithful until the end, you too will turn your faith into an Act of God.