Right Time, Right Place, for Right People.

Today my wife and I encountered three women at the Vineyard. We had just finished lunch and were headed to the Big Room to worship. The ladies "just happened to show up" as we were walking toward the door. We were able to spent time with the ladies explaining the good news and how Jesus could set them free from some issues they were having. We  prayed with the women.

It was interesting to see their responses as they encountered presence and power of the Holy Spirit as He came upon them. Two decided to give their hearts to Jesus and to follow Him. All were elated and so grateful we stopped, welcomed and prayed for them. They knew we all were at the right place, at the right time, for the right reason. Amazing!

Weekend Training
I had a great time with Champion City Vineyard this past weekend. I was able to encourage their outwardness using some simple tools. 


The process: I broke the group up into four teams. Each group chose fun descriptive items from a display area, a box of markers and three giant Post It's. They had to incorporate the items as they developed their plan. 

They were given 30 minutes to work; at the end of the time allotted each team presented their ideas and plans.

They were given this scenario: You are part of an outreach development team...


1. Your team has been given the task to create a comprehensive plan to equip and to deploy people to reach out to your community.

2. If you could develop an ideal missional person… what would they look like? 

The groups did a great job of developing and expressing their ideas. 

After the break we spoke about creating space where God things happen. The teams then went to lunch and reached out to their community.

I encouraged the leaders to save the work and to actively use the group work to help move the church toward outwardness.

If you are interested in hosting a day, or evening training in your area let me know by going to ssbowen.wix.com/eyesoutward.

Power and Love

Power and Love have over 400 people signed up to attend. If you'd like to attend follow link for registration. I attended the school in Toledo and it was off the chart.

Early bird three more days.
http://powerandlove.org/schools/2015oh/

SCHEDULE FOR THE 2015 OHIO

SCHOOL OF POWER & LOVE

NOTE:  If Power and Love for some reason changes our conference schedule,
the FIRST thing we do us update it here.  You do not have to call us to find out if
this schedule is accurate.  When we know, you will know.  Thanks!

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22

6:00 pm — Doors open for Registration
7:00 Worship + Session #1 — Tom Ruotolo — Open to the Public**

THURSDAY, APRIL 23

9:00 Worship + Session #2 — Robby Dawkins
11:30 “Love in Action” outside the four walls and lunch
2:00 Session #3 — Robby Dawkins
4:30 “Love in Action” outside the four walls and dinner
7:00 Worship + Session #4 – Bob Hazlett — Open to the Public**

FRIDAY, APRIL 24

9:00 Worship + Session #5 — Todd White
11:30 “Love in Action” outside the four walls and lunch
2:00 Session #6 — Todd White
4:00 “Love in Action” outside the four walls and dinner
7:00 Worship + Session #7 — Robby Dawkins — Open to the Public**

SATURDAY, APRIL 25

9:00 Worship + Session #8 — Bob Hazlett
11:30 “Love in Action” outside the four walls and lunch
2:00 Session #9 — Bob Hazlett
4:30 “Love in Action” outside the four walls and dinner
7:00 Worship + Session #10 — Todd White — Open to the Public**

**An Offering will be taken at these sessions

Wow! Presence + Outreach = Huge Fun!

We've started Presence, a gathering of people primarily from our DSSM school and from our Vineyard family, that meets every second Saturday, and every last Thursday night. 

When we gather, we seek to encourage the people who attend by giving personal encouraging words and to worship together giving honor and glory to our King.

This past Saturday was off the chart. After sharing a short teaching we paired up to pray for one another. I then asked people to look around the room and see if there was someone who they felt needed encouragement or needed a specific word. I also mentioned it was ok if someone received more then one word of encouragement. My friend Liz received five encouragements that were all saying the same from five different people.

We then worshipped and leaned into Presence. 

After worship we broke up into two teams the head to University of Dayton area and to Fairfield Commons Mall. Every person who jotted a note on their Treasure Hunt sheet met and encouraged the person they noted on their sheet. We also gave each team $40.

Guy with green hat: He was encouraged that his hands were given to him as a craftsman and creativity was being released upon his life. He openly wept. It seems he was discouraged. His profession? A mechanic and a wood worker.

Family: Encouraged that God cared for them. The lady ran out the door of Burger King to thank the team for praying for her and her family. She wept as she explained they had no money and the meal being paid for meant so much for her. 

Russian: Julia, who is a Russian transplant to the USA, noted on her paper, guy on crutches, knee. Her group saw the man go into a shop next to Burger King. They ran over to the guy and Julia began to speak to the man. He noticed her accent, then asked, "What is you accent?" She said, "Russian." He lit up like a light bulb. He exclaimed, I love Russia!" He had traveled many times to her country and.... pause for effect... spoke Russian. They had a great conversation and she prayed for his knee. The odds of this happening is like a bizillian to one.

Girl in baseball cap with hair pulled through the cap wearing a pink shirt: Yep.

Mother with stoller with dogs: No dogs, just a stroller with puppy dogs as part of the decoration.

A family suddenly had Slupries spilled on their just purchased clothing: the $40 went a long way to help repair the dissapointment and all the people received accurate words of encouragement.

More 

Huge day. Huge fun. Awesome Jesus!

Take a selfie...

What is God Space? It is a space that we create by faith. It’s an atmosphere or an environment where God’s goodness, power, presence, love, and kindness can touch another human being..

Take a selfie. What do you see?

It's interesting that God chooses to reveal His nature through imperfect people. He always will, and He always has. He chose messengers to embody and to reveal His message. 

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ester, Daniel, Jesus, the Disciples, Martin Luther King, William Wilberforce, John Wesley, John G. Lake, Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, and people like you and me embody the message. 

Amazing is this grace. Awesome is the responsibility. Joyful is the privilege. 

We are stewards, entrusted ones, and great is His investment in us. He invests His love and grace into us in order to flow through us.

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Notice, He didn't say we would do witnessing, but we would be His witnesses and be witnesses with power.

A witness: a person who has seen, heard, or experienced something: to have personal or direct cognizance of a fact, a situation, an event or a person.

A witness is one who attests, authenticates, testifies (to), vouches (for), one who certifies as true. A witness is one who sees, declares what they have seen, heard and experienced.

The Disciples were experiential witnesses.

1John 1:1-3 
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 




The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 



We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard,  
so that you also may have fellowship with us. 

And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 


We write this to make our joy complete. 

Jesus reflected the Fathers love. 

He was the Light, the Revealer. The disciples walked with Jesus for three years; at the end they still didn't understand. They saw and heard what Jesus said and did. They saw His compassion, His anger, His love, His friendship, His power, and were soon to see His agony, then His glory. 

Bottom line if we really see, behold, and experience Jesus, we see, behold and experience the Father's love.

 Scenario:
Last discourse with the disciples. A last meal. Last words of encouragement. Last action before the cross... Washing the disciples feet. Last command... Love well.

He states, "If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”

Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, 
Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? 

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!                                                              

Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. 

Or at least believe because of the works you have seen me do.“                                                        John 14:7-9 (NLT)

Jesus came to reveal the Father. 

All He was and all He did revealed, reflected and pointed to the nature and character of the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel of John revealed seven signs, and seven I am's. 

They, (the words and works of Jesus) were written to encourage people to believe Jesus was the Son of God and pointed toward the nature of a loving Father.

The seven signs:

    Changing water into wine in John 2:1-11 

    Healing the royal official's son in Capernaum in John 4:46-54

    Healing the paralytic at Bethesda in John 5:1-18

    Feeding the 5000 in John 6:5-14

    Jesus' walk on water in John 6:16-24

    Healing the man born blind in John 9:1-7

    Raising of Lazarus in John 11:1-45

The seven I am's: I am

    "the bread of life"[6:35]

    "the light of the world"[8:12]

    "the gate of the sheep"[10:7]

    "the good shepherd"[10:11]

    "the resurrection and the life"[11:25]

    "the way, the truth, and the life"[14:6] and

    "the true vine"[15:1]

Jesus reflected the Father because He was with the Father. He only did what the Father asked Him to do. He only did what He saw the Father doing. Jesus reflected His love for His Father in His final act on earth by going to the cross. See the cross, you see the love the Father has for the world. You also receive a glimpse of Jesus's great love for His Father. He loved His Father so much that He gave it all. This is amazing love!

Jesus often went to a garden in the Mount of Olives to talk to His Father .  

It was His custom... He went to the Mt. of Olives... He would leave crowds, slip away, spend time alone in His Father's Presence. 

In the same way our life disciplines / habits / customs are stepping stones that move us forward toward knowing the Father's heart.

Good habits build a bridge to help us move from where we are, toward where we want to go.

The importance of Being. 

The messenger is the message. We reflect who we are and who we have been with. This is why it is so important to spend time in the Fathers presence and learn to be. 

When we serve someone we reveal the love and care of our Father. 
When we pray for someone we reveal the love and care of our Father. 
When we encourage someone we reveal the love and the care of our Father. 
We in a very real way reveal the Father's nature. 

Our good deeds reflect the Father's love.

For a couple of years I prayed daily. "Jesus, you reveal the Love of the Father, please reveal the love of the Father to my heart." I also prayed, "Father,  no one can come to Jesus unless you draw them. Father please draw me closer to Jesus."

I was expecting an encounter that would come upon me and give direct revelation of the love of the Father. I thought the revelation would come during my worship time, or my prayer time or at a special meeting. 

Over time I realized as I was praying for people, I was seeing the love of the Father reflected through what He revealed and what He gave to the people I was praying for. 

Recently, I've had several people stop me and thank me for praying for them. One lady told me I prayed for her over a year ago and she has had no pain or issues since. Amazing!

I marvel, "Wow! Father I see your nature. I see your love. You loved her so much that you met her need abundantly beyond all we could ask or think! You are truly a loving Father."

God's love for me was revealed not by some mysterious experience, (I'm all in for those) but by her need being met through an answered prayer... through me. He reveals His love as I serve someone, or when I stop for the one. Sometimes He reveals His love as I encourage someone with prophetic insight or by giving a gift to someone.

Here's the deal. God almost always reveals His love and grace toward people... through us, His imperfect people. This is both amazing and most humbling.

The message is the messenger. The messenger is the message. If you are in doubt, take a selfie.