One Spark

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Eddie Flom

It is the day after Easter.

I am awakening full of Spirit, non nitrate ham, twice cooked potatoes, green beans, and lemon box meringue pie. My grandmother taught us not to say, “I am full” but to simply state, “I have had an elegant sufficiency.” I can’t do it. I am stuffed, full with the food and the Spirit.

The minister of a church we attended Sunday morning spoke of living audaciously. As I continue to research the years AD 33 thru AD 95, I am flabbergasted with how audacious the early Followers of the Way lived. It took them awhile to see who the Rabbi really was but once they GOT IT, they KEPT IT, all the way to their persecuted deaths. Cut up, fed to wild animals, crucified, beheaded, dropped in oil, lit as human candles, slayed alive – they were the Easter meals and entertainment to the pagans.

But, they didn’t quit. They did not give up their Lord.

So, now it is back to normal and it will be much easier to find a seat next Sunday. We will return to our normal lives and wonder if the NFL strike will get settled, watch the explosive Arab spring unfold and even get a chance to read, as I did last week, an article by a hairdresser on just how the Donald combs his hair (the super rare, double combover, she postulated).

Don’t do normal. Stay in this Spirit and see where God is working. For if you can see where God is working, you can find a place to work alongside Him. We are in the midst of securing the Capital Raise to shoot Thirty Three, The Movie. It might be considered a bit audacious to seek capital at this time for this project but I can testify to you that while the secular economy is in some sort of death spiral, the God economy is in expansion. It might be considered a bit audacious to shoot a movie this fall in Israel, a country that could be considered in the midst of a low grade war. We can’t help it- that is where God wants this story shot. He has told us that we are small thing in a much bigger thing that He is doing over there. We are going to tell these stories where they happened two thousand years ago, in the dusty, worn paths of Judea and Samaria and in the Holy Temple City of Jerusalem.

Why?

It is not a hard question to answer. All of this other stuff that we do all the time is as temporal as the spring shower that hit us yesterday while the the sun was shining. In a moment, poof, gone. But doing something for God, viewing the Resurrection as a starting line instead of a finish line, is eternal. One life changed can change a million others. Hearts and souls are right there for the influencing and God will smile if He sees us understand the Big Why of the Resurrection.

We are funny people. We know how to party and celebrate with soul, spirit and great food. Yet, we don’t know how to keep that feeling, that amazing connection that we feel to the Risen Christ on Easter, in full throttle. We let the sweet connection wander because it is easier to deal with the guilt than execute the tasks.

Put a match in your hand. The world is now connected through these little phones we carry around. Anything we do can go viral, can light a fire that can be seen on the far side of heaven. One person, one spark, one life changed forever and all the lives that encounter that one changed life are blessed too by our striking of the flint.

Nero is often blamed for orchestrating the largest fire of the ancient days in Rome in AD 64. A spilled lantern would soon lead to the deaths of two of the greatest apostles of Jesus – Paul and Peter. But even that Great Fire, which burned into the first, extended persecution period of the Followers of the Way, could not stop the Story. Mark left Peter’s grave to write the Gospel of Mark that we read today. Timothy left Paul’s grave to take the story forward in congregation and epistle. John left them both to go all the way to the caves of Patmos to write a revelation of the final chapter.

Every story, even each of ours, is the same. Great settings, relationship, conflict, intensity, and finally, a resolution.  Then we die. But……….something lives on beyond us, the part of us that brought such deep satisfaction to our souls during yesterday’s services and splendid meals. It is our connection to Him, to the Holy Spirit. It is that “feeling” we felt today after we completed the meal. Pure satisfaction. True love. Jesus, The Risen Christ.

Strike the flint. One spark can cause a conflagration.

Posted in Executing the Assignment | 1,806 Comments

Why a Movie?

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Eddie Flom

It’s really a very simple question to answer. The world watches them, plain and simple.

With the technological explosion of the information age, creative projects can now travel down unimpeded highways to worldwide releases. Even in countries that say they despise us (ie The West), they are almost always virtually obsessed with our Western Culture. They want to see what is done in America, made in America, danced to in America, sung in America, and watched in America, even if only to rant about our disgusting decadence. Look closely enough and you will see a Anti American fanatic chanting “Down to America” in a New York Jets knock off jersey and some Brand name jeans!

People watch movies. They talk about them at dinner tables all over the world. They argue about the dominant themes and the relative performances of the key actors. They elevate or denigrate the Directors and give impassioned speeches on how they would have made the movie, how they would have resolved the plot, what they would have done differently. We all know that there is STILL something very special in that moment just after the announcement where the baby cries and cell phone rings and the management implores us to limit our theater conversations. In that split second, we all settle back into our seats, take a final deep breath, and wait to be challenged or entertained or inspired. And every once in a while, we experience a movie that challenges, entertains, AND inspires us. Those are the movies that we remain in our seats to watch the credits roll after the show and walk out slowly with other moviegoers who almost seem sad that the experience is over. And then we Facebook our “thumbs up” and virtually insist that our close friends and relatives go immediately to the theater. And most of all – we never forget them and little scenes from those type of movies will pop up in our lives at certain times. It is not art imitating life but art becoming an accepted part of our lives and a place in our lexicon.

Now, we are telling three stories that have not been told in a modern manner, that is in the way we are used to hearing our stories in the modern, wired up world. For everyone knows the story of the Birth of Christ and we can thank Mr. Gibson for a powerful exposition on the Passion of the Christ but do we really know WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? How many of us hear the word Pentecost and cringe a bit because we know we should know what that moment in history was about but we are just not quite sure. Yes, we know about Doubting Thomas and we think Paul, or is it Saul, fell off a horse on his way to Damascus, but the world has not been shown how the Holy Spirit moved in these early Followers of the Way. It is a riveting story and we believe it will challenge, entertain and inspire everyone who sees it for there is nothing that drives us to trembles more than “against all odds” stories, than “redemption” stories. And this screenplay, my friends - THIRTY THREE, THE STORY OF HOPE – is the ultimate against all odds, redemptive story that we can possibly imagine. Thank you, Cristobal, for finding it in the dust of the First Century of the Temple City of Jerusalem. How is it that this wandering Jewish Rabbi has inspired a movement that has dominated Western art and thought for the past two thousand years? We are going to ask every person in their seat one simple question while entertaining them with a narrative plot that keeps them of the edge of their seat:

Was this man the Messiah, the Son of God?

We should close by telling you that we are not going to “answer” that question for the audience. We trust their intelligence and hearts enough to allow them to find their theme, meaning and inspiration. Their answer. Of course, one can find this answer in Churches across the world but not everyone attends a church – almost everyone goes to the movies or rents them in the comfort of their homes.

This is the Why in the Why a Movie?! This is our opportunity to show the world “what really happened” after the crucifixion of this bothersome, revolutionary Rabbi, a man who wandered about Judea and Samaria preaching a message of love and forgiveness and received a hanging for his troubles. This is the real story of Christ – not the birth, not the passion and death, but the RESURRECTION and they way he moved in the hearts of the earliest believers.

 

Posted in The Movie | 1,839 Comments

OUR SPIRIT OF UNIFICATION – AN EMAIL CONVERSATION

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Eddie Flom

We just left a luncheon with The Honorable Ofer Bavly, the Consul General for Israel to Florida and Puerto Rico. He gave an eye opening presentation on the economic relationship between Israel and the United States and seemed delighted to know that we will be filming Thirty Three in Israel. This luncheon, our screenplay, and the hearts of our entire team remind me how much the spirit of unification flows through our entire project. The following is a email conversation this morning between Cristobal, our writer/director of the film, and me, as we are discussing “THE KEY PERSUADEABLE” with our creative team – ie, the tag line on the movie poster that causes people to stop and say, “I want to go see THAT!”

EDDIE: One of the things that has been revealed to us from the start is that
we possess, and must project, a tremendous sense of UNIFICATION. Why do
you think we have been so driven to film in Israel and to utilize
multiple nationalities in the making of the film. Bill spoke to
tolerance on the Cali trip – we are NOT attached to those who JUDGE -
all judgment is the Lord’s. We ARE attached to encouragement, love,
Jesus. Saul’s story is one of absolute redemption – anyone can find
Jesus no matter what they have done before. Adulterers, Thieves, Liars, Murderers
- Anyone! We speak out the theme by writing the narratives and filming the stories. All we are searching for now is a tag line that resonates with everyone.

CRISTOBAL:  I greatly appreciate your second
paragraph (re unification) …  What did Paul write?

Romans 12:21 – Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good…

Romans
12:18 – If
possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all…

1. Corinthians 13:13 – Now abide these three, faith hope and love, but the greatest of these
is love…

The danger would be in presenting these
themes apart from REPENTANCE AND FAITH IN CHRIST.  Then we have another
“can’t we all get along” movie.  What the world needs to see – and will
see in this film – is that there is a real and present solution to the cycles
of hatred, revenge, violence…  But our “persuadable” needs an action verb;
thus, these evils must be VANQUISHED.  The cycles must be BROKEN.  At
the end of the day, what has ultimate “power” to overcome “evil”?
Retaliation may provide temporary relief.  But only one force has
the capacity to defeat evil and demand unconditional surrender, and that is
love.  Jesus, Our Savior, is the embodiment of that love.  As you
say, “anyone can find Jesus no matter what they have done before.”  Ipso
facto, no one is beyond the pale; no one is beyond the reach of God’s love and
redemption.  Is there a more powerful and relevant message to be
communicating to the world today?  Has there ever been?”

Now, this is what Thirty Three is about at it’s core. Others can preach division, hatred, or holier than thou, sectarian division – we offer the humble love of the Master. It is the core of every story that we will ever tell and film and I can promise you that we are not afraid to shout it from the mountaintops of Israel. This film is for everyone – Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, even Athiests. It IS the Story of Hope.

 

Posted in Executing the Assignment | 1,966 Comments

California Dreaming and Progress in Israel

Posted on January 10, 2011 by Eddie Flom

We are planning our trip to California, as organized by our great friend and accomplished associate, Ms. Angel Shahrestani, during the week of Jan 17th. We are scheduled to meet with numerous investors and potential ministry partners in and around Orange County. We are also happy to report continued progress in putting together our team in Israel for the shooting of Thirty Three, The Movie. Our friend, Robert Savo, is calculating the precise budget to shoot the film in the central location of Acco and other shooting locations in the Galilee and Jerusalem. We continue to meet top Israeli professionals in all walks of the film business as we put together a crack team. Bill and Cristobal are working hand in hand to review reels and DVD’s of previously completed films to help us make our choices. It’s continues to be all good, all God. Pray!

Posted in Executing the Assignment, Israel | 1,388 Comments

Thirty Three, The Movie UPDATE

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Eddie Flom

A comprehensive, “roll up the sleeves” meeting yesterday in Haines City, Fla with Bill, Kirk and Eddie. We took a look at every aspect of the movie’s production and scheduling. We are very pleased with our team on the ground in Israel – the script is currently being priced out page by page and we will have our exact number by the end of the month.

Now, it is MONEY TIME and we are meeting with a series of vetted, major investors this month to secure the financial arrangement that will be in the best interest of the 33 Hope Project and our founding investors. Pending the completion of that benchmark, we will then schedule the shoot in Israel and begin contacting and securing key personnel, including specific actors.

Since Day One of the 33 Hope Project, we have progressed forward, step by ordered step. The Lord certainly orders the steps of righteous men in assignment and we are VERY CAREFUL to move from solid ground to prepared solid ground. It is a thrilling experience to let go, let GOD, with such a large project – the “task” becomes so much easier when you know that God will do all the heavy lifting and set the divine appointments. We appreciate all of you and your prayers!!

Posted in The Movie | 2,019 Comments