VISION "8"
At the beginning of the year 2008, a quarter of a century of my ministry and church "life", culminated in something - I believe - that was God ordained and God inspired that I called "Vision 8".
Vision 8 was a divine "download" I received while trying to figure out the future and purpose of my own church/organization, Bosko. Bosko is the Greek word that Jesus used with Peter when He instructed him to "feed my sheep" in John 21:15. Bosko is the name that - I believe - God instructed me to give our mission in His Kingdom, when my wife and I started our divine adventure in 1985.
"Vision 8" is nothing new. Actually this simple concept is practically what I believe "ekklesia" to be all about. I just think it needed to be crystallized in my own mind. I hope the following will help you understand even better what's this thing called, "church".
The heart of "Vision 8" is that - as stated before - the church is not a place one goes to but a Kingdom one belongs in. And in this Kingdom there are a number of "things" that need to be sought out, planned, organized, accomplished, performed, brought to completion, realized, attained, managed, brought about, executed, effected, carried out, performed, completed, finished, concluded, pulled off or well, quite simply, done, for the sake of the Kingdom's and for the sake of its King!
Hence, the defining declaration of Vision 8: Everyone with a vision, a mission, an assignment.
A vision is the personal purpose and aspirations you think God has created you for. What makes you come alive. Your dream.
A mission is the specific intention revealed to you and surrendered at the foot of the cross as a mandate from your King. Your cause.
An assignment is something He might not necessarily have created you for but that He needs you to do now or for a time in your life.
Vision 8 is how I - I don't want to impose my views on anyone but this is what I believe - believe the “church” should operate.
1—I believe that all must be involved. Eph.4:16
2—I believe Christ is the head of the church. Col.1:18
3—I believe anyone can hear His voice. John 10:4
4—I believe He’ll tell you what to do. 1 Cor.12:18
5—I believe the church must help you do just that. Heb.10:23
Practically speaking: we - in Bosko - encourage every one in the church to seek the Lord's directions as to what it is the Holy Spirit would like that person to be involved with, in the Kingdom. Leadership will be available for counsel and advise but NOT directives! Once you have received your "marching orders" from Christ, it is the leaders' duty - and their only duty - as the church, to come alongside you and help you perform what the King personally instructed you to do.
A very simple test that will aid you to hear His voice and help you in identifying your area of service, is this:
1) Witness of gifting - what you were engineered to do by God you will do well. Ephesians 2:10 speaks of God's thumbprint in my life being my inborn talent, my "gift". He created me to do something - and I do it well. Eric Liddell, the legendary Scott sprinter who refused to run on a Sunday because of his Christian convictions yet went on to win the 400 mt. gold medal in the 1924 Paris olympics anyway, once said, "God made me to run fast and when I do that, I feel I make Him happy!"
When God created you to do something, the witness is you do it well!
2) Witness of passion - it's the yearning of my soul - the passion that makes me face discipline and hardship. What I do, I do because I would not live otherwise! I have, in fact, no need to be paid to do it. It's the fire in my bosom, the grin on my face, the dance in my step and the set in my jaw. Acts. 4:20, Peter and John "we cannot but speak". If God made you to do something, the witness is that you cannot but do it!
3) Witness of guidance - Isaiah 30:21 "Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it." Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left." God's Spirit keeps saying, here, this is where I want you to go! There is a definite indication of God's will which you can find in scripture, people, circumstances etc. that will align itself with what's in your heart.
Jesus quite categorically stated that, "my sheep hear my voice!" There is no getting away from it, if Jesus is speaking to you, you will hear His beckoning in your heart.
4) Witness in peace - Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body and be thankful." The original Greek word translated "rule" is the word "brabeuō" which literally means, "to arbitrate, to umpire." You need to have a little guy in black shorts and soccer boots, running around in your heart, "umpiring" your game. Whenever you engage in something God does not require of you, the little guy, called "the peace of God", blows his whistle and calls the game to a stop!
Your duty is to obey Him. His role is to arbitrate. That's His witness!
5) Witness in faithfulness - this is actually more than a witness, it's a key. The difference between being a servant and being a ruler - according to Matthew 25:21 - is faithfulness! Abraham's 25 years waiting for a child - Joseph's stint in prison - David's caring for his father's sheep - Jesus' being just a carpenter. They all caused God to move and respond to their faithfulness with assigned rulership.
Faithfulness activates: divinely orchestrated events, circumstances, directions, promotions and results. Be faithful in where you are and God will move you where He wants you - ultimately - to be.
6) Witness of fruit production - this witness almost contradicts the previous one. In other words, sometime you have to continue being faithful in "doing" what you believe is your part in the Kingdom, even if you don't see any "fruit". Yet I can only say, sooner or later you have to be able to see some "fruits along the way". In Matthew 7:20 Jesus tells us that, "you will know them by their fruits". So, if God asked you to do something in His Kingdom, sooner or later the time of "fruits" WILL come. And if it doesn't, season after season after season, well, maybe that crop is not what you are supposed to be growing.
7) Witness of provision - God blesses what He purposes. There has always been a divine "backing" for a divine "assignment". Mary gave birth to Jesus in a very troublesome moment of her and Joseph's life. Unbeknown to them, an evil king would start looking for the life of the child soon. That's when an angel appeared to Joseph and instructed him to take his family and go to Egypt. However, some substantial provisions were necessary to travel to a foreign country, survive there for a number of years and return home eventually. Enter the Magi, the wise men from the Orient. They bring costly spices and they bring gold - so that Jesus' family can do what God had told them to do. If God asks you to do something, He will provide the means for you to do it. You can bank on that.
Vision 8 was a divine "download" I received while trying to figure out the future and purpose of my own church/organization, Bosko. Bosko is the Greek word that Jesus used with Peter when He instructed him to "feed my sheep" in John 21:15. Bosko is the name that - I believe - God instructed me to give our mission in His Kingdom, when my wife and I started our divine adventure in 1985.
"Vision 8" is nothing new. Actually this simple concept is practically what I believe "ekklesia" to be all about. I just think it needed to be crystallized in my own mind. I hope the following will help you understand even better what's this thing called, "church".
The heart of "Vision 8" is that - as stated before - the church is not a place one goes to but a Kingdom one belongs in. And in this Kingdom there are a number of "things" that need to be sought out, planned, organized, accomplished, performed, brought to completion, realized, attained, managed, brought about, executed, effected, carried out, performed, completed, finished, concluded, pulled off or well, quite simply, done, for the sake of the Kingdom's and for the sake of its King!
Hence, the defining declaration of Vision 8: Everyone with a vision, a mission, an assignment.
A vision is the personal purpose and aspirations you think God has created you for. What makes you come alive. Your dream.
A mission is the specific intention revealed to you and surrendered at the foot of the cross as a mandate from your King. Your cause.
An assignment is something He might not necessarily have created you for but that He needs you to do now or for a time in your life.
Vision 8 is how I - I don't want to impose my views on anyone but this is what I believe - believe the “church” should operate.
1—I believe that all must be involved. Eph.4:16
2—I believe Christ is the head of the church. Col.1:18
3—I believe anyone can hear His voice. John 10:4
4—I believe He’ll tell you what to do. 1 Cor.12:18
5—I believe the church must help you do just that. Heb.10:23
Practically speaking: we - in Bosko - encourage every one in the church to seek the Lord's directions as to what it is the Holy Spirit would like that person to be involved with, in the Kingdom. Leadership will be available for counsel and advise but NOT directives! Once you have received your "marching orders" from Christ, it is the leaders' duty - and their only duty - as the church, to come alongside you and help you perform what the King personally instructed you to do.
A very simple test that will aid you to hear His voice and help you in identifying your area of service, is this:
1) Witness of gifting - what you were engineered to do by God you will do well. Ephesians 2:10 speaks of God's thumbprint in my life being my inborn talent, my "gift". He created me to do something - and I do it well. Eric Liddell, the legendary Scott sprinter who refused to run on a Sunday because of his Christian convictions yet went on to win the 400 mt. gold medal in the 1924 Paris olympics anyway, once said, "God made me to run fast and when I do that, I feel I make Him happy!"
When God created you to do something, the witness is you do it well!
2) Witness of passion - it's the yearning of my soul - the passion that makes me face discipline and hardship. What I do, I do because I would not live otherwise! I have, in fact, no need to be paid to do it. It's the fire in my bosom, the grin on my face, the dance in my step and the set in my jaw. Acts. 4:20, Peter and John "we cannot but speak". If God made you to do something, the witness is that you cannot but do it!
3) Witness of guidance - Isaiah 30:21 "Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it." Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left." God's Spirit keeps saying, here, this is where I want you to go! There is a definite indication of God's will which you can find in scripture, people, circumstances etc. that will align itself with what's in your heart.
Jesus quite categorically stated that, "my sheep hear my voice!" There is no getting away from it, if Jesus is speaking to you, you will hear His beckoning in your heart.
4) Witness in peace - Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body and be thankful." The original Greek word translated "rule" is the word "brabeuō" which literally means, "to arbitrate, to umpire." You need to have a little guy in black shorts and soccer boots, running around in your heart, "umpiring" your game. Whenever you engage in something God does not require of you, the little guy, called "the peace of God", blows his whistle and calls the game to a stop!
Your duty is to obey Him. His role is to arbitrate. That's His witness!
5) Witness in faithfulness - this is actually more than a witness, it's a key. The difference between being a servant and being a ruler - according to Matthew 25:21 - is faithfulness! Abraham's 25 years waiting for a child - Joseph's stint in prison - David's caring for his father's sheep - Jesus' being just a carpenter. They all caused God to move and respond to their faithfulness with assigned rulership.
Faithfulness activates: divinely orchestrated events, circumstances, directions, promotions and results. Be faithful in where you are and God will move you where He wants you - ultimately - to be.
6) Witness of fruit production - this witness almost contradicts the previous one. In other words, sometime you have to continue being faithful in "doing" what you believe is your part in the Kingdom, even if you don't see any "fruit". Yet I can only say, sooner or later you have to be able to see some "fruits along the way". In Matthew 7:20 Jesus tells us that, "you will know them by their fruits". So, if God asked you to do something in His Kingdom, sooner or later the time of "fruits" WILL come. And if it doesn't, season after season after season, well, maybe that crop is not what you are supposed to be growing.
7) Witness of provision - God blesses what He purposes. There has always been a divine "backing" for a divine "assignment". Mary gave birth to Jesus in a very troublesome moment of her and Joseph's life. Unbeknown to them, an evil king would start looking for the life of the child soon. That's when an angel appeared to Joseph and instructed him to take his family and go to Egypt. However, some substantial provisions were necessary to travel to a foreign country, survive there for a number of years and return home eventually. Enter the Magi, the wise men from the Orient. They bring costly spices and they bring gold - so that Jesus' family can do what God had told them to do. If God asks you to do something, He will provide the means for you to do it. You can bank on that.
