Another word from Sunday's message...

I wanted to post an email I received from one of our men, Tom Riordan, regarding Sunday's message. It is a word for the body, and worth posting separately...

First, the “Heroes” series was outstanding! It nourished, encouraged, and challenged my spirit.

“Dreams” was a special blessing, and it stirred in me certain reflections I'd like to share.

When I was in my early twenties I spent most of my summers backpacking in the Rockies. One summer my brother, a friend, and I traveled into Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. Midst our explorations we came upon a site called “Parker Ridge.” It was a 9000 foot high mountain which was popular with tourists and hikers because of the spectacular views it gave from its summit. It overlooked the Athabasca Valley, at the head of which was the massive, Athabasca Glacier, a giant, streaked, tongue of ancient ice that curled and wrapped and ground around and over the jagged-Canadian mountain peaks.

The trail leading up the mountain side was a long arduous switch back that gradually made its way up above the tree line to the barren summit. Along the trail there were numerous wooden benches where hikers could pause to rest and catch their breath.

It was interesting to watch other hikers as they climbed towards the top. We all started off full of energy and enthusiasm with our common goal firmly set before us... the summit of Parker Ridge and that glorious vista!

But the hike was difficult. It was hot, and the grade of the pathway was often steep. Soon ones' energy level was drained and enthusiasm was sapped. So often when one of those frequent rest stops showed up, and a party of hikers paused to rest, some of them would decide that they'd had enough. The journey was too long, too hard, too much work. They'd wait at the rest area while their party continued up the trail. They'd rejoin them on the way down. As a result they never made it all the way to the top. They were content to stay where they were and let their companions continue on. Instead of stopping to rest, they stopped and camped. Instead of being renewed they became complacent.

Because of Who God is; because He is in His very essence: LOVE, all that He does and all that He allows in our lives is for His glory and our good... our “perfect good.” His Kingdom, His DREAM for us is His “perfect good” established in our daily lives. But we have a tendency to settle for second best. He has a vision, a DREAM that we should have “life and have it in super-abundance,” but too often we settle for something “else.” We settle for some counterfeit or perversion of what He has promised. His DREAM, His purpose for us is that we should be filled with His JOY and that His JOY in us would “overflow.” He also purposes that we should have “Peace that surpasses understanding.” But the fulfillment of His DREAM for our lives doesn't come without some effort on our part. We need to “pick up our pallet and walk” at His command. To have Life in superabundance we must “listen to His voice” and follow Him. His Joy comes when we obey His commandments and we love one another as He has loved us. And His Peace comes when we are willing to surrender and trust Him entirely.

It's not always easy. Sometimes, like the hikers on the path up Parkers Ridge, we get tired. We get discouraged. We are disappointed by someone or something, or the heat of the journey drains us of our strength and energy and enthusiasm. We find some “comfortable” place to park ourselves and we lose sight of the goal, the purpose for which God created us and defeated Satan to ensure that we could possess it. Instead of God's DREAM, we settle for Satan's nightmare.

Sometimes we slap on a plastic smile and play the part of being a “joy-filled, victorious, Christian,” but inside there's still a misery because there's unforgiveness in our hearts, unconfessed sin on our lives, or our “love” is self-satisfying rather than sacrificial.

Sometimes we are deceived into thinking that we don't deserve God's BEST. We've committed some sin or our past is something we are so ashamed of that Satan has us believing that God's blessing, His favor, His abundance, His Joy and Peace are for the “other guy.”

Whatever the reason, whatever the deception, whatever the excuse, we allow it to cloud our vision and be dissuaded from the DREAM, the goal, the purpose, pursuing the summit of God's PERFECT Will for us and experiencing the BLESSING which “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

For myself, my family, my Pastors, everyone in the Journey and everyone I meet, I want to encourage to put away the excuses, rebuke the deceptions and lies, and get off our benches, catch a fresh VISION, a renewed DREAM, and get back on the path to the summit of God's BEST.”Focusing on one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. (Let's) press on to reach the end...for which God in Christ Jesus is calling us.”

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THANK YOU, Tom, for a great addendum to the word from Sunday - a fantastic word-picture... May all the members of The Journey receive this...

Further notes from Lee's Message

From vss.1-5: I outlined these verses in the margin of my Bible this way:

• Sacrifice – The Macedonian believers gave sacrificially
• Sharing – They understood the “Koinonia” principal God desires for His church
• Surrender – They gave themselves first to God
• Submission – They understood Biblical authority and submitted themselves to it.

They were not a bunch of “Maverick” Christians. I think the

application for us is the local church, i.e. The Journey. Each one of

us needs to submit to and commit to The Journey and its leadership

and to the vision God gives them. God is into the local church!

From vss. 6-9: We, the church of America…and yes, The Journey… excel in so many ways. We are very gifted! Let us “excel also in this gracious ministry of giving.” Let us, as individuals be very “koinonikos” (free in giving). Let us, as a church be “koinonikos”.

We talk about loving each other, and other believers, and those who are yet lost; and of course, we talk of loving the Lord. Talk proves nothing. If our love is real, it must be manifest by what do…how we give. We have as an example the Lord Jesus Christ. He didn’t just talk of loving us. He proved it by impoverishing Himself for our sakes. Will we prove our love by impoverishing ourselves for the Lord…for His church…for the Journey and the vision of reaching our culture?

From vss. 10-15: Here’s my fear…for myself and for our church. I am afraid that we would be moved by this message, that we would begin to talk about altering our lifestyles in order to have our share in this gift of generosity, and that we might even begin to do something about it; but that in the process of time, the excitement, the enthusiasm, and the zeal might fade; and that we might end up not following through until we can truly say “Mission accomplished!”…until we have reached our culture and God’s Kingdom is established. What can we do to ensure that this fear does not come to fruition?

“If you are really eager to give, it isn’t important how much you give.” Don’t let this be an excuse for not giving liberally and sacrificially. A good cross reference to get a good perspective is Mark 12:41-44. Would you be willing to give “the widow’s mite” (all you have)?

The “body” principal is brought out here. If one part of the body is lacking, the whole body suffers. Remember “koinonia”? I can’t emphasize this enough! God built the koinonia principal into His creation; and it is His design for the church!

It’s interesting that Paul would quote from Exodus 16:18 here. Go back and look at this verse in its context; then think about this: If we are greedy and hoard our wealth and possessions for ourselves, could it be that it will rot away and become a stench. For me, this puts a different perspective on my finances, my possessions, my time, my talents and abilities, etc.

From vss.8:16-9:4: I won’t comment too much on these verses except to say that they have to do with good stewardship and accountability with the money brought into the church. We, the church, need to be “up front” with every penny we receive. This is very important. This is just one reason that I think we should give primarily to and through our local church. “We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to know we are honorable.” (8:21)

From vss.9:5-10: Why do many of us struggle with this idea of generous giving? Why do we so often get our hackles up when someone speaks on this topic, or when someone makes us aware of a need with the intention that we should respond by giving? Well, perhaps it is because of a misunderstanding or unbelief as to what giving is all about and/or the “koinonia” principal. Some of us, I think, view giving as sort of “paying our dues”. When the topic comes up, it comes across to us like “God has done so much for you. The least you can do is give back to Him a portion of what you have received.” While that may be true, that is not what this rich gift of generosity is about at all. God doesn’t need us or our money. And what He has given us is a gift. Don’t insult God by trying to pay for it. The rich gift of generosity is a gift He has offered to us. Its part of our inheritance! So don’t ever feel pressured to give. Understand that God has offered you the wonderful privilege of partnering with Him and His church…the universal church and The Journey…in what He is doing. And here’s the thing: The more you give, the greater you receive! No, I’m not talking about “give to get” because Paul wasn’t talking about that. A farmer who doesn’t sow all of his seed or does not fill all of his fields with seed, for fear of adverse weather conditions or for whatever reason, will have a limited harvest. We not only reap what we sow, we reap according to how much we sow. I want everything God has for me, don’t you? So I’m planting all of my seed. First I give myself to God…all of me…everything I am, and everything I have. (Remember 8:5) Then I give myself to our church and its leadership…all of me…everything I am and everything I have. If this Kingdom stuff is fallacy…if I’m wrong about this idea of partnering with God in what He is doing to restore His creation…or if God should fail in this (as if He could), I am bankrupt…belly up! For me, its Christ or bust! I’m throwing everything in! How about you? Are you in?

Each one of us needs to make up our own mind as to how much we give. “Don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure.”

How could the Macedonian believers (and how can we) give more than they (or we) could afford? They understood the source of everything they had. God is the “Fount of every blessing”. I encourage you to give generously and sacrificially because “God will generously provide everything you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share…For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat.”

From vss. 9:11-14: Maybe this is the best part of all! If we do this…if we choose to partner with God and give generously and sacrificially, two things are going to happen. Needs are going to be met and God is going to receive glory! Friends…Partners, that is why we were created; and that is why God chose us to be His partners; and that is why He has blessed us…to be a blessing to others and to glorify Him! We do our part and thanksgiving and praise to God will break out because people will understand that God is everything He claims to be. That, for me, is worth living for? Are you in?

From 9:15: I don’t think Paul is speaking of Jesus here, although Jesus is indeed a gift too wonderful for words. The NLT says “Thank God for His Son…” Other versions speak only of an “inexpressible gift”. I believe the gift Paul is talking about is this rich gift of generosity…this opportunity to partner with God. Imagine that! Koinonia with God! Are you in?