Dedication of the New Video Recording Studio

The big news of this past week has been the ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony of the much-anticipated Beyond Today Video Recording Studio. This occurred on Monday, Nov. 26. Then, yesterday, before a live audience, we recorded the first three programs in the main studio.

We thank everyone from all over the world for their support and prayers. As the dedication got underway, flowers arrived from our German office and brethren. We thank everyone who has expressed encouragement in various ways as we labor to fulfill the mission of Matthew 28:19-20.

The dedication event was well-attended by Cincinnati brethren, office staff and Ambassador Bible College students—70 guests in all. The chief architect for the studio, Mark Bredemeier of KBA Inc., also came. Incidentally, he was also the architect for our main home office building 18 years ago and was visibly pleased with the outfitted studio. Before I gave the dedication prayers I made the following remarks: 

We thank all the workers, planners, supporters, donors and the thousands of prayers for it.

We could mention many names of those who diligently worked on this project, but one that stands out is that of Peter Eddington who has seen this project from its conception to its completion. In addition, Tim Sipes (our facilities manager and shipping manager) was instrumental in daily coordination with Millay & Company who were contracted to build the facility. And there are the dozen or so men and women in our Media and Communications Services department who helped get all of the technical equipment in place—led by Rudy Rangel.

But, most of all, we thank God who has opened the door for us to have and use such a facility for His Great Purpose. It is time now to dedicate and open this fine facility for use.

Then I went into the following discourse to set the stage for the dedication and prayer:

My Dedication Notes

I'd like to share some notable lessons from 1 Kings chapter 8 when King Solomon dedicated the magnificent Temple to God. This was one of the most beautiful structures of all time. It represented a house built for God, where He would live.

There are some important parallels I'd like to focus on in what was said. The dedication celebration was organized at the Feast of Tabernacles when people were already joyously assembled.

But, before Solomon actually dedicated the physical building he made the following points:

1. God would dwell there.

Then Solomon spoke: "The Lord said He would dwell in the dark cloud. I have surely built You an exalted house, and a place for You to dwell in forever" (1 Kings 8:12-13).

We are certainly asking for God's presence through His Holy Spirit in our facility. It is the place where we will preach His message through our primary presenters and others to go into all the world. We preface each event with a prayer asking for God to be with us and inspire the presenters.

2. Solomon blessed the people before any reference to the physical structure.

Then the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing (1 Kings 8:14).

The most valuable resource in the original Temple, and now in our studio, is the people—not the structure. It's the people who will use the facility as a tool to get God's Work done. We pray that they will do a commendable job using their creative, speaking and other talents. The life of the studio is in the people who will work there and benefit from it.

3. Solomon declared that this would be the place where prayers would be heard.

"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You today: that Your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, 'My name shall be there,' that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place" (1 Kings 8:27-29).

While the studio is not a place of worship for communing with God, it is where we reach out to Him and pray for His power to be upon our work. We ask Him to use us and speak through us. The end product is literally the work of God and we pray that it be through us.

4. Foreigners (outsiders) would take note of what is going on.

"Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for Your name's sake (for they will hear of Your great name and Your strong hand and Your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this temple, hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name" (1 Kings 8:41-43).

Ah yes! We really want our work to be noted by those outside of us, the spiritual foreigners and gentiles. We want them to ask what is behind the message. What is behind the personalities, the behaviors and the Church that produced what they will see and hear? Perhaps, as a result, they will find God in their lives as well. The video recording studio's primary purpose is to produce messages that will engage a needy and empty world about the Creator God Who wants a relationship with them and Who wants to give them eternal life.

We want our presence to spark curiosity and to provide a resource to the whole world.

5. The actual dedication of the building and celebration.

The dedication of the building itself is described in 1 Kings 8:62-66 where Solomon dedicates the Temple.

At this point I asked a modest prayer of dedication asking God to dwell with us, bless our people, hear our prayers, attract the outsider and finally bless the physical structure.

"So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord. On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the Lord" (1 Kings 8:63-64).

In the end there was a lavish celebration: "At that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great assembly" (1 Kings 8:65).

Ours was tiny in comparison, but certainly joyous and celebratory! We all looked on one another with appreciation and satisfaction to see this building completed and ready to begin fulfilling its purpose.

Three New Programs Recorded

The first three new Beyond Today programs (BT361, BT362 and BT363) recorded in a two-hour session on Wednesday were: 

• "The Horsemen of Revelation" by Darris McNeely
• "The Power of the Holy Spirit" by Steve Myers
• "Are We Living in the Time of the End?" by Gary Petty

This is quite a milestone, as we had been "making do" in the old studio for 13 years—since 2005—with 360 episodes recorded there!

This has been a most wonderful week as we move forward with new tools and new opportunities to fulfill the Mission of the Church!