RETURN TO JOY

Joy is taken from us through pain, fear, loss of connection between our feeling side and thinking side, our immaturity and living from our own selfishness. The good news is that we do not have to remain here. In Christ we find the power of a new way of living. Because He is with us we are able to:

1 - Find a  place to belong,

2 - Receive and give life,

3 – Recover from trauma,

4 – Grow to be mature and

5 – Learn to know our hearts.

 

 

WELCOME TO A GARDEN PARTY

Our Master Onion Ring Chef!

 Food

 More Food...

 Friends

 Yackity Yack Yack Yack!

 More friends

Who is that "wanna be" chef?

Becky Dvorak to visit Journey Christian Fellowship

Sunday, July 28 at 10 am & 6 pm

Becky will teach and ministry the Lord's healing. Her book, Dare to Believe, provides a solid foundation for the healing ministry of believers. She teaches with humility and gives the glory to the Lord.

For more about Becky visit her website at http://authorbeckydvorak.com/. Here you will find links to her teaching on youtube.com.

YOU WILL:

• Discover where sickness and disease originated from.
• Be equipped to walk in divine healings and miracles.
• Learn who you are in Christ and how to put your faith into action.
• Understand your authority over Satan and all of his works, including sickness and disease.
• Learn how to use the ten faith principles that Jesus Christ put into practice when ministering to the sick.

SEE YOU ON SUNDAY



Pentecost Sunday

The theme of Passover to Pentecost has shaped new thinking for me. So many Christians are eager to receive the blessings of Christ, the Passover Lamb. Jesus forgives us of our sins and promises an eternity in heaven. But, Jesus placed clear emphasis on the "Promise  of the Father" (Luke 24:49). This promise is the Holy Spirit. While the Holy Spirit gives us ministry gifts and a reverent spiritual experience that words inadequately describe, the ongoing presence of the Holy Spirit insists on our surrender. This I believe is the reason I fail to experience more of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. The Spirit does not force himself but comes only at an invitation. This is just like salvation. Both Passover and Pentecost come is response to our invitation. We must ask.

Luke 11:9, 10, 13

And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.  (nlt)

 

 

The Good and Beautiful Community

The Good and Beautiful Community series includes soul-training exercises that awaken us to God’s kingdom and invite God to change our spirits, minds and bodies.

May 2     7-8:30 PM        Luke Weaver           The Generous  Community  

            May 9     7-8:30 PM        Greg Culbertson     The Worshipping Community  

"Too often Christians may experience a changed mind about God, or even a changed heart toward God, without having a changed life with God. Where is the breakdown between belief and discipleship? Why isn't the transformative power of the gospel more apparent in the daily workings of our lives?" from http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=3540

Pastor Luke

From Passover to Pentecost

A couple of friends started talking about this theme: From Passover to Pentecost.  The Resurrection was the pinnacle of Christ's mission on earth. Yet, He created anticipation for something beyond the Resurrection. Throughout the New Testament it is called the "promise of the Father" and refers to the coming of the Holy Spirit. What Jesus expresses as central to the life of a Jesus disciple is too mysterious to many. Our current study as Journey centers on the Holy Spirit. Here is a quote that has inspired me to press on in the things of the Holy Spirit.

One of the most fruitful sources of error and misconception, of unwholesome enthusiasm and false fire and fanaticism, in the treatment of this whole subject, is from trying to know the work of the Holy Spirit before we first come to know the Holy Spirit Himself.    R. A. Torrey

Oh, yes, the Holy Spirit is a person with whom I can relate.

Pastor Luke

A Vision of Trees by Mia LaBerge

I had a question about what fellowship looks like. One morning at Tuesday morning prayer I saw a picture of a tree in my mind, then a picture of an orchard of trees. Then I saw a picture of a very young tree with only a few branches. I immediately recognized the meaning of the pictures as being a church, an "orchard" of churches, and JCF. Fellowship is like a tree. We are a living, growing entity and we are connected. Each person is a branch. Each branch has potential for growth. Our purpose is to bear fruit. The first tree I saw was well-formed with many branches. Each branch was about the same size. However the tree had no leaves or fruit. In the orchard the trees were green but I could not see fruit. There were workers in the orchard. The small tree had no leaves and no fruit.

The vision answered the question of structure for me and laid it out very clearly. Now I am asking the question of fruit and growth...why did the trees have no leaves and no fruit?

When I mentioned this at worship last Sunday Luke asked me to send this out for your responses.

I have since thought more about it. I was given insight into structure. Is there more meaning to be understood? I have since been thinking about seasons. If we are in a winter season what is the purpose for that? I am praying for more insight and that we can all share vision of our purpose, our place in the orchard both as a tree and as workers in the orchard, and fruit as a fellowship.

[The above comments were posted on Dec 28 by e mail and Facebook.  Several members of JCF made comments and responses to this vision which are posted below...]

Acts 2:42-47 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread fromc house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. 

The Holy Bible : King James Version. electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995, S. Ac 2:42-47

 An apple tree can not grow unless the pollen is passed from one to another. we are to meet the needs of one another like a family, or even a body (without eyes we could not see, without hands we could not touch, write, scratch, type....)When the orchard is working together or the body of Christ is working togther, then all needs will be met to glorify God.

a tree with no leaves and no fruit is a tree that is not growing.

[Laura Wilson, Dec 29, 2012]


Thank you for sharing this. I do not have an answer for this yet. 

Some thoughts that come to mind: I  am reading Revelation these days and the instruction to all the churches relates to listening to the Holy Spirit,"Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  

What makes trees get green but not grow fruit?

[Miriam Hill, Dec 30, 2012]


Pardon my basic knowledge of Biology, but for a tree to grow fruit it has to flower and be pollenated from another tree. 
 The only other tree i know that was green that did not grow fruit is found in the bible:
Matt 21:18-22
¹⁸ Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. ¹⁹ And when he saw a fig tree^a in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. ²⁰ And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! ²¹ Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. ²² And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. 

^a a fig tree: Gr. one fig tree

The Holy Bible : King James Version. electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995, S. Mt 21:18-22

So the fig tree was a fraud. It looked like a fruit bearing fig tree, but it wasn't. Mia could it be in your vision that it looked like a good tree but it was not a good tree?

In other words the people (churches) seemed to be doing all the right things but there was no growth happening? Sadly, I know some people like that.

[Laura Wilson, Dec 31, 2012]

I want to give some thoughts: I have fruit trees on my property, thus I've been able to observe them for a number of years. Fruit trees need to be pruned regularly. It is not unusual for certain years to be extremely abundant---most likely this is dependent on the weather patterns, as well as the frequency of the pruning.  Some years I've had NOT ONE fruit on the trees.  Weather issues:  frost can completely kill off the bloom.  The tree is expecting Spring---warm days have encouraged it to bloom, but the frost comes unexpectedly and kills off the bloom. No bloom=no fruit. 

Some fruit trees prefer the summer to be hot, others cooler and more wet.  My apple tree produced the best several summers ago when it was cool and w/ frequent rains.

The pear tree has been predictably prolific.

Peach is way more delicate and "touchy."

Even when not bearing fruit, however, the trees have always had green growth, so my observations don't really address the 'no leaves and no fruit' that Mia saw. 

Mia:  do you know what type of fruit trees where in your vision ?  Could it be that the trees were on an "off" year----hadn't been pruned adequately or that the weather conditions weren't favorable or were simply in a "rest period" ?  (a period of testing).  Even when the tree doesn't produce, it is storing up energy for production for the following year ! 

[Maurita Eberly, Jan 2, 2013]

Mia,
I have been enjoying enjoying your post and resulting thread, I hope U don't mind me weighing in. When Jesus healed the blind man @ BETHSAIDA(MARK 8:23) he then ask him if he saw ought and the man's ans. is really quite strange: " I SEE MEN AS TREES WALKING." I think Laura also brought-up the FIG TREE that Jesus cursed, and that IS really quiet interesting: I understand it wasn't even the season for the tree; in other words the tree was out of season, so why did Jesus curse the tree? Jesus was getting ready to show these(mostly) Jewish disciples something SO PROFOUND he wanted something they could visualize as a reference to this HUGE EVENT. This TRANSFORMATION was THE turning point in history that completely changed the focus of HISTORY! Even today people seem to miss this crucial point. But before we continue with JESUS and the fig tree, what about the example Ian Thomas brings out 2 KINGS 2:19, pg 28: "the water was naught and the ground barren." We know it was a beautiful place, but just as the trees were about to bear fruit the fruit would prematurely fall to the ground. Three times THE HOLY SPIRIT uses trees to give us a picture of something...., what?
A brother of mine said he walked into his backyard and the Lord showed him something thru an oak tree. He said he stared @ the huge oak and the Lord ask him basically......, do U see the Life in that tree? He answered "No"...., Then Doug picked-up an Acorn and the same question, and Doug gave the same answer:"no." Doug deduced he could not see the life in the tree, just the outward manifestation of THAT LIFE! Then the LORD showed him that acorn(seed) had THAT VERY SAME LIFE in it. He couldn't see THE LIFE but ALL THE LIFE was just as much in THAT SEED as it was in THAT TREE. We are told in MATT. 13, that the WORD is THE SEED! So can we deduce THE LIFE is in THAT SEED? To think that THE VERY LIFE is just as much in that tiny acorn as it is in THAT HUGE OAK, then we begin to see how important THAT SEED is, because HIS LIFE is in THAT SEED........, THE WORD! The word is quickened in us(brought to life) by the SPIRIT! That LIFE that is in THAT SEED(THE WORD), is brought alive in us by THE HOLY SPIRIT! "I SEE MEN AS TREES WALKIN."
So, why did Jesus curse that poor fig tree? Because of one thing......., it wasn't bearing fruit and Jesus was NOT gonna let the fact that it was out of season stop Him from making His PROFOUND point: Because you did NOT bear fruit the KINGDOM was gonna be given to another! He then goes to the TEMPLE and they show him THIS beautiful structure; then he has to break it to them: there is soon coming a day when there will not be one stone left upon another. Of course, 70 A.D. was that fateful day that Jesus warned them about in LUKE19 came to pass, "because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." My understanding IS that was one of the most HORRENDOUS events in the annals of history! In 70 A.D. the light of the sun went dark on Israel's KINGSHIP, and THE MOON of THE PROPHETS, and the STARS of their PRIESTHOOD. ALL because THEY DID NOT BEAR FRUIT!

[Jon Johnson, Jan 07, 2013]

Hi Mia
Your vision reminds me of a vision someone shared with me several years ago. I feel like we are living her vision and that your vision is another facet of her vision.

My friend was out walking in the woods off the path and the Lord caused her to notice the trees. Some trees were old and dead. Others were green and healthy. Some trees looked green and sturdy but when she looked closer she could see they were starting to rot inside. Some trees were dead laying over on their side, but had a green branch growing out of them. As she walked, she noticed there were many different new little trees starting to grow; there were oaks, maples, pines and evergreens. Others she did not know the name of. When she asked God about the meaning of the trees he told her the following: The trees represent churches and the people in them. Not all trees that look healthy are alive even though they might look strong at first. As you observe them you will see they have lost their life and it is a matter of time before they will be rotted all the way through. Many churches are dead or dying because they do not have the life of Christ in them. Notice all the new little trees and new growth. I am doing a new thing these days. She was told that what the churches call themselves was not important only whether they were alive in Christ. She was told not to trample on the new thing Christ was doing but to minister to it. She was instructed to speak blessings on the new thing God is doing and to nurture the people who have a vision for life-giving ministry.

[Miriam Hill, Jan 09, 2013]

I have been touched that this vision is speaking to us on so many levels.  There are two main ideas I am coming away with as I reflect on what I saw:

The individual trees I saw did not have leaves or fruit but the impression of life within them remained strong.  I believe the Holy Spirit was revealing structure and season to me.  Remember my question was about fellowship- what does it look like and how does it function?

1)  The structure of a tree- how branches grow, how they are connected and operate together.  I ask myself, am I remaining connected to Christ (the root) and is His life flowing through me?  If so, every relationship I have has potential for growth and for bearing fruit.  I am a branch- His life must flow through me for me to live.  (I love how the Bible talks about Christ as being both the root [Revelation] and the branch [Isaiah]).

2)  The image of the two individual trees (the adult tree and the small sapling) was positive although the branches were bare- I come away with a desire to pray for a season of growth and springtime for us at JCF.  The tree does not control the seasons.  While we wait are we eating and drinking the Word, becoming stronger in adversity?  Are we resting and trusting in the Lord's provision?  

Some questions remain about the orchard of trees, fully green but without fruit.

I am inspired by the idea of Springtime- when the ground warms, the light is stronger, the rains come, and the sap rises in the tree-- the branches bud and produce both leaf and bloom-- it is a season of tenderness and beauty.  I pray that JCF will receive this! 

My mind is drawn to what is not right in the picture: the well-formed tree with no fruit and the small tree with no leaves and no fruit.

 The husbandman, keeper of trees will be concerned about a tree that does not bear fruit. The husband will be  concerned about the tree with no leaves  and no fruit. I see two possibilities for the latter tree. It is possible for the small, no leaf, no fruit tree it could be a season of winter and is in a time of rest. Much about life teaches us to rest. A second option for the small, no leaf, no fruit tree is that something is wrong in the tree or the soil. This calls for a season of turning to God, seeking and asking God for guidance, revelation and direction. The Bible word for this action is called repentance and means to turn hard toward God. 

Whether a season of reason or disease that needs to be fixed, the vision reminds me of Isaiah 30:15 ^ This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation,

in quietness and trust is your strength,

but you would have none of it. (niv)

God is calling us to rest in Him but also turn to Him.

Isaiah 58 calls for prayer, fasting and serving the poor. In the end, if these are done the glory of the Lord will rise.

 

Luke

 

Bringing in the New Year

A MYSTERY MENU

1.       Trees and Branches  Romans  11:16   If the root is holy, so are the branches NIV

2.       Adam’s Nemesis Gen 3:12 "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." NIV

3.       Seeds from a Stem  1 Corinthians 3:6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.  NIV

4.       Promised Manna   1 Kings 8:56  Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant.  NIV

5.       J’s Ladder Genesis 28:12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth…its top reaching to heaven. NIV

6.       Embryonic Wrap  Psalm  139:15 You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! TLB

7.       Precious Resource   Isaiah  12:3  Oh, the joy of drinking deeply from the Fountain of Salvation!"  TLB

8.       Stiletto  Eph 6:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. NIV

9.       Traveler’s Confusion  Isaiah 30:21  Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." NIV

10.   Constellation  Isa 40:26 He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. NIV

11.   Sleepy Relative   1 Thessalonians 5:10  whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. NIV

12.   Farmer’s Friend   Isaiah 1:18  "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. NIV

13.   Zesty Coward Joshua 1: 7 Be strong & very courageous. NIV

Chirstmas for a Family

We are blessed and God calls us to be a bless others. One family received a Christmas to remember.  Thanks to all at JCF and beyond that pitched in to make it happen. The ladies at a school lunch room heard of our effort and packaged groceries with special gifts for mom and dad. It was a Christmas to remember.