This morning I watched this testimony below. It’s worth all 12 minutes of your life to view it, trust me.  It is the depiction of a person at the end or their hope, ready to end their life, who by divine chance received an invitation to church.  Believe it or not she comes and it’s not the service, or the message that captures her, but a person in the lobby.  Watch…

Who has the greatest joy from hearing her story?  The campus pastor from the lobby?  The person who put the invite into her hand? The lead pastor who challenges people to get baptized and grow in their relationship with Jesus, who hired the campus pastor? What about the design team behind the invite?  Is it Jesus, for paying the price to make a way for hope? All of heaven?  Her mom and dad?

I believe all were vital, down to those not given credit within the story.  The greeters, musicians, tech team, first impressions, those who invested their faithful giving to build the Mathew’s campus she found herself inside, the printer of the invites, and the person who gave the challenge to distribute the invitation initially.

One invite can change a life, one honest moment with someone in the lobby can turn someone’s life around.  We should hold our heads up high, because surely the harvest is plentiful, if we will just take note of those needing hope and purpose!

I am so grateful for the video that captures this story from Elevation Church in North Carolina.  It allows us to see what can happen through our daily obedience to see the people around us and walk out he simple but divine task of passing on an invitation!

I can’t wait to shoot our own stories at Open Life this year as we continue to grow and reach those within our city who need hope.  What might the video look like and who will be involved?

April 8^th is just over 6 weeks away!  Easter 2012…the day most people would be open to an invitation such as the one depicted within this video.  Who will you invite, what will their story be?

Can’t wait to tell it!

Romans 12:1–2 (NIV84)  Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. ² Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

I have for so many years read this passage and interpreted it as for those trying to break free from past addictions, porn, sex, drugs….but in recent years I have been greatly challenged by this passage as the desire of God for all of us who are risking new movements within the church.  Listening to the new way God might lead us to reach the majority of our world who have yet to engage in a growing relationship with Jesus.

In the church, we can fall into the pattern of the way we have been raised instead of the way we should go.  Most churches have embraced a model of hiring charismatic people to raise tribes within the church to grow departments.  Great youth pastor equals great youth group (but what about the mission of the whole church), great children’s pastor equals great children’s church (but what about the mission of the church).  I have been one to pursue my youth ministry vision at the cost of the mission of the church.

Open Life on the other hand, having our minds renewed from the old ways, has come to realize the greatest pursuit we could have is serving the mission over serving a department.

Every volunteer is first an Open Life volunteer, pursuing the mission of leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus.  Sure people are placed in a volunteer team, but each role pushes towards the mission vs. the temptation to recruit a role serving the leader of a specific team where role and leaders become the ones being served more than the mission.

When the service to God is all about the role and the leader, any change in role or leadership is paralyzing to the organization, but when service is to the mission change is natural in pursuit of the mission.

In the culture of Open Life we value Experimentation, but if we foster a culture of departmentalism leading to slow change, experimentation would be challenged.

We will always manage the tension of the reality that people follow people vs. principles, or programs.  Reality is, they will only serve the mission as much as they see us serving the mission.  If we keep pointing towards the mission their service towards the mission will continue faithful, but if we ever begin to absorb the focus, we could quickly derail the mission for all those whom we oversee.

Just a little mind transformation there for you; what pattern are you following?

Now the landscape is littered with branches, but the ones that have me thinking are the ones that are still connected.  They are unhealthy, dangerous and could cost the tree it’s life if not removed.

So why, in life and organizations do we hold on to splintered branches?  Why when the storm comes do we cling to the splintered branches and try and keep them alive at the cost of the tree?  Cut the sucker off and begin growing again.  Reserve your strength to push forward to your future.  The tree that keeps the branch will either die or be stunted for the rest of it’s life, but if you remove the branch the chance of future production and fruit is exponentially greater.

That branch will cost you…remove it and you will be better off.  It may have been your favorite branch and most beautiful, fruitful but if left attached it will destroy you!  The art of pruning is of high value in life!

For the past two months we have been shopping sales, and buying up the supplies for Liberty Ridge Elementary to be a tangible expression of the love and heart of generosity taught in scripture.  After all was said and done we were able to make $1,300 go a long ways…shocking the amount of stuff we were handing out to an overjoyed school.  I woke up today excited for this give, which we did at 5pm today.

But as I went through the day looking forward to this it was the unexpected moment for grace, love and generosity that got my heart pumping faster than my recent Triathlon training.  I was robbed.

Sitting at the Bonney Lake Starbucks (my office) in front of Walmart with many other fellow coffee addicts as well as those with no better place to go, it was time that coffee in needed coffee out.  I did a quick take around me and thought all was safe as I usually know most of the other people in the building.  I went a very quick tinkle and returned to see that my computer was missing.

I figured someone was pulling a joke on me so I did a quick walk around to see who popped in and attempted to get a reaction from me.  But there was no such person anywhere to be found.  I recalled who all was in the store and there was a young adult girl who was gone, all I could remember is she had a pink bag and so I asked the baristas if they saw a girl with a pink bag exit a moment ago, that my computer was stolen…the barista at the window told me she had run south of the store just moments ago.

I don’t know what got in me, but I didn’t call the police as I contemplated the reality that my MacBook Pro that runs Open Life, and our kids church venue might be gone (Thousands of dollars in value in content and the computer itself); I went after this girl leaving all my other belongings back at “the office”.   Sure enough I found her hurrying away exiting the Walmart Parking lot heading towards Sumner.  I asked her to stop and if she took my computer.  She ignored me at first and that is when I said to her, “I could call the police, but I had not yet because she actually took a computer from someone who could help her.”

I was surprised as the words exited my mouth.  She paused and began to cry and opened her bag and there was my computer.  She asked me not to call the police and I told her I wanted to call someone who could actually give her help, Jesus.  I explained that I was truly wanting to help her out of whomever she was running from or running to.  She would not give me much beyond that she really didn’t understand where she was at.  That someone had brought her out to Bonney Lake and she was trying to figure out how to get back to Seattle.

I asked if I could help her get to Seattle and if she needed to contact family or anyone who could help and she said just to get back to Seattle.  So I got her on a bus to transfer to Seattle and paid for her ticket and some spending money.  Then she gave me her name and let me pray for her.  I prayed, gave her my card and asked her to call if she needed additional help.

I went back to “the office” and was just shocked that someone actually would be in a place where desperation would lead them to steal a computer in a Starbucks.  I truly hope Jesus touched her heart and impacts others through the grace that was just passed onto her.

All that to say…the grace, love and generosity I woke up excited to share at LRE, was trumped by an opportunity to demonstrate it when no one was looking.

Our faith is truly tested in the intimate moments as much as the public moments.

We ended the day giving away over $1,300 in school supplies that brought tears to some teachers eyes, but it was that one on one moment that I will lay my head down remembering.  Praying for this young girls life to make a difference in this world.

One thought that came to me in my car will not rest within my head.  A passage from the Bible came to me with a different application than I had ever applied.

Romans 12:1–2 (NIV84)

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. ² Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

I want to continually renew my mind.  Thoughts and creativity are like skin to a snake, you have to shed the old and embrace the new.  What was innovative a year ago is old hat , the norm or the pattern today.  Just the way our world flows.  We all need to be willing to renew our minds and free ourselves from the patterns of this world.

I don’t want to get stuck in a pattern, rut, or way of thinking.

Often in Church world we feel this passage is just for the person making a fresh approach at Jesus and needing to shed the patterns of the world that would leave their lives compromised and empty, but I think this passage is just as rich for the Church to receive.

Churches need to get out of the pattern of what they have attempted in order to fulfill the mission of God upon their lives.  Fresh innovation, new mindset and pursuit in order to fulfill the will of God for their people.

I think it would be more worthy of our time to stop worrying so much about trying to get people out of their patterns and focus on our churches stepping out of patterns that have left them irrelevant, counter cultural and lacking the authentic presence of Jesus that transforms lives.  If we can be the church, engaged in culture and even shaping the culture through innovative ways, then the encounter with Jesus will do the transforming, we just need to continually offer our lives to Him and enjoy the new mindset to pursue the will of God for today!

Here is that blog: From August 31, 2010

A season of transition always brings about a new dream. Recently at Open Life we have had a transition in our worship team and a dream for the music culture in Bonney Lake was born. I shared about worship Sunday, but there is something I wanted to say….that I didn’t have time to hit on. Here is that something…

Ben Sorte has done an amazing job setting the culture, sound and environment for worship at Open Life in Bonney Lake, but life has led his family on as a job opportunity just too good to pass up has presented itself. So in his exit deep prayer has begun, and where we listen to God He tends to speak.

A couple weeks ago Jesus really began to stir within me that we should not rush into replacing the role of worship for Sundays at Open Life, but consider the needs of Bonney Lake’s music industry in our decision. As a church we have been pursuing the vision of being a place that unchurched people love to attend, but not just drawing them to us, but more importantly we would go and find ourselves amongst those who would not just come to church and do life there…amongst the community…with them. You know…like normal people of culture verses a subculture.

I personally have experienced the excitement that comes with doing life in the city and finding the favor of relationships with those who do not go to church turning into great and rich conversations about the church and Jesus. And yes, even some decisions to follow Jesus have resulted as well as various visits to Open Life. It is amazing what can happen if you will prioritize a conversation instead of a congregation!

Here is the challenge I have felt from the Lord. Why should music be any different? Why should the realm of musical art and gifting be any different from that of communication and influence? Why have we restricted the role of worship and bringing glory to Jesus to the 20 minutes before a talk on Sundays or maybe a service some other day of the week? Should we not pour our passions for music into the culture as well as into the congregation? So what does that look like for our circumstances…for our community of Bonney Lake?

I believe it looks like someone who is active in the music industry who would desire to see others develop and raise up to be great musicians in our city. They would probably find themselves in clubs, schools, music lessons, and open mic nights just as much if not more than they would be in the church. People would probably find themselves drawn to the depth of their music and how well they communicate about life through lyric and sound. Every song would not need to be about Jesus, but the life that comes through Him would certainly shine through their expression.

Then out of their being present within community and this region there would raise up a music culture that would be drawing. Not just a sub-culture of Christian music and worship, but truly a leading edge of music culture within our city and region. It is the essence of excelling in the creativity that comes from an all creative Creator…God!

My eyes are wide open as I make the ask to many musicians who have been brought to my attention through referrals or just by Jesus opening my eyes to their abilities. While it is a season where we are all rolling up our sleeves at Open Life to fill the need of worship week to week we are not in a rush, because we feel there is a person who will come and make a huge impact in our church and region through the God given talent, creativity and passion for community.

The adventure is full steam ahead and I for one cant wait to see who this person will be. Jesus is certainly starting a unique movement in Bonney Lake, WA and I for one am privileged to be a part of the story!

Here is a video we made regarding being present in community:

I have always been a huge proponent of living in the city you go to church in.  Just a huge factor when it comes to doing life with people and your life having a chance to make an impact.

Maybe it’s meeting someone at Starbucks, the grocery store, or even the person who cuts your hair.  People are watching and taking notice of your life.

Here is an email I received today:

Good afternoon and Happy Monday!

I just wanted to say thank you for being an awesome light and man of God.  You’ve never met me, but my little sister cut your hair this weekend. She is not really living as a Christian and that is largely because she has been treated poorly and made to feel like crap by pastors in the past. She had great things to say about you. She said you were super nice and friendly!

Thank you for letting Christ shine through you, for loving others, and for being a great example that not all Christians are religious and legalistic.  I hope that sometime we can come check out your church.

I think God has many opportunities for us and many of them look like normal every day life!  Goes to show you never know how closely those you do life with are watching.

Make the most of your opportunities!

We were on a bus in California on a summer Missions Tour with the youth choir from Eastridge Christian Assembly.  We were on a quick meal stop and Jenna scratched herself on the face from one of her nails.  I grabbed the little clipper thing and while clipping Jenna’s nail she did a quick flinch and off came the end of her finger.  Yeah, it was just a flesh wound, but it bled like crazy and from that experience I have never taken the clippers to one of my children again.

I just couldn’t handle seeing my child bleed at my causing, when I am supposed to be the one who keeps them safe and secure.

That said, John 3:16; Colossians 1:19-20 clearly says that God sent His son to take our place by the shedding of His blood on the cross.  How could God do that?  What a painful process to overcome the sin of the world.  And for that story to be told around the globe everyday must be a painful reminder of the price that was paid and is rejected by so many as they choose to live their life their own way instead of the best way.  Guess it’s hare to grasp that there is freedom in surrender!

All I was doing was clipping nails…Jesus took the nails in his hands and feet!

My Prayer: God let us be faithful in sharing the message in such a way that it connects with those who have yet to comprehend the price that was paid for the grace that is for all!  Soften hearts that they may hear it, and choose to follow you!

Think about how many ways people wipe their noses.  Kleenex is a great method, never understood hanky’s, you have the classic Finger Pinch…kinda inconspicuous, the sideways forearm wipe, the above mentioned elephant trunk method and many more.  We all get that runny dripping nose taken care of in our own unique way.

Our strategies are unique to us…influenced by our years of upbringing, examples we saw or ways we were taught in school.   While some ways are certainly more sanitary, we each get the job done in a unique way that fits us!

Churches are much the same.  While we are all dealing with the issue of sin and it’s drain on life (pun intended) we all get the message of Jesus teaching out in a unique way that fits some people better than others.

I was just asked this past weekend about the unity of the church and if it were possible for us to all be united.  My thought is we are as long as we are preaching Jesus as the way to God as scripture makes plain.  I don’t think we need to all go about projecting that message the same way and I feel the efforts to unite methods are actually a bit counter productive.  People need different styles, sounds, approaches in order for each person to have a chance at responding to the message of Jesus.  Some need inspiration, some intellectualized, some will enter through illustrative approached, while still some through personal study.  There are all kinds of approaches, but the most important thing is that we stick to the message and let the unique DNA of each denomination and congregation play out for God’s glory.  There is no right way, just a right message.

When you think about it telling churches they should all unite and worship God together is like telling a bunch of husbands to dump their wives and all hook up with the same one…doesn’t make sense.  The church is the Bride of Christ, but that does not mean that the Bride’s personality can’t be unique to each congregation.

We each need to wipe out sin through our growth and pursuit of Jesus.  This leads us to a church that best fits us, our family, our friends.  That’s OK!

In the meantime…use a Kleenex! LOL

In order to facilitate this study, I have copied a position paper from a panel of Assemblies of God theologians back in 1979…pretty good stuff that covers every angle of the subject.  Enjoy the study (just hold your mouse over passage references to see the scriptures)!

The Rapture of the Church

“The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17; Romans 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52).”

Jesus taught that He will return to earth. He was careful to warn His disciples to be constantly prepared for this (Matthew 24:42-51; 25:1-13; Mark 13:37; Luke 12:37).

They understood that the present age will end with His coming (Matthew 24:3). The assurance of His return was one of the truths with which He comforted His followers before His death (John 14:2, 3).

At the time of Christ’s ascension two angels came to the group of watching disciples to repeat the promise that He will return. They declared it would be in the same manner as He went away (Acts 1:11). This clearly means His second coming will be literal, physical, and visible.

The New Testament Epistles refer often to the Second Coming, and the theme of imminence runs through all the passages of Scripture dealing with this subject. Though there would be a period of time between the first and second comings (Luke 19:11), the whole body of teaching concerning the return of the Lord emphasizes that it will happen suddenly without warning; that believers should be in a state of continual readiness (Philippians 4:5; Hebrews 10:37; James 5:8, 9; Revelation 22:10).

Believers in the early days of the Church lived in this state of expectancy (1 Corinthians 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 10). Paul’s “we” in 1 Corinthians 15:51 and 1 Thessalonians 4:17 shows that he maintained the hope he would be alive when Jesus comes back.

A comparison of passages of Scripture relating to the Second Coming shows that some speak of a visible event seen by all mankind and involving the judgment of sinners. Others describe a coming known only to believers and resulting in their deliverance from earth.

The latter is referred to among evangelicals as the Rapture. This word is not in the English Bible, but has been used so widely that one of the definitions of “rapture” in Webster’s Third New International Dictionary Unabridged is: “Christ’s raising up of His true church and its members to a realm above the earth where the whole company will enjoy celestial bliss with its Lord.” The word raptured could well be used to translate the expression “caught up” of 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Jesus said His coming will result in one individual being taken from a location while another is left. This indicates a sudden removal of believers from the earth with unbelievers left to face tribulation (Matthew 24:36-42).

Jesus spoke of His return as a time when the nations of the earth shall mourn as they see Him (Matthew 24:30). The apostle Paul spoke of the Lord’s return as a time of judgment and wrath upon the wicked (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).

In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, he considered a different aspect of the Second Coming. This brief passage is the most direct and clear teaching on the Rapture in the New Testament. It speaks only of believers, living and dead. Nothing is said about the wicked seeing Christ at this time. Paul described Jesus as coming in the air, but nothing is said about His feet touching the earth, as we are told elsewhere they will at His return (Zechariah 14:4). It is the moment when 1 John 3:2 will be fulfilled, and we shall be like Him.

The same Greek word used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 for “caught up” is used in Acts 8:39 to describe Philip’s being “caught away” after baptizing the Ethiopian. The latter verse states that the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away—identifying the source of the power that will remove believers from earth at the Rapture.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:1 Paul called the Rapture “our gathering together unto him.” The Greek word for “gathering” is the same as the one used for “assembling” in Hebrews 10:25, referring to the assembling of Christians for worship. It is a picture of the saints congregating around Christ at His coming for them.

The supernatural removal of godly individuals from earth is not unknown in Scripture. The outstanding event in the life of Enoch was his miraculous disappearance from earth after years of walking with God (Genesis 5:21-24). The author of Hebrews called this experience a translation, bypassing death (Hebrews 11:5).

Although some aspects of Elijah’s translation differed from Enoch’s, it also involved the sudden removal of a believer from the world without experiencing death (2 Kings 2:1-13).

First Corinthians 15:51-54 deals with the same event as 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Here also Paul spoke of the changes that will take place in both living and dead believers at the Rapture. He called this a mystery (1 Corinthians 15:51), a truth previously unrevealed but made known to him by the Holy Spirit.

In Philippians 3:21 Paul connected the Lord’s coming to the time when “our vile body” will be changed—another reference to the Rapture.

Passages which pertain to the Rapture describe the coming of the Lord for His people. Passages which refer to the revelation of Christ describe the coming of the Lord with His saints. Colossians 3:4 speaks of believers appearing with Christ at His coming. Jude 14 also foresees the Lord’s return with His people to execute the judgment referred to in many other passages relating to His public appearing.

Since Scripture does not contradict itself, it seems reasonable to conclude that the passages describing Christ’s coming for the saints and with the saints indicate two phases of His coming. We believe it is scripturally correct to assume that the intervening period between the two is the time when the world will experience the Great Tribulation, involving the reign of Antichrist and the outpouring of God’s wrath on the wicked (Daniel 12:1, 2, 10-13; Matthew 24:15-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12).

Although God’s people may endure severe trials before the Lord comes, the Church will be raptured before the period called the Great Tribulation.

In 2 Thessalonians 2 Paul indicated certain things must take place before the Day of the Lord (of which the Great Tribulation is a part) can begin. An individual called the man of sin (Antichrist) will appear. The mystery of iniquity has been at work since Paul’s time but is being restrained by the power of the Spirit working through the true Church. Only when the Church is removed from earth by the Rapture can this man come forward publicly.

In 1 Thessalonians 5, following the passage on the Rapture in chapter 4, Paul taught about the Day of the Lord. He warned of the destruction it will bring to the wicked (vv. 2, 3). He was quick to assure Christians that those who abide in Christ will not be overtaken by it (v. 4).

Still speaking of the Day of the Lord Paul wrote: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 9). It seems clear that he meant the deliverance of believers from the judgments of the Day of the Lord, including the Great Tribulation.

Christians are told repeatedly in the New Testament to be watchful for the Lord’s appearing. Never are they taught to watch for the Great Tribulation or the appearance of Antichrist. To expect that such things must happen before the Rapture destroys the teaching of imminence with which the New Testament is replete.

Believers are told to wait “for his Son from heaven,” not the Great Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 1:10). When the signs of the end of the age are evident, they are to look up and lift up their heads in expectation of their redemption, not the Great Tribulation (Luke 21:28).

The signs of the Lord’s coming will be fulfilled before His public appearing, but they do not have to be fulfilled before the Rapture. Any teaching that certain events must transpire before the Rapture is out of harmony with the doctrine of imminence.

It is consistent with God’s dealings with His people in the Old Testament to believe that the Church will be removed from the world before the Great Tribulation. God did not send the Flood until Noah and his family were safe in the ark. He did not destroy Sodom until Lot was taken out.

The weight of Scripture supports a pre-Tribulation Rapture. Wherever teaching about the Second Coming occurs in the New Testament, imminence is underscored. To interpose other events before the Rapture does violence to such teaching.

While Christians are looking forward to the coming of the Lord, it is well to remind themselves of Paul’s words to Titus: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave

himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:11-14).

© 1979 General Council of the Assemblies of God 5 The Rapture of the Church

This statement is the report of the committee to study the rapture of the Church. The report was
adopted by the Assemblies of God General Presbytery, August 14, 1979.