| SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2007 - IT'S ALL GOOD |
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I feel something's happening at The Journey - not just when we meet together, but in the church as a body. I feel there are some good things happening, but I also know right now that the church is under attack in many areas.
People are struggling - struggling in their finances, their marriages, their faith. And as people who are part of our body struggle, they drop out, away from church. And that is one of the worst things that can happen - for a Christian to orphan himself/herself from the place that God calls His "family" and His "people." If one of our children were to run away from the family and consider himself/herself better off without the family, we as parents would look at the naivety and immaturity of that child and try to woo them back in. Yet Christians - good people, God-loving people - are walking away from the family without so much as a word...and it's happening at The Journey. But as a spiritual father to many who have come through, I can only try and call them back, whether or not they respond. So why start out a weekly blog with that? Well, our attendance was a little low (in the 130's), but today's message would be perfect for someone who is struggling and perhaps had backed away - it would have been good for them to hear the message titled "It's All Good" based on Psalm 100:3 and 2 Kings 4. It would have been good for them to know that they can draw on the presence of God in the worst of situations or struggles and experience peace, freedom, joy, hope, and healing. But it is hard to tell a runaway these things - hopefully though, those who have walked away will experience the joy of returning to the Lord as Hosea 6 says - just read these words: 1 “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces; now He will heal us. He has injured us; now He will bandage our wounds. 2 In just a short time He will restore us, so that we may live in His presence. 3 Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know Him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.” For the runaway and the orphan, those words are the best possible words to hear - returning and restoration and healing and response. If you missed today by necessity because of a job (and KNOW we missed you), or if you are just away and struggling with returning (we miss you so much), you missed out on some great worship. The praise team intro'd Wonderful Maker by Chris Tomlin - it was great. And the energy of the praise band was contagious! But the congregation's response to the Word was refreshing. I wish you could have been there... If you did miss, and there is something our church can pray with you about, take a moment and submit a prayer request - let us agree with you and lift you up before the throne. But you know what? It was a good day - a day that will catapult us into some good times down the road - rains of refreshing, restoration, and healing are on their way...so come, let us return to the Lord. -Pastor
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