Hi everyone.

This week I thought I would do the blog by video...take a look:

And yes,... I know it's Friday now, not Thursday.  Technical issues.

Enjoy the sun!

John

I will always remember two moments in my life.  One is when a couple friends and I stood at the Vietnam Memorial wall in Washington DC.  The wall with the names of I think 58,000 fallen soldiers who served and died in that war.  It was a weird and almost surreal moment.

Here is a quote from their official website:  "The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall USA website is dedicated to honoring those who died in the Vietnam War. Since it first went on line in 1996 it has evolved into something more. It is now also a place of healing for those affected by one of the most divisive wars in our nation's history."

The other moment is when my family stood on the memorial over the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor.  I literally stood there looking down on the massive ship wondering and thinking and praying.  So many young sailors unknowingly when they woke up on that fateful morning would die and be buried in the very ship they served on.  I can't fathom that.

Here is a quote from the USS Arizona website:

A Day that will Live in Infamy "The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor is "ground zero" where World War II began for the United States. The event where Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto stated: "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant..."
The USS Arizona serves as the final resting place for many of the battleship's 1,177 crew members who lost their lives on December 7, 1941.

OK, yes I am a very patriotic guy.  Weird to think you wouldn't be if you live in America.  

Today.  Let's remember!  Remember the families of the hundreds of thousands of men and women who have served, fought and ultimately paid the highest price.  If we fail to remember, we fail.

Also, thanks to the many veterans who have served our country.  For the young men and women who are currently serving in the Armed Forces.  For the families whom many of them I get to meet and hug and thank and sometimes pray for.  

I was blessed to be able to serve our country for 6 years in the USAF.  Memories and moments.  Michelle and I were stationed at McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma, Washington.  I was able to get most of my undergraduate degree while stationed there.  Also, we were able to meet Duane and Trinette who helped start Living Hope, and who we have been best friends with for over 25 years.  

Below is a few minutes of our service from the weekend.  I think you will be blessed!  Great beginning to what was a very good weekend.  Dave Ramsey is awesome.  The videos unfortunately will not be streamed nor will they be made available for sale.  (Copyright laws.)  I hope you will make it this weekend for the second of three installments.

There are memorials, walls, days and ways we remember.  Remembering is not only good, it is God.  In fact it is God's way of helping us.  In Hebrew culture, remembering is more than calling to mind, it involves to remember with concern.  It engages our emotions.  It is really a loving relection with a corresponding degree of action.  When Israel crossed into the Promised Land after wandering around the desert for 40 years, God instructed Joshua to put stones (12 in fact, one for each tribe) as one of the first things they did after crossing the Jordan to remember and remind them of God's provision and protection.  Joshua 4:7 says, "Then you can tell them, "They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the LORD's covenant went across. 'These stones will stand as a permanent memorial among the people of Israel." 

Today also I remember my hero.  My pop.  He served his country in World War II, he served his family and was married 63 years.  He served a young punk and showed me what it meant to deny self.  He served his God and is now with Jesus.  Pop.  You are my hero.  I miss you more than I can express in words.  Your picture is still hanging in my living room.  I miss our trips, your smiles, your dumb jokes and mostly your absolute unconditional and unreasonable acceptance of me!  I will never ever forget you.  Thanks for being the dad I never had.  God gave me a gift in you pop.  I am better because I knew you and I love you.

Be blessed my friends!  Have a great day with familes and friends.

Your pastor and friend.

John Bishop

Hey friends.  I wanted to share with you about the weekend and about my day yesterday.  

As I type these words, I have joy in my heart and tears in my eyes.

My daughter Katie and her boyfriend Jordan are officially engaged.  It happened yesterday 5/21 because that is Jordan's favorite number.

Because we are all a church "family" I wanted to share my heart and thank everyone for your prayers.

They both love Jesus so so much.  Jordan honored me by asking for permission to ask Katie to marry him.  I am a bonehead and told Katie.  (I know, a real Forrest Gump moment.)

So it is official, I will not lose a daughter but gain a son!  I am so proud of them, but gotta say there is a weird thing going on in my heart.  You can see my intial response on my Facebook below.  I typed these words just moments after it all happened, and below you can see my post, and then you can see Katie's response......

ANNOUNCEMENT: My daughter Katie just tonight got officially engaged to Jordan, her boyfriend, my soon to be son-in-law. I am so proud of them. They have honored God, pursued purity and trusted God. Please pray for me. I am still a daddy when the day is over and am both elated and sad. Katie, Daddy is proud of you more than you will ever know. You will always be daddy's girl, I think..... :(

Katie Bishop at 12:28am May 22

I love you! I will ALWAYS be daddy's little girl. I PROMISE. Nothing and no one can change that. You have been the best dad in the whole world. I couldn't ask for a better man to be my role model. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be marrying such an amazing man of God! You resembled that to me you showed me what true love was really about. THANK YOU DADDY! I love you more than you will ever know. =]♥

OK, since this is my blog, I felt it on my heart to say a few things.  One of those is "I knew this day would come", but the part I never knew is how I would feel and respond.....

Katie, your mom and dad are so so proud of you.  The woman you are becoming, the daughter you have been (and will continue to be) and we just thank God for allowing us the privilege of raising you.  You love Jesus, Katie.  You put Him first.  I see it not just in your words, but in your life.  I have learned about following Christ in some ways by watching you respond to "stuff" in life.  This will be a new chapter and we will stand with you.  Yes, I am excited to walk you down the aisle and give your hand to the young man you so obviously love.  I am also proud Katie that you have stayed pure in an impure world.  You have trusted God and will experience God's best as long as you stay pure in your heart.  "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."  Those are Jesus' words to YOU my precious precious daughter.  I have so many more words tucked into my heart for YOU. 

My heart is a little sad and I am not sure why.  So, there it is!  You will always be "daddy's little girl" so I will be there for you, pray for you, and speak into your life as you want  (well maybe even when you don't want....)

Jordan.  You love Jesus and I love the way you honor Katie.  God is going to use your life in a powerful way.  I am sorry Jordan for the loss of your dad last October.  I really am sorry.  I will stand with you and be there for you as much as you need.  I am excited for you and Katie.  Just put God first always and serve others.  In other words, do what you already do.  Make God's Word a priority in your life.  Build your life on it and your marriage on it.  When you do that, God will bless you and your family.  I love your family.  It is just a cool day.  AND, thank you for asking me if you could ask Katie to marry you.  Even though I tried to avoid the question, you asked, we prayed and you are beginning well!  Michelle and I love you, and Hannah and David love you, and well you know Katie loves you.  Stay crazy in love with God!  

Thanks for "listening" to my words and thoughts.  I am just learning to let go and it is so hard.  Really hard.  Please pray for our family as we pray for you.

THIS WEEKEND begins a three week Dave Ramsey series at Living Hope.  Dave Ramsey is going to be sharing with us the biblical principles for managing our finances, and I can't think of a better voice on this subject in our country at the moment.  Don't forget our new service times:  Saturday 5 and 7pm, Sunday 8:30, 10:00, 11:30am and 1:30pm.  (The 8:30 and 10:00 run about an hour.)  Hope to see you there.
 

John

This past weekend we wrapped up the Road Trip series by talking about the "Final Destination" and asking the question, "What happens when the road trip ends?"  The answer is simple....our eternity begins.

This week I was reminded again how close eternity is for each of us when my friend and spiritual mom Sheri Curtiss passed away.  Sheri was on our stage just a few short weeks ago telling her story and teaching us how to have long loving relationships.  She shared her battle with cancer and her dream to go to Hawaii and to go on a ship.  Thanks again Living Hope for making her dream come true.  Jim and Sheri got to cruise to Hawaii, had the time of their lives, and just one week after returning home she went "Home" to be with her Savior and live out her eternity in heaven.  

THE CELEBRATION OF HER LIFE SERVICE WILL BE THIS SATURDAY AT 1:00 PM AT OUR MAIN CAMPUS.

Heaven is widely accepted, and of course it's where everyone hopes their final destination will be to spend eternity.  But not so many want to believe in the existence of Hell as a real place, that real people could spend forever in darkness and torment, separated from God.  Jesus talked about Hell more than He talked about Heaven, and understanding the reality of it will drive you to spend the rest of your days reaching your family, your friends and neighbors, reaching anyone who doesn't yet know God.

• Hell is a place of torment and anguish.
• In Hell your questions will never be answered.
• It is a place of eternal consciousness - there is NO RELIEF.
• It is a place of eternal isolation from any other person.
• Hell is eternal regret, eternal pain, eternal darkness.  There is no light.
   

When I came to Christ it wasn't His love that initially drew me, but the fear of Hell that propelled me to seek the truth.  You cannot study the Bible and avoid the truth of hell.  And it is still the fear that ANYONE might go to Hell that motivates my life's purpose to reach every single person I can with the life-changing message of Jesus.  Last weekend was a sobering weekend, and in the end over 200 people chose to walk on the Narrow Road that leads to life.  The life of dying to self.  The life of following Jesus and walking in His ways.  I hope we can continue to walk out our faith.  

As someone seeking truth, I pray you will respond to Jesus today.  He loves you, He knows you and is waiting FOR YOU to come home.  

As Christ followers, THANK GOD THAT YOU ARE SAVED.  Let's not minimize the reality of eternity.  Everyone is someone who will spend eternity somewhere.  I think the final reality of hell is helping me do what will really matter in eternity and by default let go of what does not matter so much.  When was the last time you had an unsaved person in your home?  How often do you pray for those who don't know Christ?   

As a church, Jesus gave the marching orders:  "I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it..."   Jesus said those words and we have to be about what matters to HIM.  We will continue to do whatever we can outside of sin to reach this world for Christ.  I am glad to be part of a church that will risk.  A church that rejoices when people come home.  Hundreds came to Christ at Easter and again last weekend!  When a church stops reaching, they start dying.  To be a church that is true to the mission involves going and reaching and rejoicing when students and men and women get saved.

"If sinners be damned at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies.  If they perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees.  Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for."  Charles Spurgeon

And thanks to Shawn Lewis and our worship team who did Highway to Hell better than I have ever heard it (never made it to the AC/DC concert).

In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus says: You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate.  The highway to hell is broad and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way.  But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it."

 Good weekend and a GREAT GOD.

Sorry for the longer than normal blog entry.  I've been super busy trying to write and also was able to spend a few days just with Michelle.  Great Mother's Day weekend.  I love honoring moms.  Always one of the highlights of our year.  Thanks again to everyone who has willingly changed a Sunday service time or switched to Saturday night.  Your willingness to change so more people can hear about Jesus honors God and inspires me.  

Last year Living Hope joined with other churches for different projects around the city.  It is called "Season of Service".  This is a great initiative that allows us to meet the needs of our community, both practically and spiritually.  I'm so grateful for the generous way many of you served and gave to the various initiatives, including the hunger project, which we organized.  Vancouver Mayor Pollard sent us a letter and I want you to see it...

Dear Pastor Bishop,
Last year of group of pastors came to me to ask what their churches could do to help the City of Vancouver.  This question has begun a partnership between the faith community and the City of Vancouver that I hope will continue for years to come.  I wanted to thank you and your congregation for your contribution to the Vancouver community through the Season of Service last year.  I was amazed at the outpouring of volunteer service from your church as well as other churches, and the results of your efforts.  As we come into 2009 we find there are still many unmet needs in our community.  We must work together even more if we are going to prosper as a community.  On behalf of the City of Vancouver, I look forward to working with you to make Vancouver a great place to live.

God Bless you and God bless America...

A question that I have asked over and over is: "If our church ceased to exist, would anyone notice?" 
As much as we know and understand the importance of our spiritual presence in our neighborhood, have we fully realized and embraced the importance of being a physical, practical, serving, helping, force in our community?  Have we "shown" the love of Jesus as much as we have "spoken" it? 

This coming Saturday morning, churches around our city are coming together to clean up the downtown area.  I am excited to see what can be achieved as we put hands and feet to our faith, and serve this city and its leaders in a very practical and tangible way.  Living Hope is a willing part of this project, and I would love to see 500 of us show up to work.  Can you be there?

Volunteers are meeting at 7:30am (gulp) at Esther Short Park.  (Bring gloves, and rakes or lawn tools if you have them.)  Teams will be organized to work in a 6 block radius to care for and clean up however needed.  Lunch will be provided for all volunteers and hosted by Mayor Pollard, followed by a celebration time with 3 different bands.    

Another way we can help is by providing food for the volunteer lunch.  They are needing contributions of food that does not need to be heated or chilled.  (Sandwiches, bagels, fruit, vegetables etc.)   If you can help with this, please phone Tina at 904-2454.

I encourage and ask you to be part of this project.  Together we can make a difference in our city.  I will be there (yes it is early).  Hope to see you.
 

ONLY GOD.

John
 

Hello friends.

Friday is usually a busy day with thoughts full of message preparation and service planning, but this week I am taking some time to rest and write.  (Please pray - the book deadline is just around the corner.) 

We have had some really awesome letters in response to our Mother's Day contest, and it's going to be a real challenge choosing the winners.  If you haven't yet and still want to enter your mom, it's not too late.  Email teresap@livinghopechurch.com or get them into the church office.  The deadline is May 4th.

I am excited about our speaker this weekend...

Chuck Goetschel is an icon in the personal development and life coaching field.  He has mentored hundreds of people and touched the lives of millions.  He has a compelling "rags to riches only to lose it all" story which ultimately led him back to God.  Chuck is the author of "Simon Says" (which will be available to purchase this weekend) and he will bring a great message about purpose and direction.  Please don't miss it.

I want express my gratitude to everyone who has been praying for Lyle and his family.  The support has been felt and appreciated.  Your financial gifts are helping to ease the burden of 4 memorial services.  Lyle has received enough to bring his family home and wants to extend his thanks.  If you are still wanting to give, you can donate through an account set up at Wells Fargo bank under Laurie Tetters and Family.

As we all know, people are concerned about the swine flu right now, and any venue holding large groups of people like ours is aware of the risks.  We are doing what we can to have good supplies of hand sanitizer available as you enter and leave the buidling, and by next week should have permanent stations in prominent places.  Maybe "turn and shake a hand"  should now be "turn and wave from a distance"?   Joking.

Let's continue to be about reaching those around us, always inviting, and always accepting.

JOHN