Meetings in March

Hey - I looks like our Blue (star) Fish group will be meeting at our house Saturday March 20th (5-9 pm)

Then next Saturday (the 27th) we are all Gathering at the Junction Bowl in Isanti!

See our main website for more details.

UPCOMING GATHERING AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE CONFERENCE

Hey - this is just a reminder that next weekend (Halloween) is a big one for us - We are doing everything at the Fish House that weekend: The Spiritual Warfare Conference from 6:30 Friday night to 4:...00 pm on Saturday, then our Gathering will start at 5:00 in the upper room of the same location with a CHILi FEED, and go into a worship time with Stacy & Serit leading us in Israeli worship dance. After our open mic time, we will join the Fish House Crowd downstairs for a combined service where the message on restoring the Keys of spiritual authority in the Church will be given - that will be Halloween night. Our victory over darkness does not step aside for Halloween, it meets it head on!!!

NEXT HOUSE CHURCH MEETING

Hey Everyone - Our next get together will be at Meg's House -
538 Old North Main in Cambridge
(kitty corner from the big Lutheran Church)

Give her a call to find out what food to bring!
at 763 227-7209

ALSO be planning for the Gathering next weekend which will be right after the
Spiritual Warfare Conference at the Fish House (5:00 pm in the upper level)
It's a CHILI FEED!

So bring your favorite recipe and learn some Israeli cirlce dances
while you are there!

The Topic is (of course) Spiritual Warfare - "Giving the Keys back to the Church"
Go to the Journey's main site for more details and to register: http://www.thejourney-ecmn.org/

COMING UP THIS MONTH

NEXT HOUSE CHURCH MEETING AT OUR HOUSE
Saturday October 17th - 5:00 p.m.
1087 - 313th in Cambridge

Bring your favorite oriental food (in honor of Becky Roby's birthday!)

ON THE 24th we will be at Meg's on North Main
Food (to be determined)

HALLOWEEN WEEKEND SPIRITUAL WARFARE CONFERENCE &
GATHERING AT THE FISH HOUSE! (see the main website for details:
www.thejourney-ecmn.org

UPCOMING EVENTS!!!

• Blue Fish Meet Saturday at Rick & Lori's, 937 Golden Way, Isanti 5:00 p.m. bring your favorite kind of chicken, or a side dish.
• Spritual Warfare Conference will be held October 30, 31 @ The Fish House! Begins 6:30 p.m. Friday night and includes a ministry opportunity Saturday night at 8pm.
• Gathering will also be at The Fish House and will include an Israeli worship dance team to stir things up a bit.

NOTES ON HOW THE CHURCH IS LED

THE STRENGTH OF OUR WILL

Today I spotted an article in the September 21, 2009 issue of "Leadership Journal" by John Ortberg called: The Strong-Willed Leader: There is a difference between a surrendered will and a weak will. I was really encouraged to see this come to light, because over the 27 years that I have been involved with the church as an institution, I have consistently encountered teaching - both specific and implied - that God's plan for us is have no will of our own. I have observed that the resulting passivity of church culture in America, particularly as it is encouraged in the "laity" or attenders, is linked to the taking away of the "key" in Luke 11:52; It hinders those who are trying to enter the Kingdom, or domain of God. Then there is that disturbing statement in Matthew 11:12 about "violent men" taking the Kingdom by force.

So how do we square that Jesus both "set His face to go to Jerusalem" in Luke 10:51, and yet only always did what He saw His Father doing? (John 5:19) It doesn't seem a mystery to me any more. It has a lot to do with what we believe God wants from us, and what He will do if we bow our heart to Him. You see, every other god (and I use this term in the broadest sense) seeks to take power from us - to use us, and use us up. The true God is the only One who can afford to give us more power than He takes from us. (Note the promises in Acts 1:8, Ephesians 1:20, e.g.)But old habits are hard to break - we have been taught by our other gods that to come under the authority of another means we must disengage our will. At the same time we are doing this (which I beleieve is very offensive to God - kind of like bonevolent adoptive parents bringing a child home only to see him crippled by a constant, parylizing fear that they are going to beat and abuse him), He is all about the task of healing and rebuilding our will so that it is functioning again - evidenced by the ability to daily choose to follow Him. (Romans 8:14)

More could be said about this - and I hope that we as the Church will begin to grow in this understanding: that God comes to empower and repair our will, and to equip us for the spiritual battle field we live in. Passivity is not close to godlikeness - rather it takes an incredibly strong and healthy will for us to do as Jesus did in setting His face toward Jerusalem, for this where our cross awaits us...the one we are to take up daily as we follow our Savior.

Grace & Peace

EVENTS COMING UP

THE GATHERING - SEPTEMBER 26TH AT THE SHED!
The Topic is "Hearing from God - Why at least every Christian has already heard God's voice"

The Shed (34092 Vickers Street NE in Cambridge) has been offered by Dale Forslin for us to meet starting this month! To show our thanks we are going to be out there next Saturday the 12th to work on clean up and whatever else is needed.

Plan to be out there from noon to about 4:00 p.m.