Participants: Yvonne Lewis (Host), Ryan Johnson
Series Code: UBR
Program Code: UBR000015
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00:01 Wouldn't it be great to see the Story of Redemption
00:03 in the form of a docudrama? Well you will... 00:06 Stay tuned and meet the Creator-Producer 00:09 of the "Redemption" Film... 00:11 My name is Yvonne Lewis and you're watching 00:13 Urban Report... 00:36 Hello and welcome to Urban Report... 00:39 So often, we want to see great Bible stories 00:43 in a docudrama format... our guest today, Ryan Johnson, 00:47 had just that vision... 00:49 Welcome, Ryan, to Urban Report... 00:52 Hi, how are you... thank you for having me... 00:54 Oh, I'm so glad to have you here... 00:57 I have a couple of questions... tell us who you are... 01:00 Who is Ryan Johnson? Sure... I grew up in 01:05 North Carolina in the South Atlantic Conference 01:07 and after graduating from Undergrad... 01:12 I went... did some schooling and Engineering 01:14 and have a background in Medicine... 01:16 we applied our ability 01:18 to create special effects 01:21 and high-end graphics to create a medical education 01:25 software... and that is what it is... 01:27 I have been doing for the last couple of years... 01:30 building that Corporation... the Company that we have 01:33 Bellum Art and Engineering is a new Ministry... 01:37 that comes out of our applying these skills 01:40 to furthering God's work... Oh, that's wonderful... 01:44 that's wonderful... so, your background is both 01:47 Engineering and Medicine... that's correct... 01:50 and yet... you got involved in graphics and animation 01:54 and all of that... what about your spiritual 01:56 journey Ryan... why do you feel 01:59 a responsibility to do this project... 02:02 these projects? I have an interesting life story 02:06 and it begins with the discovery 02:09 that I am a Type 1 Diabetic... Oh... 02:13 it saw me in and out of the hospital quite a bit 02:17 and actually resulted after the Insurance kind of 02:20 got rid of me... in a stint of homelessness... 02:23 while I was out there... I developed with a real passion 02:27 for being able to get in front of young people 02:29 and tell them that no matter what life circumstances 02:32 may be... no matter how dire things may seem 02:36 it is possible to come back and to succeed... 02:39 having that drive... we began to wonder 02:46 what sort of impact in media we could put together 02:50 to initially draw the eyes and the hearts of young people 02:54 but we rapidly began realizing that 02:57 the older folk too could appreciate 02:59 some of the things that we're hoping to accomplish. 03:02 Wow! that's awesome... okay, I've got to... 03:04 because you've peaked my interest here... 03:06 so I've got to stay on this just for a second... 03:09 so, you were homeless for a bit? 03:13 That's correct... and this was 03:16 between... this was after... 03:18 at what point in your life were you homeless? 03:20 Certainly... this would have been after 03:23 Undergrad and 03:26 right before I began Graduate courses in Engineering... 03:29 And were you away from your family 03:34 or did you just not want your family to see you... 03:38 or unpack that a little bit for our viewers... 03:40 if you don't mind... 03:41 Sure... it's a combination of both of the scenarios 03:46 that you have just mentioned, I'm very often asked 03:50 how... in this day and age... something like homelessness 03:53 can become one... and my initial statement is 03:57 if one is not careful... one can find him or herself 04:01 in a very, very compromising position... 04:04 for me... I was in California I'd gone out there 04:08 to attend Graduate School, and personally 04:12 there's a degree of pride... I went out to get a degree 04:14 I went out to succeed and that is what I had intended to do 04:17 before going back home... also, there's a degree 04:21 of the student life, which is not a very plush life, 04:24 one lives on bare bones to begin with... 04:27 then there's the rapidity with which things can happen 04:31 the way that I discovered that I have Type 1 Diabetes 04:35 is my brother-in-law 04:38 Dr. O.C. White now... 04:40 along with his sister 04:42 who is my wife, now, and is Mrs. Johnson... 04:45 actually found me in a very, very poor 04:49 state of health... and dragged me to the hospital 04:52 I mean... semi-comatose 04:54 and things happened very rapidly from there... 04:57 the bills mounted 04:58 I had to make some decisions, and found myself on the street 05:03 I was not able to go home, I didn't have the funds 05:07 and I did hide from my parents as you can understand 05:12 for a while... and when they found out 05:14 they went completely berserk as you can imagine... 05:18 Yes... wow... Ryan... that... you know it never ceases 05:23 to amaze me about the journey 05:26 that each of us has... it's like people will see you now 05:31 and no one would ever think 05:33 that part of your life journey 05:35 was homelessness... or Type 1 Diabetes... 05:40 but God can take a really bad situation 05:45 and turn it into someone who is the Founder of 05:49 Bellum Communications... I mean... it's just... 05:52 it's an amazing thing... 05:54 the way God can take lemons and make lemonade... 05:58 out of the lemons... so you have a powerful testimony 06:04 for the Lord... you can show how He brought you 06:07 from Point A to Point B 06:10 successfully and now... 06:12 you're doing "Redemption" 06:14 you've done this Project... "Redemption" 06:17 tell us about "Redemption. " 06:18 "Redemption" began as an accident... 06:22 Hmmm... every year... my parents... 06:26 who are in charge of the Choirs, one of the Choirs 06:31 in the Communications Department at the Northeast Seventh-day 06:34 Adventist Church... in North Carolina... 06:37 they put on an Easter Program, now, I was asked, 06:41 year after year... to assist in creating some 06:45 graphics... just some things 06:47 that they could use to augment the Program... 06:50 well, one year, my mother calls me and she says, 06:53 I'll never forget... I was in the car... 06:55 with my wife... it was after Church... 06:58 so the sun was still up on the West Coast... 07:00 the sun was down on the East Coast... 07:02 and my mother says, "Son, we want to do something 07:06 this year... that is going to completely shock 07:10 everyone... what ideas do you have?" 07:13 and I said, "Well, Mom, the first thing 07:16 we have to do is... take time" because usually 07:19 she would call me and I would have... oh... 07:21 one or two weeks to put something together... 07:24 and I'd some animations... I said, "Let's take a year... 07:28 and see what we can put together... " 07:30 Hmmm... and so, I was talking with my 07:33 wife... and she shared a story with me 07:35 when she was growing up in Fresno, California... 07:38 her Pastor... Pr. Ezra Mendinghall 07:40 who is the Host... on the "Redemption" Project 07:45 they put on a dramatization of Noah's flood... 07:49 and it was just a Church Pageant but what they did 07:53 was get flashes from cameras and just tried to bring 07:56 the experience out... she shares that story with me 07:59 and I began to think... and I called my mother and said, 08:03 "Mom, I've got it... this year... we are going to 08:07 dramatize the return of Christ, and what we will do 08:11 is... we will apply all the skills 08:14 that God has given us 08:16 to have the skies part 08:18 and have Christ return 08:20 over the Charlotte skyline... " Wow! 08:23 and she said, 08:24 "That sounds great... how are we going to do it?" 08:26 and I said, "I have no idea... " 08:28 but that is what we did... and the results of that showing 08:34 that 9-minute clip was so massive... 08:38 people went down for baptism, there was wailing... 08:41 I did not appreciate just how badly 08:45 people were longing for the return of Christ... 08:49 and from that... I sat down and said, 08:52 "We may be on to something here... " 08:55 a ministry... and "Redemption" began 08:58 it's embryonic phase then... 09:01 Wow! look at how God moves on the heart and mind 09:08 to develop a whole concept you know, I mean, 09:13 it just came "from out of the blue" 09:16 but we know that the Holy Spirit was behind it... 09:19 because that visual piece is so powerful... 09:23 when people can actually see what they think 09:27 the Second Coming looks like... I mean... 09:30 it's got to be amazing... I want to see that 09:32 by the way... I want to see what you did 09:35 with that... but let's take a look 09:37 at a Clip from "Redemption" right now... 09:39 we have a Clip right now... let's take a look at it... 09:42 For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son 09:47 that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish 09:50 but have everlasting life... he simply comes 09:53 to restore and redeem the blessed... 09:56 and to put back into full fellowship 09:58 that which was separated by sin... 11:06 Thank God for the gift of Jesus the Christ... 11:16 That is so powerful... Praise the Lord... 11:20 that is so powerful... 11:22 praise the Lord... is right I mean... just... 11:25 again that visual piece... where you can actually see 11:29 things as they happen and unfold 11:32 and I've been able to watch "Redemption" 11:35 and... in fact... in fact I have to tell our viewers 11:38 that it is airing every Saturday... 11:40 I say Saturday for those who are not 11:43 Sabbath-keepers... every Saturday afternoon 11:46 at 4:00 p. m. on Dare to Dream... 11:48 we are airing... at 4:00 p. m. Central time 11:52 Central Standard time... we are airing "Redemption" 11:56 so, you have to make sure that you watch... 11:58 Tell me, Ryan, what's been the Community response 12:03 to "Redemption" how have people responded to it? 12:08 You know... a Church has its mission... 12:11 and a part of every Church's mission, 12:15 I imagine, is a Community effort, 12:18 an evangelistic effort... if you will... 12:21 an outreach effort... and very often 12:23 the members of the Church... they are aware of this... 12:26 they attend the Church but they don't feel that 12:29 hands-on experience... what we did not anticipate 12:32 was how involving the Church 12:34 in this "Redemption" Project 12:36 and having Church Members 12:38 be able to see themselves... as part of this 12:41 evangelistic tool... would really heighten 12:45 the Community... the desire for 12:48 greater Community Outreach... 12:50 and so what we have seen is firstly the Church 12:54 really cranking up... its outreach program... 12:58 getting a hands-on feel and an active feel to do 13:03 Community Outreach... as well... 13:05 they have been giving in North Carolina... 13:07 they have been distributing "Redemption" 13:09 as part of the evangelistic... their evangelistic program... 13:13 and what this has done is help infiltrate the Community 13:17 with some of the doctrines as well as even the behaviors 13:21 of the Church... and they are more receptive 13:23 to some of the things the Church has to offer... 13:26 Wow! but now... let me back up a second 13:30 because I saw 13:31 a lot of unfamiliar faces 13:34 people that I had never seen before... 13:35 where did you find the actors and the participants 13:40 in the film... where did you find them? 13:43 I have to tell you... there's a woman 13:45 by the name of Sister Nidia Bowrey 13:48 who has just moved from North Carolina 13:51 to Loma Linda to further her education 13:54 and she was running a Drama Team there... 13:57 now, I don't live in North Carolina 13:59 I heard about this drama team 14:02 and she suggested... these people... 14:04 now, some of these people, I have known since childhood 14:07 because I did grow up in the Carolinas... 14:10 and when she suggested them I couldn't see it... 14:14 I said, "Are you sure?" and I tell you... 14:16 when I went out there and I saw these young people 14:20 come together and show their skill... 14:23 I was so unbelievably impressed... 14:26 so what you see are Church Members... 14:29 members of the Church... using their talents for God... 14:33 and as you can expect... because of that... 14:35 my phone rings off the hook... with Church members 14:38 from other areas... other States... 14:40 who are volunteering 14:42 to be a part of any projects we have 14:44 coming out of the pipeline... 14:45 Wow, that's great... that's great... you know... 14:49 this is such a powerful evangelistic tool... 14:52 when I watched it for the first time... 14:55 first of all... like I told you before 14:57 a couple of people had approached me 15:00 about the film... and when one person 15:03 tells me about something, I take note 15:06 but when more than one person 15:09 tells me about something... then... sometimes I think... 15:11 well, maybe the Lord is trying to tell me something... 15:13 I need to check this out... so I watched it for myself 15:16 and there's such an anointing on it... 15:19 it is such a powerful evangelistic tool 15:23 because it can be given to people who know nothing... 15:26 about Jesus... and they can find out 15:29 from the beginning... straight through 15:31 to the resurrection and the return... 15:33 I mean... this is such a great, great tool... 15:37 what is your vision for "Redemption" 15:40 what do you think the Lord has in mind 15:43 as a plan for "Redemption"? 15:46 You know there is an 15:49 extremely fluffy and sophisticated way 15:51 in which I can answer that question, 15:53 I think I'll be honest... "Redemption" has already 15:57 done far more than we ever imagined... 16:01 we did not know that "Redemption" could have 16:04 the impact and the potential impact 16:07 that it has... I have no idea 16:11 how far the Lord intends to take this mission... 16:15 but I know that I intend to be ready... 16:17 when he calls me to do some work... 16:20 Oh... What I'd like to say, however, 16:23 is the initial thing as I earlier stated... 16:27 that we wanted to do... was create a format 16:30 in which God's gospel 16:32 and which His words 16:34 can be presented... that attracts 16:36 the minds and hearts of young people... 16:37 and I've actually had a couple of opportunities 16:41 to speak in front of young people 16:43 and have performed an experiment I'd get up front... 16:46 I would read a text... usually the text concerning 16:50 "Letting no man steal one's crown... " 16:52 sit down... play the 11 minutes 16:56 of the Second Coming... get back up... 16:58 give an appeal... and I tell you... 17:00 those young people respond in droves... 17:03 they do... Wow! 17:05 Yes ma'am... that's amazing! 17:07 that is such a blessing... again... again... 17:10 it's so important to meet people where they are 17:13 and we are in a very media- technology-oriented Society... 17:20 so our young people are used to visual stimuli 17:24 and so... we give them that... and show the gospel 17:28 and show the Second Coming and these Bible stories 17:32 through that medium... it is just... I mean... 17:36 it's just mind-boggling... the effect that it can have... 17:40 and that's what... I'm so thankful that 17:42 we have people like you... that have picked up 17:46 that mantle... and you're saying, 17:49 "Lord, here am I... send me... " 17:51 you know... I'm available... and you're using 17:53 these gifts that God has given you... 17:55 these special effects... I mean... I just saw... 17:58 and our viewers just saw... 17:59 when the sores on the face of that person 18:03 just disappeared... I mean... 18:05 when you see these visual effects... 18:07 it's just amazing... 18:08 so I praise the Lord for you and your ministry... 18:12 you are working on another Project... 18:15 The Daniel and the Revelation Project... 18:18 tell us about that... Ah... Daniel and Revelation... 18:22 the special effects are one of the things 18:25 that draw persons... especially people who are very 18:28 visual in the way that they process information 18:32 immediately following "Redemption's" success... 18:36 I and the team sat down and began to think... 18:41 there were a couple of ideas that we've come up with... 18:44 we have them in the pipeline... in fact... 18:46 I'm going to answer your question 18:47 but let me mention that there was a young mother 18:50 who was at the premier of "Redemption" 18:52 in North Carolina... and she had recently lost 18:55 her child due to "Shaken Baby Syndrome" 18:58 her child-care giver had shaken that baby to death... 19:02 Oh no... there's a scene 19:04 in the "Resurrection" not Christ's resurrection 19:08 but in the Second Coming... of the resurrection of the dead 19:10 where a woman is re-united with her child... 19:13 and I was told by this young woman 19:16 that as a result of that scene she wants to do 19:18 any... and everything she could 19:20 to be prepared for Christ's return... 19:22 and she also wants to create a Foundation 19:25 and to do a documentary to help educate people... 19:29 about the dangers of shaking babies 19:32 and warning signs of people who may do so... 19:34 so that's one project we have going... 19:36 and while I was discussing that, the idea and opportunity 19:42 came before us... to present 19:45 Daniel and the Revelation Seminar material 19:49 in a format that is similar 19:52 to the way that "Redemption" was presented... 19:55 so during some research... I discovered that 19:58 in a 15-Session Daniel and Revelation Seminar 20:01 the ministers are still using very antiquated technology... 20:07 I mean... they... praise the Lord... 20:09 they have been very effective but they are asking... 20:12 and have literally verbalized... 20:15 for their verbalizing the need 20:18 for higher-end graphics... is it possible 20:22 that we could create some very gripping material 20:26 to go along... with our Revelation Seminars... 20:30 and so, again, we began to process... 20:33 and think... what are we on to here? 20:35 and that is how the Daniel and the Revelation 20:38 project came to life... imagine if you will... 20:41 two cases... 20:44 one case entitled "Daniel" 20:46 and the other case entitled "Revelation" 20:49 and in each case... there is a series of DVDs 20:54 and on each DVD... there are 3 to 5 sessions... 20:59 and these sessions are hosted by 21:02 a person... a minister... who, he or she, 21:06 knows the Daniel and the Revelation 21:08 prophecies cold... and is able to communicate 21:12 these doctrines... in a way that is easy to digest 21:17 and that is very easy to remember... 21:20 and now imagine that interspersed in this dialogue 21:23 are the very gripping sort of visuals 21:27 that are characteristic of a program like "Redemption" 21:31 that is the Daniel and the Revelation project 21:34 that we are trying to bring into existence... 21:37 Wow... that sounds incredible, in fact, we have the trailer 21:41 from that... let's show our viewers... 22:08 Your Majesty... 22:15 Art thou able to make known unto me 22:20 the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? 22:25 Oh King, live forever... thou oh King sawest... 22:31 and behold... a great image... 22:35 Music playing... 23:27 Wow... 23:30 I was so excited about that Project... 23:32 I really, really am... 23:33 Oh, as well you should be... oh, wow, that is just... 23:37 the thing that is so important to me 23:41 is that... we are to be the head not the tail 23:44 and that... to me is just up there with 23:48 anything else that's out there in terms of quality... 23:51 you know... you're not sacrificing quality 23:55 and that is just so important because you know 23:59 we are to be the head not the tail... 24:01 so that is powerful... where are you now 24:05 in this whole process with this Project? 24:08 Right... you know... we had an option 24:11 we could take the resources that we have 24:13 and put it together but after talking with some 24:18 people... in Washington... 24:20 talking to some very influential ministers... 24:23 we have been convinced to go about this 24:26 the right way... so in addition to getting 24:30 the entire curriculum together for a Daniel and Revelation 24:33 Seminar... outlining all of the material 24:37 and putting it into a format that is episodic 24:40 and that is easy to remember... we are also doing 24:44 we are also doing the hard work of garnering funds... 24:48 so that we can produce this properly... 24:51 so that we can produce this all over the world... 24:53 so, you are really... right now... 24:57 you are in need of funds in order to complete this 25:01 Project... bottom line... you need funds 25:04 to complete this Project... Yes... Ma'am... 25:06 I'm sure that... I mean... this is something 25:09 that... a lot of people say, 25:11 "Well, I can't go... 25:14 I'm not a missionary... I can't go to another Country 25:17 I'm shy... I can't go... from door to door... " 25:21 well, you know what... a Project like this 25:24 if people would get behind a project like this 25:28 your funds... whatever amount they send 25:32 could go for really moving and promoting 25:35 the gospel... everybody is not meant to 25:39 go door to door... people just can't really do that 25:42 comfortably... some of them... but they can 25:45 put some money behind projects like this... 25:48 that really can reach the world... 25:50 with the gospel... with prophecy... 25:53 this is so powerful Brother Ryan... 25:56 this is so powerful... I'm so thankful 25:58 for your ministry... and your team... 26:00 how many are on your team by the way? 26:02 I have a core team of 5 people and they are the "Think Tank" 26:08 the creative people 26:11 and then, of course, beyond that 26:13 we have any of the Churches, any of the ministers 26:16 who contribute to the Project, to whom we go and say, 26:20 "Will you work with us to do this?" 26:22 but all of the Special Effects 26:25 all of the filming... all of the framing... 26:28 and everything that you see goes into 26:30 one of these Projects is done by one of us 26:34 or all of us that are in the Core Five Group... 26:37 That's just incredible praise the Lord... 26:41 How can our viewers reach you to make a donation 26:44 to your project... how can they reach you? 26:47 we have a website that we've set up 26:49 it's brand new and it is, 26:51 www. bellumAE.org 27:01 and on that we set up a PayPal button 27:04 that anyone... that feels inspired 27:06 they can click that button and give any amount 27:10 that they feel... moved to give to support this ministry... 27:14 Great... thank you so much... Thank you... 27:17 we are so blessed to have you and so thrilled 27:21 with the work that you're doing, 27:22 may God continue to bless you 27:24 as you move forward with technology 27:27 in serving Him... thank you... God bless you... 27:30 Well, we've come to the close of another episode 27:33 of Urban Report... you know, it never ceases to 27:36 amaze me... how God can take a life 27:39 that's on one path... and just put you on a totally 27:43 different path... look what God did for Ryan Johnson 27:47 he was homeless at one point... 27:49 God had a tremendous plan for him... 27:52 and God has a tremendous plan for you... 27:55 just hold on to him... know that wherever you are 27:58 right now... does not determine 27:59 where you're going to be... thanks for watching 28:02 see you next time... it just wouldn't be the same 28:05 without you... |
Revised 2015-06-01