THREE INCREDIBLE DAYS IN SEPTEMBER #14

(From my column “Looking Forward and Glancing Back” in the SGT monthly newsletter, October, 1987.)

As the opening week of our Season of Praise approached, there was a great sense of expectancy for all of us at Stained Glass Theatre. Not only were final preparations for the premier performance of HI TOPS in full swing, but a most unusual and important event affecting our future home was scheduled to take place. That event was the annual meeting of the Board of the Musgrave Foundation at which SGT would be considered for a gift. I don’t believe that it was just a coincidence that this very important meeting was held the same week we were to begin our Season of Praise—a season in which we would be facing the challenge of raising $60,000 in order to pay cash for our “Promised Land” and move into that beautiful land DEBT FREE! No indeed, for I believe it was another example of God’s perfect timing in blessing SGT’s ministry.

I may have gotten ahead of myself for many of you may be asking, “Who or what is the Musgrave Foundation?” and “Why would they be giving funds to SGT?” To answer those questions, let me tell you a beautiful story of God’s miracle-working power.

Late last spring SGT gave a special preview performance of GOD’S MIGHTY OAK to the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International. We didn’t have any idea that night that God was setting into motion a series of events that would bring to SGT’s building fund a very special gift. As we found out later, there was a man who attended the performance who was blessed and led to invite a Mrs. Musgrave to see the show. A few weeks later Mrs. Musgrave did attend and surprised us by informing Terry and Jim after the performance that she would like to help us. She said that she had a charitable foundation that would be meeting in September and when the Board met, they would remember us. Needless to say, we were overjoyed. We were also joyful when we learned that Charles Fuller, a friend and supporter of SGT, was the president of the Musgrave Foundation. There was no doubt in our minds that this was all arranged by God and that He had something special for us. So I’m sure you can understand our expectancy when we found out that the Board would be meeting the week that we were to begin our new season and fund-raising efforts. It was all coming together as only God could do it.

The Board was to meet on Wednesday, September 16, and we were scheduled to open HI TOPS on Friday the 18^th. Ten days later, on the 28^th, we would have our big Prayer and Praise Celebration at the new building. We wanted to have something exciting to announce as a “kick-off” to our fund-raising campaign.

Wednesday the 16^th of September came, and the morning began with prayer—prayer from many places and many people for we had asked numerous individuals and groups to pray for us on that morning since the Musgrave Board would be meeting at 10 a.m. When I checked my mail at noon, there was a letter with a $250 gift in it. Praise God! Things were beginning to happen—I could feel it. I knew God was going to move in a wonderful way. That night at rehearsal, we got “the call.” It was great! The Musgrave Foundation had given us an outright $1,500 plus an additional $5,000 matching grant. We were thrilled. We knew God would help us to match the grant. What we didn’t know was how quickly. On Thursday a check came for $200—we were excited. It was the beginning of our match. Then Friday came! Wow! God opened the windows of heaven. Checks and pledges began to come in—a pledge for $3,000! It was incredible! By evening of the second day, the match had been met. Praise God!

So we opened our Season of Praise on that special Friday, a day to truly praise and remember how our wonderful Lord had so beautifully met our need. To cap off that marvelous day, as if we needed more, we opened to a sold-out house and a standing ovation! It had been an unbelievable three days! How good and mighty and wonderful is the Lord we serve! In just three days, God had given us over $12,000!

Yes, we had prayed for something exciting to announce at the September 28^th Prayer and Praise Celebration, and the Lord answered that prayer with such an outpouring of His grace and love that we struggle for words to adequately Praise Him. How marvelous is His power and His lovingkindness! Praise You, Lord! Praise Your Holy Name—Jehovah! Hallelujah! Amen and Amen!

COMING NEXT: THE BATTLE . . . PAIN, COURAGE, VICTORY!        

EPHESIANS 6:12

A GLIMPSE OF THE “PROMISED LAND” #13

(From my column “Looking Forward and Glancing Back” in the SGT monthly newsletter, August/September, 1987.)

In the past we have shared the struggles, challenges, blessings, and miracles at Stained GlassTheatre. We’ve told you of our past and the way God has met our needs as we were obedient to His will. Now, we want to begin to share the challenges and blessings of the present and of the future as they are happening. We want you, our SGT supporters, to walk along with us through the good and the difficult to truly be one with us and the future.

As we are preparing now to begin our fifth season, A Season of Praise, we view this next year as the most exciting and challenging we’ve yet faced. As you must have read in our special announcement, we have stepped out in faith and made the decision, we believe under God’s leadership, to purchase a building. This decision was not made lightly, but after much prayer, counsel, and a continuing sense of the leadership of the Holy Spirit. As we looked at the events which brought us to a point of decision making, we were overwhelmed by the obvious signs of God’s hand guiding us. I would like to share with you, as I’ve done in the past, some of these very personal moments which led to such a major decision.

It began on a Saturday morning several months ago. Terry Beasley and I were at a business men’s prayer breakfast (FGBMFI). As guests stood to introduce themselves, my spirit was quickened as a young pastor, Merrill Pember, spoke. I felt a sense of the Holy Spirit urging me to speak to this man whom I have never met. This was the first of a series of events which turned out to be God’s wonderful way of bringing two unknown parties together in order to accomplish His work. Though there was nothing particularly unusual about the first event, there was about the second. A few moments later while we were eating, Charles Fuller, the president of the fellowship, came over to my table and said the Holy Spirit was directing him to ask me to give a brief testimony. I was surprised, but agreed. Now the really unusual thing about this was that, as I found out later, it was while I was giving my testimony that the Holy Spirit also spoke to Merrill Pember with a sense that he should speak to me. When we met and talked a few weeks later, we both felt that God had put us together for some reason, but we didn’t exactly know what. Merrill was the pastor of Christian Life Center. He and his wife, Vicki, were working on beginning a Christian TV station in Springfield. We thought maybe God planned to use us in that area some way, but we weren’t sure. We only knew that God was leading, and we wanted to be sensitive to His will.

Merrill Pember 1987

Over the next couple of months, our friendship grew. Merrill, Vicki, Terry, and I met and prayed together. We continued to seek God’s will, but had no clear indication as to why God had brought us together. In June we invited Merrill and his family to speak and sing at SGT’s annual appreciation banquet.

It was on the night of the banquet, June 9, that God began to reveal to us His purpose—a special blessing, a great gift! After the banquet was over and people were just standing around chatting, Dennis Stachura, Merrill’s Associate Pastor, mentioned to me that we should see their church and all the stained glass. As he described the building to me, it seemed like a perfect building for SGT. So I asked, “Is it for sale?” Dennis said maybe, that there had been some talk of relocating the church. I spoke to Merrill. He said to come on by and look. That night on the way home, I drove by the church. As the church came into view, I pulled to a stop to get a better look. My heart almost stopped. I knew—the Holy Spirit told me—this was it, this was the reason, this was God’s special gift to SGT—your “Promised land.” Needless to say, I could hardly sleep that night. A few days later, Terry, Jim, and I toured the inside, and then we prayed with Merrill. Merrill wisely said later, “We’re not trying to make anything happen. We don’t even know if we are to move, but if God is in this, He will affirm it.” And affirm He did.

Christian Life Center 1987--Our "Promised Land"

As we explored detail after detail, the building seemed perfect in every way, even to the beautiful stained glass windows which appear to be an affirmation of our name. The size of the auditorium with seating for 200 is exactly the size that we have felt for a long time would best serve our needs and dreams: parking lot, offices, sound and light booth, basement, reception area, kitchen, restrooms, space upstairs for dressing rooms and costume construction, etc. The church building has recently been completely rewired and brought up to code, even to emergency exit lights. The sanctuary has new carpet, and all of the beautiful, curved pews are the original pews and have been refinished. It sounded too good to be true. But what about the cost? We wouldn’t have been surprised at a hundred thousand plus, so you can imagine our near disbelief to learn that we could have it for sixty thousand! That’s right! Not only did the building seem perfect, but so did the price. All that was left to do was pray. I prayed, we all prayed and prayed, seeking an answer. It seemed right, but was it God’s will?

The answer came in several ways: 1) an assurance beyond doubt in our spirits, 2) a peace and joy that we felt, and 3) an understanding of the conditions of purchase. This final understanding of what we should do came after much prayer about whether we should go into debt or not. A nagging question kept haunting me: Would the purchase of this property, which seemed so right, be the exception to our commitment to God that we would trust Him and not go into debt? Until I had the answer to this question, I would not know for sure what we should do. God gave me His answer. He gave me clear understanding in my spirit that He would not honor our going into debt. He had made this very clear to us in the past and showed me that there was no exception by giving me a vision of the church and land surrounded by a wall with corner towers topped with dollar signs ($). Like Joshua and the walls of Jericho, we must tear down the wall before we can “go in and claim the land.” We had God’s answer. The land was ours, but there was a price to pay. We are truly excited beyond words. It is a dream come true—a permanent home for Stained Glass Theatre. A home where we can truly become a “SHOWCASE OF PRAISE.” The dream is before us and so is the challenge. We know that we must tear down the wall of dollars that stands between us and our dream. We know that we must raise the full purchase price in one year, pay cash, and move into our “Promised Land” debt free. The “dream” is magnificent—the “challenge” is awesome. But God has spoken to us through His Holy Word, just as He did to Joshua when He said in chapter one, verse nine, “Yes, be bold and strong! Banish fear and doubt! For remember, the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

COMING NEXT: THREE INCREDIBLE DAYS IN SEPTEMBER    

A beautiful story of God’s miracle-working power!

HARVEST TIME #12

(From my column “Looking Forward and Glancing Back” in the SGT monthly newsletter, July, 1987. Bracketed information has been added.)

God gave us a plan for “Harvest Time”—to fill the seats at Stained Glass Theatre. The plan was simple. We were to reduce our various ticket prices to one low price of $2.00. We felt God telling us that if Stained Glass Theatre is to be a true ministry, then it must be affordable for everyone. Our goal would be to insure that no one paid more than $2.00, and many would come free as others purchased tickets to be given away. Although the plan was simple, it was frightening since it required a step of faith. If we were having difficulty meeting the bills with a $5.00 ticket, how could we possible make it with a $2.00 ticket? I did not know, but God knew. His economy is always better than ours.

We put the plan into effect in January, 1987, as we opened BIRDS DON’T FLY AT NIGHT. And just as god had shown us in the past that obedience brings blessing, He again taught us that lesson. We obeyed, and we had the “Harvest Time” we once longed for. All seats were sold for every performance. One full house would purchase tickets for others, and it just mushroomed. By the end of the run, we were letting people in free whether they had tickets or not because all tickets for every seat for every show had been bought and paid for by others. It was exciting! It was wonderful! We went into the theatre for each performance hardly able to believe our eyes as the crowds came. Every night was a full house—all seats taken, filled. It was wonderful! Indeed, it was “Harvest Time.” And that was only part of the excitement, for it was during this time that the money to purchase new lights began to come in almost overnight, even before we knew we had to return the borrowed lights we were using. It was simply another example of the miracle-working power of our Lord!

Over the past twelve issues of the SGT newsletter, we have been looking back to share the struggles and blessings, the hard times and the good times, from our beginning to the present. As we've looked back, we've seen God’s grace, His lovingkindness, and His miracles. Yes, we have struggled, but through the struggles, we have grown as God met our needs and kept us going. We have learned over and over again to trust our Heavenly Father to care for us and to nurture us. So for SGT it has been a birthing time, a growing time, and a maturing time. Truly it has been a great time!

 

Terry Beasley (Abner Ingman) and
Jim Dunn (James Maupin)

[The final show of this Harvest Time season was GOD’S MIGHTY OAK, the true story of the two men who founded Southwest Baptist University, Abner Ingman and James Maupin. We have some pictures from that production.]

Linda Meyers (Mrs. Staples), Jim Dunn (Maupin),
Ron Laws (Mr. Staples), and Denise Schriver (Alice Staples)

They were doing the RB pose even then!

Well, everyone except RB, I guess.

 We praise God and give Him the glory for everything has been accomplished through His grace and power. Hallelujah! But, as the song says, “We've only just begun.” We have not reached a point of self-satisfaction. We will continue to strive for “Excellence in Residence”—to attain an even higher standard of professionalism—until we are truly a “Jewel” among theaters of the Midwest, a “SHOWCASE OF PRAISE WHERE GOD THE FATHER IS GLORIFIED AND JESUS CHRIST IS PROCLAIMED AS LORD AND SAVIOR.”

Ron Boutwell as Old Ingman

God has stretched our faith these past four years and He is about to stretch it even further as we look to the exciting days ahead. Pray that SGT will move forward with boldness and strength as we march toward a bright new “promised land.”

[The quote at the top of the page was from this scene in GOD'S MIGHTY OAK.]

COMING NEXT: A GLIMPSE OF THE “PROMISED LAND”

The stories change from past tense to present tense as Ron Boutwell writes about the beginning of the 1987-88 Season of Praise.

A PROPHECY OF HARVEST TIME #11

(From my column “Looking Forward and Glancing Back” in the SGT monthly newsletter, June, 1987.)

We began this season at Stained Glass Theatre with a new mandate from God and a bright new hope about the future. You could feel the excitement in most everyone at the theatre. True, we had just had the sobering learning experience in St. Louis, but we were not defeated. No indeed, we were joyous that God had shown us clearly what He wanted—He wanted “Excellence in Residence.” And we were resolved that if that was what God wanted, that was what we wanted and that was what we would be obedient in striving to achieve. It was a challenge, and we were ready and anxious to begin our Season of Style.

As we approached the September 19^th opening date of the new season, there was a spirit—a feeling—in the air. It was going to be our “best year,” our “turning-point year,” our “Harvest Time Year.”

The expectation of a “Harvest Time Year” was not just a feeling—it was a prophecy which had been spoken to me by a precious man and woman who had attended one of our productions near the end of the previous season. I wish I could give you their names; however, I only saw them that one time. God does work in mysterious ways, and I believe that he sent that couple and touched their hearts so they in turn could lift and build our faith with some special words of encouragement. On that ordained night, they stayed a long while after the show. It was a special time. We talked and prayed together. As we prayed, both the woman and her husband spoke of God’s knowing of our struggles, and of having brought us to our knees that we might trust Him completely. They spoke of how we had found favor in His eyes; that He was going to bless the theatre in a wonderful way; that the coming year would bring the crowds we longed for; that the theatre would be full to overflowing; and that it was to be a year of “Harvest Time.” Those words filled my heart with joy and my eyes with tears. I knew God had spoken to us through this beautiful Spirit-filled couple.

We hid those prophetic words away in our hearts, believing that God would be faithful. We also shared these words with others on staff and company members. So, as we began the fourth season, there was indeed expectancy and excitement for we knew and believed it was “Harvest Time.” Our opening weekend was a disaster. (Only twenty people came Friday night, we had to cancel Saturday night since only seven people showed up, and Sunday afternoon we had only fifteen people.) What had happened? Was the prophecy not to be? As before, I went to my knees for the answer. “Why, Lord? Why? Isn’t this to be the year of the Harvest?” As I sought the Lord and was quiet before Him, He began to speak to my spirit. I soon understood what God wanted me to see as He revealed to my spirit the meaning of “Harvest Time.” The meaning was simple and clear, and would have been obvious to any farmer, but to a city boy like me, it had to be explained. God showed me that “Harvest Time” is when you go out and gather in the harvest. It was not a time, as I had so foolishly thought, where the harvest cuts itself and walks into the barn. How blind I had been. The audience we had hoped for was not going to come banging on our doors just begging to get into the theatre—of course not! God was simply telling us that the time was right, but we must go out and bring in the harvest. But how? How could we get the harvest into the barn? We didn’t know, but God knew. How wonderful it is to know that our Lord, if we seek Him, does not forsake us. He not only calls us to do that which He desires, but He leads and guides us along the way. And so He did. He gave us a plan for “harvesting.” The plan was simple—so simple. It was also frightening for it would require a giant step of faith.

COMING NEXT: HARVEST TIME                                        

Discover the lesson that was learned about God’s economy.

RETURN TO THE DREAM #10

(From my column “Looking Forward and Glancing Back” in the SGT monthly newsletter, May, 1987.)

During our second year, in addition to the resident shows, we developed a travel troupe. The travel company began with a short twenty-minute production titled THROUGH STAINED GLASS WINDOWS. This show was made available to churches, banquets, Christian camps, etc. The group proved to be in demand, and it was the “love offerings” brought back by the travel troupe that kept us afloat at many periods of financial crisis during our second and third years. At first, the travel commitments were met by the actors working in the resident company. However, as the bookings increased and as the request for full-length shows kept coming in, it became necessary to develop a separate travel company.

It was during the third year that the Salvation Army became interested in Stained Glass Theatre and began to request performances at their youth camps around the country. They were very enthusiastic about our shows and were very generous. We were excited to be involved with the Salvation Army.

During the Spring of 1986, the Salvation Army asked us to come to St. Louis for four weeks during the summer. As we struggled during the third year, the Salvation Army often talked to us of the opportunities for us in St. Louis. We were invited to move to St. Louis with their help. We did not seriously consider these offers until we were invited to come for just a four-week run during the summer of 1986.

We were skeptical that it was financially possible to do what they wanted. However, again they were very generous and offered to furnish a free 400-seat building, pay the utilities, house and feed the cast free, and help us with promotions. The man who worked out all these arrangements, Captain Marshall, told us, “We want to make it a no-risk situation for you.” The offer seemed too good to turn down. We began to view the engagement as a test market for us—if it went well, we might consider doing it every summer or even open a second theatre in St. Louis.

In preparation, we did what we believed to be all the right things, planning trips to St. Louis, news releases, radio talk shows and public service announcements, mailing thousands of letters and promotional materials, and preparing a first-rate show. We were to perform the four weekends during August. When the time came, we felt ready and left for St. Louis full of excitement and anticipation.

By the end of our first weekend, all we had left was disappointment and dismay, for you see, we had everything but an audience. No one came—NO ONE! Okay, I exaggerate a little—that first weekend we did have five people. We were devastated. “Why, Lord, why?” was our prayer the whole of the next week.

The answer came on Friday morning just before we were to leave for St. Louis and the second weekend of performances. While praying that morning, still seeking some understanding from God, the Lord revealed to my spirit these words, “Excellence in Residence—Focus—No Distractions,” and later that day, “Return to the Dream.” These phrases spoke to my understanding, and I knew what God was saying to us. Simply and in no uncertain terms, I knew that we were to turn our full attention to creating an excellent resident company. We were to focus on that and that alone. We were no longer to travel: it was a distraction from our original calling and dream. That original dream had been simply to begin and develop an excellent resident theatre in Springfield. Yes, God wanted us to “Return to the Dream.” And as far as the ideas of additional summer tours or a second theatre in St. Louis, God was saying that door was closed. Had I misunderstood what God was telling me? The next three weekends would tell. Again the second weekend, no one, the third, no one, and the fourth, no one. For the whole four weeks, we had less than fifty people, total. There was no mistake. We knew what God wanted. So we returned from what others might see as failure with renewed spirits. The entire company had a sense of a new mandate from God. I later expressed that mandate in a letter to our patrons:

To Move Forward in Developing Stained Glass Theatre into a “Jewel” Among Theatres of the Midwest—A “Showcase of Praise” Where God the Father Is Glorified and Jesus Christ Is Proclaimed Lord and Savior.

COMING NEXT: A PROPHECY OF HARVEST TIME
Discover the lesson a city boy had to learn from God about the harvest.

SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS #9

(From my column “Looking Forward and Glancing Back” in the SGT monthly newsletter, April, 1987.  Bracketed information has been added.)

The spring of 1986 proved to be a wonderful time as God’s “Showers of Blessings” continued to pour out on Stained Glass Theatre. We had just seen God set us free from the bondage of debt, fill the theatre for the run of NARNIA, and give us two beautiful billboards on the Springfield roadsides. Could we ever expect more? Expect or not, God wasn’t through.

The next several months were filled with dozens of blessings. Our monthly financial pledge support began to grow almost overnight. New pledges (mostly unsolicited) soon took our support from a little over $100 per month to almost $500 per month. This amount met, almost exactly, our rent and utilities [for the building on Commercial Street].

Entrance to the building.

A rehearsal in the auditorium of the building.

Can you believe it? We couldn’t. We just kept praising God! Another unbelievable blessing that occurred last spring reminds me of an old expression I remember hearing my mother use, “Well, whoever would have thought it?” Indeed, who would have thought that a man would suddenly come by and tell us that he owned a doughnut shop and would like to give, that’s right, give us doughnuts to be sold at our concession counter. Unusual, right? But true. Bob Leasure, owner of Delta Dawn Doughnuts, has for the past year been furnishing SGT with doughnuts from his business to help us. That’s hard enough to believe without, as Paul Harvey would say, “the rest of the story,” which is that Bob later informed us that he felt God was blessing his business for helping us, so he wanted to do more. He wanted to furnish all the canisters of Coke for our fountain. Yes, it’s true, thanks to a wonderful Christian man and his family, we now have no cost for operating the concession counter. Yes, Mother, who would have ever thought it?

We want to say thank you to Bob Leasure and his family for their wonderful and unique support of SGT. We appreciate you so much. We pray that God will richly bless you for blessing us. Also, we would like to thank all those generous friends who support SGT with a monthly pledge. Your support is so important to keep the ministry at Stained Glass going and moving forward. May God bless you in every way! We thank you so much and we do remember you in our prayers.

Even in the midst of great blessings, life and ministry is not without times of testing. Such a time came to SGT last spring during the run of SAUL OF TARSUS [later renamed as The Damascus Road].

Ron Boutwell (Luke) and Pat Edmonds (Paul)

The cast closes Saul of Tarsus singing "I Know Whom I Have Believed"

Our dimmer board began to give us trouble and the lights would go out during a performance. The dimmer board was a very old, repaired “throw-away” from Southwest Baptist University. It was now too old to get replacement parts for, so we knew we were facing the necessity of purchasing a new board at a cost of $800. We agreed to trust God for the need rather than go back into debt. Within three weeks, all $800 had been given by our patrons. The next week, Terry marched into A.T.C. and paid cash for a new dimmer board. The employee at A.T.C., who was familiar with our past financial troubles, said to Terry, “Cash? Well, y’all must be doing pretty good!” Terry smiled and said, “Yes, I guess we are.”

I think you can begin to see, as we have seen, how obedience brings blessings. In the beginning, we told God that we would not go into debt. We did, and we suffered. God reminded us of our commitment to stay debt free and to trust Him to meet our needs. We obeyed and God has blessed us so wonderfully ever since. Praise God!

COMING NEXT: RETURN TO THE DREAM                           

See how the Stained Glass Players learn that something “too good to be true” may not be from God.

BILLBOARD BLESSINGS #8

(From my column “Looking Forward and Glancing Back” in the SGT monthly newsletter, March, 1987.  Bracketed information has been added.)

It was January, 1986, and the new year began with spirits high. We had been set free from the bondage of debt and were resolved to trust God to meet our needs. We had just experienced the “Gideon” miracle and were still in a state of joyous shock. We had seen God move in a mighty way and didn’t even consider that there could be more. Little did we know at that time that we had seen a few sprinkles of God’s love but that it was only the beginning, for He was about to open the windows of heaven and pour out showers of blessings.

The third week of January we opened NARNIA, Pat Edmond’s adaptation of C. S. Lewis’ THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE. The showers of blessings began to fall. For the first time since we started the theatre, we were full for most performances and had to schedule additional shows. It was unbelievable! We had a new problem, a wonderful problem: not enough room! By the time we closed the two-month run of NARNIA, we had paid off our $1200 debt (which still existed in December) plus had $2400 in the bank. We weren’t on “easy-street” by any means, but we were able to meet all of our bills and have some extra to see us through the summer when we would have no income. Praise God! During the run of NARNIA, God worked another fantastic miracle. In February, Larry Sneed, a man who had seen NARNIA, came by the theatre to talk to Pat. God had told him to do something for the theatre. Larry said that he worked for a sign company and that he had persuaded his boss to let us use two billboards—one on I-44 and the other on 13 Bypass. The rent alone on these billboards was $300 each per month, to say nothing of the hundreds of dollars it would cost to have them painted. We had thought of billboards before, but had known for a long time that there was no way, absolutely no way, we could afford billboard space. So, can you imagine how stunned we were when Larry informed us that we could have them RENT FREE and that if we would buy the paint, he would personally paint them for us at no charge. God had done it again—that which was impossible was made possible.

It was so exciting to see those billboards a year ago. And even now as I drive down the highway and see one of those beautiful signs looming up, my heart leaps up and tears come to my eyes as, once again, I am reminded of God’s power and goodness.

Again we are left without adequate words to express our thanks to the man God used to bring about this miracle, or I guess I should say “continuing miracle,” since the signs are still there and we still do not pay rent on them. All we can do is simply say, “Larry Sneed, we are truly grateful. Grateful for the way you gave of your time and talent. Grateful that you were willing to let God use you to help us. We love you! We thank you! And, we praise God for you! ”

COMING NEXT: SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS                          

See how God, by keeping His promises, keeps reminding us that obedience brings blessings.

A GIDEON MIRACLE #7

(From my column “Looking Forward and Glancing Back” in the SGT monthly newsletter, February, 1987.  Bracketed information has been added.)

NOTE: The following part of the SGT story deals with a very special event that touched me more deeply than I can express.  But not only me, for it has brought tears to the eyes of many as I have shared this incredible incident.  I pray that it will bless you and strengthen your faith as it did mine.

God had given Stained Glass Theatre a new home (200 E. Commercial) and had provided the miracle of the contractor who met ALL the building expenses.  Basic construction was completed in October of 1985, just in time for the opening of NATHANIEL THE GRUBLET, our second show of the 1985-86 season.  Things seemed to be turning around for us, but many problems still needed to be solved:  finishing construction, preparing new shows, building attendance, and meeting the ever-present financial needs.  Old debts, our modern day Midianites, still kept us in bondage.  The problems were still there, but we could finally see some light at the end of the tunnel.  We began to breathe more easily as we grew spiritually and began to trust more in the miracle-working power of the Lord.

 

Around the first of December, two months after moving to our new theatre, a series of events taught me new meanings for the words obedience, faith, and sacrifice.  It began while I was attending a chapel service at Southwest Baptist University where I teach.  I went that morning expecting, as usual, to have a brief time of praise and worship and then continue the routine of my day.  But by the time the chapel service was over, God had spoken to me in a powerful way, reminding me of a commitment I had made to Him when we started the theatre company three years earlier:  “Not to allow the theatre to go into debt.”  We had kept that commitment for the first year, but as hard times came, I broke my pledge, and we soon fell deep into debt.  As God spoke to me that morning, I knew in no uncertain terms that He wanted and expected me to have the theatre debt free by the end of the year.

 

I left that service full of fear.  We were still over $1,000 in debt, and I knew that if we were to be debt free by December 31^st, I had less than four weeks to raise the money, which meant that I would have to ask people for donations:  a thing I truly hate to do.  God quickly led me to some very generous people, and by the end of the first week, we had $450.

 

That same week on Friday, I shared what God had put on my heart with Pat and Terry.  I asked Terry to go over the books so I would know exactly how much we owed.  It was more than I anticipated—$1,200.

For the next two weeks, I asked everyone I knew for money:  friends, teachers, businessmen, students—everyone.  People were generous, but I was running out of time and was still far short of my goal.  At the end of the third week and on the last day of school before Christmas break, I woke up with a heavy burden on my heart and cried out to God with tears in my eyes, “God, I’m not going to make it.  I know you wanted me to do this, but I’m not going to make it.  Father, I only have $900, and everyone is leaving for Christmas.  I don’t even know anyone else to ask, Father.  I’m sorry, but I’m not going to make it.”

I went to school that morning knowing I had failed.  The next day I would have to go to Ft. Worth, Texas, to care for my parents who were ill.  When I returned, the year would be over.  I had failed, but God’s command was still absolute in my heart:  “End this year debt free!”

God sent Todd and Jim, two tremendous young Christian students, into my office at about ten o’clock that morning.  None of us knew at the time that God had a special reason for them to be there.  One of them was to deliver a powerful message, the other was to be an instrument of God’s miraculous power.  Jim and his wife had already given to the theatre; however, I had not asked Todd to give because he was a typical student, struggling to work his way through school.  Finances were always tight for Todd, so I hadn’t wanted to burden him, but as we sat there, the Holy Spirit prompted me to ask him.

I awkwardly approached the subject, “Todd, have you spent all your Christmas money yet?”

His answer was what I expected, “What Christmas money?  Why?  What is it you want?”

I explained what I was trying to do and then told him, “so I thought you might want to give a Christmas gift to Stained Glass—$5 or $10, whatever, every little bit helps.”  Todd said he thought he could help.

Jim spoke up, “You know, Ron, your trying to raise money here at Christmas time when everyone else has presents to buy, sort of reminds me of Gideon."

“Gideon?  What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, it just does.  Gideon had to get rid of all those Midianites, and God told him to send most of his army home—all but three hundred men.  And that just somehow reminds me of you.”  It didn’t make sense then—it would later.  The discussion ended, Todd told me that he would get his checkbook and stop by after his final exam, and I thought no more about it.  I completed my office work and went to lunch.

Todd

About one o’clock, Todd, with his checkbook in hand, came into the little store that I own and we went into the back room. Then Todd, the boy I thought might scrape together $5, sat down and wrote out a check for THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS.  I was stunned.  I managed to say, “Todd, I can’t accept this.”

He replied, “No, don’t try to talk me out of it.  I know more than anything I have ever known in my life that I’m supposed to give you this money.  God has been good to me, providing me with money that I needed for school.  Each time, I told God that I would give Him part of it, but I never did.  I know I’m supposed to do it now.”  Then he said something that tore my heart out.  “Quite frankly, it’s all I’ve got, but I want you to have it.  I have some bills I need to pay, but I know God will take care of them.”

Tears of joy filled my eyes all afternoon.  Not only was it the exact amount I needed to set the theatre free from debt, but it also taught me a lesson I’ll never forget about sacrificial giving.  All my life I had heard stories of people who had given all they had, but now I had seen it firsthand.  Later in the afternoon, God spoke to my spirit, revealing the truth behind the Gideon message which had been delivered that morning.  Through Todd’s sacrificial gift, God showed me that just as it was not Gideon who defeated the Midianites, but God—that it was not I who was raising money for SGT, but GOD!

So, thanks to God, some generous people, and our Gideon with his $300, we ended 1985 debt free!  At SGT we looked at the miraculous power of God and understood how the Gideon of old felt when “all he could do was just stand there worshiping God!” (Judges 7:15)



Artist's rendition
of Todd Barnett
 as Gideon

       [The following summer, someone sent me a script entitled Gideon.  I do not believe that it was a coincidence that I received the script at that time. I feel that God was continuing to speak to me concerning the importance of being obedient to Him, even if it meant sacrificing—not just money, but pride and self-reliance.  That fall, Todd Barnett began his senior year.  The following spring, SBU Theatre produced Gideon, and Todd was cast in the title role.  I personally believe this was God’s blessing for Todd who had obeyed Him by giving sacrificially.  It is also important to note that Todd Barnett was in several productions at Stained GlassTheatre during those early years.]

 COMING NEXT: BILLBOARD BLESSINGS                            

See how God continues to use special people to bring about miracles for SGT.