The vulnerable Christian Leader...

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP BY PASTOR ANTHONY BASS from thefitnessking on Vimeo.

God is in Control!

12-21 002 from thefitnessking on Vimeo.

Ethiopian girl reportedly guarded by lions

Ethiopian girl reportedly guarded by lions

Kick off Service Sunday September 14

4501 Oak Grove Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55443

Hello, My name is Anthony Bass; my wife and I are in the process of planting a Church in Brooklyn Park, and we are looking to develop a Team of leaders to help us build this Ministry. Endurance Church's vision is to build faithful disciples of Jesus Christ in order to live well and finish strong. As far as my background, I attended undergraduate School at West Virginia State University where I earned a Bachelors of Arts in Independent Studies and Communications. Additionally, in 1998 I was signed on as a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings during our serendipitous 15-1 season. After leaving the NFL, I went on to start my graduate studies, and in graduate school, I obtained a double Master's in Divinity, Practical Theology and Business Administration from Regent in 2008. I’ve been in active ministry for the past 14 years. My ministry experience is diverse: Christian Education Teacher, Student Ministry Admin, Youth Pastor, Church Planter, Bible Teacher, Conference Speaker, and at-risk children and adult mentor. Additionally, I’ve been on mission trips to Bosnia Herzegovina, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Iraq. I currently hold the position of Church Relations Manager of Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge, and I am in the process of planting a church in Brooklyn Park, MN. My wife and I currently live in Plymouth and we have 4 children with one more on the way. The intent of my long introduction was to let you know a little about myself and hopefully to encourage you to come join in our effort to combine faith and fitness that will produce endurance for true discipleship to Jesus Christ. Endurance Church's mission is to make faithful disciples of Christ through offering loving disciplined faith-based teaching, providing practical physical and spiritual training, and giving constant encouragement and care, while presenting multiple opportunities to develop and fulfill personal callings. If you are interested or you know someone who may be interested in joining this team, please let us know.

Church Nursery Supply List

We are very excited to say that Endurance Church will launch September 14, 2014 at 4501 Oak Grove Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55443. We are in the teambuilding, preparation, and planning stages now of our launch; and, we are in need several items so that we can get off to a successful start. Our current area of focus is the nursery room. We have listed below several items that we are in need of. If you or someone you know is in possession of these items and is willing to give them away or sell them at a reasonable price, please let us know. Church Nursery Supply List • Diapers in all sizes • Baby wipes • Antibacterial soap • Receiving blankets • Fitted crib sheets • Crib blankets • Changing table sheets or covers • Diaper pails • Diaper pail sleeves • Garbage cans • Garbage bags • Goldfish snacks • Plastic food storage containers with lids • Small refrigerator • Juice • Water • Digital ear thermometer • Toys • Sippy cups Cleaning Supplies • Plastic pails • Bleach • Vacuum cleaner • Vacuum cleaner bags • Broom • Dust pan • All-purpose cleaning wipes • Toilet wand • Disposable wand pads • Rubber gloves Church Nursery Furniture • Rocking chair • Rocking chair pads • Cribs • Changing tables • Television • DVD player • Christian DVDs • Play/Activity Mats • Pagers • Visitor information cards • Volunteer training manuals • Training toilets

Missions Support November 5, 2013 Dear Friends: I hope and trust that this letter finds you well. I wanted to share an exciting opportunity I have been afforded by moving to Minneapolis and planting Endurance Church. One of the new partners we have connected with is David Gibson who is the Missions Pastor of Grace Church. Because of this partnership, this winter, I will be embarking on a missions’ trip to Northern Iraq from December 1 – December 11. I will work very closely with Pastor David Gibson and former Denver Bronco Steve Fitzhugh while in Iraq. Pastor David Gibson is a former leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is heading up a conference to support and equip first generation Christians in Iraq. We will also be plenary speakers at a Conference where we will be giving our testimonies as well. Here is my request: •Your prayerful consideration of giving financially to help meet these needs: The estimated budget for the Iraq trip, which includes airfare, transportation, accommodation, and meals, is $2,000. Checks can be mailed to Grace Church and are to be made payable to Grace Church as well. Additionally, in the memo section if you could write my name and Iraq missions trip. Our deadline to have money turned in is December 1. Please see details below: Grace Church - Missions & Evangelism Attention: Joanie McKeever 9301 Eden Prairie Road Eden Prairie, MN 55347 Phone: 952-224-3093 www.atgrace.com • Please pray for traveling mercies, ministry opportunities, and good health as we get ready for the trip and while in the Middle East. If you have any questions or would like more information about the trip, please feel free to contact Joanie McKeever at joaniemckeever@atgrace.com or (952) 224-3093. Thank you for affording me this opportunity to share this letter with you. Grateful, Anthony Emanuel Bass

Misty Edwards - I Will Waste My Life + Do You Know the Way You Move Me

Highlights from my wedding!

Bass responding to opportunity's knock.(SPORTS)

Browse back issues of this publication by date December 30, 1999 | Seifert, KevinAnthony Bass is having fun now, clearly enjoying the scenery after his arrival in the Vikings' starting lineup. A Division I-AA college player two years ago, a member of the practice squad last season and a reserve until last week, Bass figures he has nothing to lose. Jokingly describing his responsibilities Wednesday as a free safety, Bass said, "I'm the deep man, so if anyone gets behind me, I'm the one getting pulled out of the game." An unlikely scenario, to be sure, especially after Bass set a career high with seven tackles and intercepted the first pass of his career in the Vikings' 34-17 victory against the New York Giants on Sunday. Because of a season-ending shoulder injury to starter Orlando Thomas, and the Vikings' desperately thin depth at the position, Bass seems destined to stay put, no matter how he plays. The third man to start at free safety and the eighth to start in the Vikings' secondary this season, Bass is aware of his unlikely ascendance. "I had no idea, no idea at all," Bass said."I was just trying to make the roster. Once I made the roster, I was just worried about trying to get playing time, whether that be on special teams or defense. Then once you get playing time, you worry about trying to make the best of the opportunity as you can." In a more ideal situation, Bass would be continuing a gradual development process that began last season. But starting in a secondary that also includes rookie cornerback Kenny Wright and converted wide receiver Robert Tate in the nickel, Bass held his own against the Giants. He gave himself a "B" for the performance, although Bass admitted, "If I was a veteran, I'd give myself a `C.' " "Anthony Bass is a very good athlete that we've had in our program for two years now," Vikings coach Dennis Green said. "He's worked his way up. He has tremendous range. He's playing a position where a lot of veterans play, because you have to do a lot of [play] calling, but Anthony has handled it." Signed as a free agent out of Bethune-Cookman last season, Bass was released in 1998 training camp before joining the practice squad in September. He was activated and played in three regular-season games and also served as a nickel back in the playoffs after Thomas and fellow rookie Ramos McDonald were injured. Bass played sparingly as a backup to Thomas and strong safety Robert Griffith this season, and he had a total of six tackles before Sunday's game. Despite increasing shortage of personnel in the secondary, Bass seemed to fall more out of favor each week. Rookie free agent Chris Rogers moved past him as the nickel back after McDonald was released, and another free agent, Antonio Banks, started ahead of Bass at strong safety, with Griffith moving to free safety, when Thomas was sidelined by a sore hamstring against Kansas City on Dec. 12. Bass had been deactivated for the previous two games, and his roster spot seemed in jeopardy. "When you're not on the field, you're concerned," Bass said. "You're an NFL player, and you want to be on the field. I don't know of anyone with any competitive spirit who would not want to be dressed." Bass ended up splitting time with Banks in Kansas City. At 6-1 and a lean 200, however, the Vikings thought he was better suited to play free safety than Banks was to start at strong. Thomas returned to start the following week against the Green Bay Packers, but Bass got the call after Thomas broke his scapula in that game. "Last year, Coach Green kept saying we have a lot of players on our team that came from the practice squad," Bass said. "So I knew it was possible. I was just waiting my turn, and I'm happy it happened the way it did. I can't look back and say, `Man, I wish it happened any other way,' because it happened." Responsible mostly for covering the middle of the field, Bass benefited from the Giants' insistence on throwing sideline routes last Sunday. And he picked a good time for his first interception, a play cornerback Jimmy Hitchcock called "one of the biggest plays of the year." With the Vikings leading 14-6 in the third quarter, Bass made a diving catch of a twice-tipped pass and returned it 4 yards to the Giants 27. On the next play, Randy Moss' touchdown pass to Cris Carter gave the Vikings a 21-6 lead. "You see things like Cris Carter playing on a bad ankle, and Robert Tate going from offense to defense," Bass said. "You say, if those guys are doing that, I've got to hold up my end of the bargain. So I think that playing free safety, I've got to show I'm doing the things I need to do to help the team." Revolving door Ten different players have started in the Vikings' secondary, including nickel backs: . Position Player GS - CB Jimmy Hitchcock 15 - CB Kenny Wright 10 - CB Ramos McDonald 5 - SS Robert Griffith 14 - SS Antonio Banks 1 - FS Orlando Thomas 13 - FS Robert Griffith 1 - FS Anthony Bass 1 - NB Chris Rogers 4 - NB Kenny Wright 1

TROY AIKMAN VS. ANTHONY BASS.(SPORTS)

Browse back issues of this publication by date January 7, 2000 | Seifert, KevinAs the free safety, Bass is responsible for playing a kind of center field and is often the last man standing between a receiver and the end zone. Bass has started two games in place of Orlando Thomas, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, but neither the New York Giants nor the Detroit Lions went out of their way to test Bass. Rest assured Aikman will. A three-time Super Bowl champion, Aikman is especially adept at seeking out and attacking the weakness of a defense. A likely target for that search is receiver Raghib Ismail, the speedster who caught 80 passes for 1,097 yards this season. The Vikings' improved pass rush is to Bass' benefit, and he may well develop into a front-line NFL safety. There is no way to tell, however, until he matches up with a few quarterbacks such as Aikman. Troy Aikman, Cowboys quarterback - Age: 33 - Season: 11th - Height, weight: 6-4, 226 - College: UCLA - How acquired: Drafted first round (first overall) in 1989. Anthony Bass, Vikings cornerback - Age: 24 - Season: 2nd - Height, weight: 6-1, 203 - College: Bethune-Cookman - How acquired: Signed as rookie free agent in 1998.

Safety Anthony Bass steps up for Vikings.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Browse back issues of this publication by date December 30, 1999 | Johnson, GregEDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. _ For someone who had to be talked into playing football in high school, Anthony Bass has overcome the long odds of becoming an NFL player. Bass' professional career could have taken a different turn if he hadn't accepted an invitation from Bryce Casto. Before two-a-day practices started at South Charleston (W.Va.) High School in 1991, Casto made a request. ``(Bass) didn't play football his sophomore year, and when he came to our school he was a basketball player,'' said Casto, who was Bass' high school football coach and now is the athletics director at West Virginia State. ``We asked Anthony to come out before his junior year. I asked him to give it a week to see if he liked it. If he did, then stick with it, and if not, there would be no hard feelings or anything. He came out and excelled. I knew he had been an excellent football player in junior high school.'' Bass, a free-agent signee by the Vikings who has become their starting free safety because of season-ending shoulder injury to Orlando Thomas, competed against DuPont High School stars Randy Moss, Eric Moss and Bobby Howard, who later became Notre Dame's captain. Bass, 24, remembered those days as he prepared for the regular-season finale Sunday against the Detroit Lions. ``At first I was like, `Man what is (Casto) talking about,' '' said Bass, who made his first career interception Sunday in a 34-17 victory over the New York Giants. ``But he really wanted me out there, and it made me feel good. The first game I caught a 50-yard touchdown, so I said, `Oh, I can still play football.' They had a lot of talent in that area around that time for whatever reason. Most of the guys didn't make it to college. But we had a plethora of talent in that area, so I went against good competition.'' Bass, whose father, William, was his secondary coach, became a better football player and was West Virginia's player of the year after his senior season, when he played wide receiver as well as on defense. He played at Division I-AA Bethune-Cookman and spent most of his 1998 rookie season on the Vikings' practice squad. Bass was signed to the 53-man roster and played late in the season, including in the 41-21 divisional playoff victory over the Arizona Cardinals. This season he has bounced from being on the first nickel defense to playing exclusively on special teams to being inactive to starting. ``Mentally it's tough, but realistically the whole time I could say, I'm in the pros,'' Bass said. ``I could sit here and complain about not getting a shot but like (former Viking and current West Virginia State coach) Carl Lee said, `You're getting paid and you're still living your dream.' Chris Doleman told me it's best to be on the inside looking out than the outside looking in. I took that into consideration and kept my mouth shut. I just kept working as hard as I could.'' Bass has used Lee, a Viking from 1983-93, as a mentor in the offseason whenever he visits home. Applying what he has learned from others who have traveled a similar path is one of Bass' strengths. ``(Bass) is a product of what everybody around here wants,'' Vikings defensive coordinator Foge Fazio said. ``You develop a young guy, and you keep him around. You put him on the practice squad, then you elevate him and he learns. If he stays with it, then he probably is going to get a chance to play. He has done everything. The big thing with him is he listens.'' Bass is making sure he enjoys the moment. ``It's very exciting,'' he said. ``When I wake up in the morning, I'm just smiling for more reasons than just football. Life is so short, and this is an opportunity to do something I love to do every single day. It helps me feel good, and when you go out on the field, the whole city is cheering for you. We're all working together for a common bond. When people support you like that, it makes your job a whole lot easier.''< X X X (c) 1999, Saint Paul Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.). Visit PioneerPlanet, the World Wide Web site of the Pioneer Press, at http://www.pioneerplanet.com/

Meekness is not weakness

In the New Testament language of “Koine” Greek, the word “praus” was a military term, used to describe the training of horses. The Grecian army would capture the wildest horses roaming in the mountains and train them for use in the army.

Some horses were broken and made useful for ordinary duty and a few became war horses. When a horse passed the conditioning required to become a war horse, its state was described as “praus”. No longer wild and unmanageable, he was now trained to be under the control of his master.

The war horse hadn’t lost any of his power or strength, it was just harnessed and under the control of his master. It gave up being wild, unruly, out of control and rebellious; and, instead, learned to be submissive and responsive to the slightest touch of the rider.

A war horse was trained to stand in the face of combat, thunder into battle and then stop when his master tugged on the reins. It was now considered to be “meek.”

Retrieved from: http://www.lifetv.org/Web_HTML/html/Commentary%20folder/Meekness.htm

Planting a Church in Minnesota

Dear Co-laborer in theLord, Let me tell you a little about my growth in the Lord.In 1993, I was a graduating senior at South Charleston High School in WestVirginia. At that time, I was the West Virginia High School Football player ofthe year, and was nominated a blue-chip High School All-American by nationalsports reporters. I received a full football scholarship to Bethune-CookmanUniversity in Daytona Beach Florida where I played four years. I played so wellthat I caught the eyes of many professional football scouts. I was projected to get drafted in the fourthround of the NFL draft to the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, at the start of onecollege game, the question of the day was how many touchdowns would theopposing team’s quarterback throw that day? Well, I am happy to say that he hadthe courage to throw my way, but like the other Quarterbacks that year who haddared to throw my way, I had picked him off just the same and reveled in theglory. He decided after the second interception he would not throw the ball inmy direction again. So I had come outvictorious. But an interesting thing happened following the secondinterception, after extending my body to dive and snatch the ball out of the airand away from my opponent I stood up in the end zone to celebrate my victorywith the traditional end zone dance. It was there in the middle of mycelebratory dance my future was forever altered. As my body was gyrating andcontorting I stretched, strained, and injured myself. Believe it or not, I wasunaware of the injury until the next Monday in the training room. When I becameaware of it, my number one question was “Why, God?” I was a youngChristian then, and I did not understand why God would do this to me. I barelyfinished out the rest of the football season, and as a result of my injury, mydraft status plummeted. On draft day my name was not called. Fortunately, I waspicked up as a free agent by the Minnesota Vikings, but my situation lookedbeyond hopeless. I now realized that Godput me in this position where I had to trust in His ability and not myown. I was called to tryout to makeMinnesota’s 53 man roster even though they had drafted three other people whoplayed my same position and picked up two other veteran players who also playedmy same position. Like I said, my situation seemed hopeless. However, as theold saints used to say “BUT GOD” Iimpressed the coaches more than any other player that year - except for RandyMoss that is. And, during this process God gave me two dreams: One, I wasstanding inside of the Minnesota Viking’s home stadium and two, God showed me Iwould produce abundant fruit from playing football. There I was with one legand trusting God that He would follow through on His promise. Do you know what happenednext? I was cut. But, even though I was cut something inside of me would notallow me to trust my circumstances more than I was trusting in God’s promise.So, two weeks into the season, who do you think called my house? The MinnesotaVikings! They called and asked me to play on their team. And, forthe next two and a half years I did just that, starting the last six games ofmy career and even being named most valuable player for one of them.Personally, I think the most remarkable thing in my whole experience was thefact I learned to trust in God, no matter what. At times God allows you to get in hopelesssituations so that you are forced to trust in Him so that he can give hope toothers. Saints, we are in anextremely polarized society, and in a day when people doubt the very existenceof truth itself. This is a time when many people’s faith seems to be ebbing. Icould go on and on and speak about unspeakable horrors in the world, yet Ithink the Scriptures summarize our situation best. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 says, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers ofmoney, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful,unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control,brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasurerather than lovers of God, holding to aform of godliness, although they have denied its power. You know Paul paints ableak picture of our times. However, as the old saints used to say“BUT GOD”. Remember God allows you to get in hopeless situations so that you are forced totrust in Him so that he can give hope to others. We have another prophecy about our times that doesgive us hope. In Joel 2: 28-32 'and it shall be in the last days,’ God says, That I willpour forth my Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shallprophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dreamdreams; even on my bond slaves, both men and women, I will in those days pourforth of my Spirit, And they shall prophesy... 21 and it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of theLord will be saved.' Eventhough God does tell us that times will be difficult, He also says that He willbe with us and empower us to overcome, to endure, and people will besaved. I don’t know about you butsomething inside of me will not allow me to solely trust what I see around me,something in my heart is screaming, trust in God. Without faith it is impossible to please God,but without trust it is impossible to know Him. God’s word says these days willbe difficult. And, they are. However, God also says that He will empower us, bewith us, and ultimately gain victory through us if we choose to trust in Himuntil the end. So,I said all of this to tell you again “BUTGOD”. I am not playing in the NFL now, but after allowing me to endure aseason of great suffering, God hascalled me to help give hope to others as He gave hope and deliverance to me.He has led me to plant a church on the mission field. This field is ready forharvest even though it is in a difficult place. The United States of America!Yes, in this country of many churches we need a church to reach those who mayhave given up on church or who have never heard the Gospel (yes even in the USthis is true). Help me by praying for this plant of the Endurance Church inMinnesota and, as the Lord leads, sending a financial contribution to beginthis part of the body of Christ. I need your help to accomplish this task. Ivalue this opportunity and your support for the ministry. Romans 5:3-4 says,“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering producesendurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Please make yourcontribution payable to: MinnesotaDistrict Council: Assemblies of God Inthe Memo line please write: Endurance Church Please Mail yourdonations to: 1315Portland Avenue Minneapolis,MN 55404 612-332-2409 In Christ, Anthony Bass – Lead ChurchPlanter

I'm so busy!

I am so busy. If I even attempted to explain how busy I was, it would take me the length of this article to explain all the things I have to do in order to accomplish my goals on a daily basis. Now, if truth be told, the fact that I am too busy to articulate my schedule may in fact be an indication that something is severely wrong with my life right now. I was asked to write an article on the Sabbath and rest seems to be the very thing I need right now. Carl Gustav Jung is quoted as saying “Busyness is not just FROM the Devil, it IS the Devil.” This way of thinking seems foreign to my current life. The fact that I am American speaks volumes to the current state of my day. It seems like it is conventional wisdom to think that if you are going to be successful in the United States, then you must always be busy. I don’t know if busyness is the Devil or not, but I am sure that the busier I get the less chance I have to develop intimate relationships in my life. Again, I look at my life and I think, what is this success that I am striving for? Is this type of success worth it if it pulls me away from genuine relationships that matter? In order to understand the spiritual significance of the Sabbath we must look at this as a command, then as an invitation. Jesus said, 'The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.' (Mark 2:27, 28) Here we see that Jesus is verifying his authority with the religious leaders of his day, but he also makes a periphery point that is essential for our understanding of God’s intent of the Sabbath. Jesus declares that this command was given to ‘benefit man.’ The religious leaders of Jesus’ day had it wrong. Mankind did not exist to obey the Sabbath. The Sabbath was created to benefit man. How is this so? Let’s look at the next Scripture of importance. The Lord said through the prophet Ezekiel, “I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I, Jehovah, sanctify them” (Eze 20:12). The prophet says clearly that the Sabbath was given that the people of God may know him! How is this so? The Sabbath restricted the movements and work load of the Jewish people. The only thing a Jewish person could do was to spend that time developing his or her relationship with God and his or her family. The fact is many people looked at the Sabbath as simply another command instead of seeing the reality that God’s heart was that his children would use the Sabbath as an opportunity to build on their relationship with him and their families. Hebrews 4:9 says “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.” Thus for the believer observing the Sabbath is getting a glimpse at a profound spiritual truth that has been revealed by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Jesus’ amazing sacrifice has opened the door for all those who believe to enter the ultimate Sabbath. His death opened the door for an unending and an uninterrupted intimate relationship with God. So, we wait on the day that this web of rest, busyness and relationship, that can best be observed in the lives of the great patriarchs in the Scriptures will become a habit of our own. And, our hope is that the fruit of this habit will develop a greater hope for the Ultimate rest that will be ours because of the busyness of Christ.

Meekness is not weakness

In the New Testament language of “Koine” Greek, the word “praus” was a military term, used to describe the training of horses. The Grecian army would capture the wildest horses roaming in the mountains and train them for use in the army.

Some horses were broken and made useful for ordinary duty and a few became war horses. When a horse passed the conditioning required to become a war horse, its state was described as “praus”. No longer wild and unmanageable, he was now trained to be under the control of his master.

The war horse hadn’t lost any of his power or strength, it was just harnessed and under the control of his master. It gave up being wild, unruly, out of control and rebellious; and, instead, learned to be submissive and responsive to the slightest touch of the rider.

A war horse was trained to stand in the face of combat, thunder into battle and then stop when his master tugged on the reins. It was now considered to be “meek.”

Retrieved from: http://www.lifetv.org/Web_HTML/html/Commentary%20folder/Meekness.htm

Lions from God in my dreams… Part 1

I remember about eight years ago having a dream were I was walking up a grassy hill at night. At the top of the hill was the beginning of a dark forest. As I was walking up the hill, I saw two very large male lions running out of it toward me. And, they were running fast. However, there was something unique about these lions; they had bright light coming out from their eyes that illuminated everything they looked at. It reminded me of headlights on a car. In the dream, I assumed they were coming to eat me so I did a funny thing. I started to fly up in the air. I assumed that if I was flying they would not eat me. However, interestingly enough I was only able to stay in the air briefly. So as I began plummeting toward the earth I had another idea. I will go under the ground. There is no way they can get me there—I thought. Unfortunately, just as I was not able to stay in the air long neither was I able to stay under the ground. And, as I began to ascend from up under the earth toward the two powerful creatures I awakened from my slumber.
Last week I had another dream. That’s eight years later. In it I was walking up a hill in the daytime toward what looked like an unfinished house. While heading toward it I looked back down the hill. And, what did I see running toward me? Two large male lions! As I reached the unfinished house I looked back and the Lions had caught up with me. However, an interesting thing happened. They did not run to me to eat me but they both ran to the opposite corners of the house from where I was standing. The side of the house I was on had no visible entrance. And, even though I could not see entrances where the lions stood, it seemed as though they were blocking the way in the house. It looked like they had strategically aligned themselves to keep me from entering the house. So I did what I normally do when I see lions in my dreams. I fly! I faked to one entrance. And, one of the lions on the far side of the house ran around it to join up with the other one to prevent me from entering it. Then I ran to the area where the lion had vacated and I started flying away. As I did in the previous dream I woke up. However, the interesting thing about this dream is I am currently staying with a Pastor in Minnesota until I can get on my feet and ready for the church plant. In this room where I am sleeping they have posted on the wall two Narnia posters. And, on both of the posters are pictures of Aslan the creator of Narnia. The lions are here…
Interpretations to come!

“there are two ways to grow, either through pain or through prayer!?”

Once again what has impacted me the most this season in my life is the theme of character development. I am convinced that this is a teaching that will become a prevalent topic the rest of my life. Now, I am not saying that this theme is more important than Salvation. But, just as Francis Schaffer said, “becoming a Christian is just the beginning.”
I am beginning to understand that from that beginning God uses the situations of our lives to develop the character of Christ in us. I don’t think that this process is easy. Yet, interestingly, my spiritual formation teacher stated, “there are two ways to grow, either through pain or through prayer!?” Regardless the method the principle is poignant and profound. After salvation we are asked to grow.
I have been adamant about my growth up to this point; however, now my convictions have deepened. I now believe my calling is what God is using to conform my character to Christ's. I now understand why we rejoice when we are persecuted. I understand why tribulations must come. They come because I need to formed into the image of Christ. I used to be like the unbelieving Israelites. When trouble came I would do the very opposite of what God required of me. But, now I have been enlightened. This suffering simply puts me on my knees and drives me closer to God.
I can honestly say that I did not want to embrace this truth. And, the only time I was able to see its truthfulness is when I made the biggest sacrifice in my life in leaving my kids in Virginia to follow the call of God. After that step of faith God has been clearly moving in my life. I cannot deny that his presence in my life has been manifested to a greater degree since I took that step of obedience. Yet, it was extremely difficult. Yet, it is my responsibility like Christ to hold on in obedience even in the face of pain, suffering, and even death. I now know that through my obedience I will become more like him.
Praying for suffering is not a request for this life. It will come. Now my question is can it be quantified. Can this process be codified? Can it be measured so that others can see its validity? If it can be, what a great benefit this would be for many who have been following Christ, yet who have been discouraged by the outcome of their lives. No, it may not look like the winning message that everyone wants, but the truth is He is the potter, and he has the responsibility to mold us into whatever shape he desires.
So what is it that is impacting me now? What is impacting me is the knowledge that God is working on me. Now, I understand how all things are working together for my good. Now I am certain that regardless of the context, regardless of the struggle, God is working in me. He relentlessly is working in me to mold me into his son. Only he knows what areas of my character demand immediate attention. Only he knows what areas are effective in this season of my life. God is the all wise one. Ultimately, I have been moved into a greater level of trust. And, now I know I need him more than ever. My only responsibility is to remain obedient to Him and to allow Him to work in me until I finally look like him.

What will the church look like in 10 years.

I had a great time at the Start conference. I was able to meet Leonard Sweet @lensweet , who happened to be from West Virginia. And, I was fortunate to meet with Pastor Choco @PastorChoco again who is the Shepard of the largest church in the Assemblies of God. Choco always makes this one point that may be controversial but I wholeheartedly agree with it: He says, “I can’t sacrifice the mission to buy a building!” Interestingly, he has the money to buy a building in Humboldt Park, which is located in Downtown Chicago. But, he argues that when you have an urban church you need to build campuses to help people rather than investing in a single church building. What is more amazing was the day before Lenard Sweet basically said the same thing. Both men come from different sides of the “railroad tracks” so to speak, but it seemed that God was speaking the same thing through both men even though they expressed what he was saying to them in different ways. What they both agreed upon was that the future church would be the church of the community and not a church on an island. Pastor Choco called it being a Pastor of the community. He believes that a Pastor is the shepherd of the community whether the people in that community goes to their church or not. Lenard Sweet called this concept the Artisan church. He referenced the term Swiss cheese. He added whether people know it or not in Switzerland there are specific types of cheese for each town. The cheese itself, in his words, “represent the manifestation of the town itself,” he believes the church that is effective in the future will do the same. They also agreed in the empowerment of the body of believers. For instance, Pastor Choco has a ministry where members of the church can have their own ministry as long as it is summited to the training and instruction of the church there exists 400 some ministries in his church. Lenard Sweet likewise argued that the future church will have people in it who have a ministry to the church and a ministry to the world. Great stuff. This was just a tidbit of what was shared. It was awesome and I was encouraged. Check out @MacDwyer http://twitpic.com/76m252

I have discovered the purpose of this life!!

The Holy Spirit revealed to a friend and me the other day while he was preparing for a debate what I believe the purpose of this life is. This same friend developed this idea and used it to defeat the head of the Minnesota Atheist Association in a debate. This truth I am about to tell you about, in my opinion, will revolutionize the church. And, I am not even joking. This truth, like salvation, ties the entire bible together. It is so simple, yet I believe if God reveals this truth to you, everything you have ever went through in life will make sense. It may be the biggest theological discovery in the last 100 years. This truth answers the one question skeptic’s use in their attempt to debunk the idea of a loving God. “How can a loving and all power God let evil exist? This truth gives purpose to pain and suffering. It answers the question of why sometimes God does not answer our prayers: Why we are not healed, or get the money we need, or the job we want. This truth even gives us clarity on why we have to turn the other cheek. It makes the beatitudes make sense. It even gives us clarity on why God allowed Adam and Eve eat the apple. It even gives clarity to why we have to obey Christ’s command even to the point of death. It even explains why Job had to suffer, why Joseph had to be betrayed, why David had to struggle before becoming king. This truth is depicted in every single story of the bible. Here is how my friend Pastor Marty Bownik interpreted what God said.

"Martin Bownik
God is more interested in our Character Development then He is our comfort or convenience. The tools He uses for it are the same tools Satan meant to destroy us with. Pain, suffering, and loss. God turned them around on Satan, and used these things to show that His followers how they can remain faithful in the midst of all these. He showed the pattern to follow. His Son Jesus Christ. How great is our God!!!"

What is the point of life? Character Development!!! Whose character? Christ’s. Everything in the bible points to this one truth. God wants to develop our character in this life so that we will be responsible to handle our obligations in the next. This is my mission in life.