For other info visit us at www.riverlifefellowship.com.

 HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!!

• Wednesday: Intercessory Prayer Meeting 9-10:30 at the church
• Wednesday:  NEW – Miller’s Life Group (Mooresville) – arrive at 6 for food; lakeside worship/meeting at 7  Address:  338 Ponderosa Circle Mooresville 28117 – for more info email Jeff at telihu41@aol.com – Anyone welcome!

• Thursday:  Healing Rooms @ RiverLife – 7-9 pm

COMING SOON: 

• June 30^th: Baptism, Picnic & Swimming @ the Lake (Croley’s) – bring a picnic lunch for your family with chair/blanket and swim gear right after church; email matthew@riverlifefellowship.com to sign-up to get baptized
• Now: RiverLife Wellness Center Counseling Program: our counseling program provides FREE services for adults (individual, marriage, and family).  Call the church number, ext 4 or email wccounseling@riverlifefellowship.com for an appt.  There are brochures in the foyer.
• Now:  the Father’s Table – food donations being received in container in foyer to provide for families in need (see display in the church foyer)

*ANNOUNCEMENTS:  If you have any announcements please email to info@riverlifefellowship.com.  If you need it published on Sunday morning please send no later than WEDNESDAY at noon.

 *PRAYER REQUESTS:  Email prayer requests and/or praise reports to prayer@riverlifefellowship.com.  (PLEASE NO ANNOUNCEMENTS.)

When I first began to receive a revelation of the Father, the parable of the prodigal son exploded off the pages of the Bible into my heart. From that time it is has been a touchstone for all teachings and revelations concerning the Father. The picture painted of the father is one of the high points of revelations of Christ and God the Father in the Scripture.

This is one of the more popular parables as it could serve as a metaphor for anyone who has ever reached a low point in their lives. Most of us can relate to it in one way or another. It has always spoken to my heart, as I have been able to relate to both brothers as I have walked way too far in each of their shoes. I also know too well what it feels like to be a heart broken father.

As I have grown in revelation and personal knowledge of God as my Father my eyes are being opened and I am seeing this parable in fresh ways. There is much we can glean from this exceptionally simple, but profound picture of the Father’s love for all humans. Here are a few of the high points for me.

Fatherhood: The picture painted of the father as compassionate and loving toward both the son who broke all the biblical and cultural laws and the son who kept all those laws outwardly, but inwardly was seething with anger and resentment is a high water mark of revelations of the Father heart of God in the Scripture.

When I keep this image of God foremost in my mind I feel a bit of a paradox in my heart. I feel humbled, but at the same time I have a sense of empowerment to walk comfortably and confidently before all heaven and hell regardless of the state of my life at that moment.

Sonship:  Both sons approach the father based on what they believed their relationship with him was, as a servant before a master. The father does not receive the prodigal or older brother on that ground. He offers His unconditional love to both of them. I think that is the ultimate test of walking in a revelation of the Father; am I responding to love and not simply obeying commands?

Freedom: The father granted both sons the freedom to reject him. We are all free to choose our own way even if that way causes much sorry and pain to our heavenly Father’s heart. I believe that is the foundation of true freedom. In the end, I think the two trees in the garden is really the choice between receiving His love and rejecting His love.   

Family/Community: We must never minimize the importance of personal relationship between God the Father and the individual believer, yet this story plays out in the context of family and even the larger community. Jesus illustrated the high value of family/community in the Lord’s prayer. It begins as “Our Father” not “My Father”.  He was revealing much about the home of His heart in that one simple phrase.

There are so many prodigals “lost” out there in the world and just as many elder brothers and sisters “lost” in His house. My dream is to be able to give them what was given to me, a glimpse of His heart of love and acceptance.

If I had to sum up this story in a sentence or two, I would use this quote by George MacDonald, who was a Scottish author, poet, and a mentor to C.S. Lewis.

“This is and has been the Father’s work from the beginning – to bring us into the home of His heart. This is our destiny.” 

Many Blessings, BW

For other info visit us at www.riverlifefellowship.com.

• Mon.-Sat.: Camp Morley!!! – for grades 6^th-12^th – PLEASE PRAY!  Largest camp in 5 years.  Pray for God to move powerfully.
• Wednesday: Intercessory Prayer Meeting 9-10:30 at the church
• Wednesday:  NEW Life Group Starting – Miller’s Life Group (Mooresville) – arrive at 6 for food; lakeside worship/meeting at 7  Address:  338 Ponderosa Circle Mooresville 28117 – for more info email Jeff at telihu41@aol.com – Anyone welcome!
• Saturday:  “Take me out to the ballgame . . .” Crowns of Glory Life Group (over 50 small group) going to Kannapolis Intimidators baseball game – 7 PM – email Pam at pjjolly@windstream.net.

COMING SOON:

• June 30th: Baptism, Picnic & Swimming @ the Lake — grab a picnic lunch and join us at the Croley’s lakehouse after church — if you or someone in your family wants to be baptized, email matthew@riverlifefellowship.com 
• Now: RiverLife Wellness Center Counseling Program: our counseling program provides FREE services for adults (individual, marriage, and family).  Call the church number, ext 4 or email wccounseling@riverlifefellowship.com for an appt.  There are brochures in the foyer.
• Now:  the Father’s Table – food donations being received in container in foyer to provide for families in need (see display in the church foyer)

*ANNOUNCEMENTS:  If you have any announcements please email to info@riverlifefellowship.com.  If you need it published on Sunday morning please send no later than WEDNESDAY at noon.

*PRAYER REQUESTS:  Email prayer requests and/or praise reports to prayer@riverlifefellowship.com.  (PLEASE NO ANNOUNCEMENTS.)

I read a great article by Tom Lawson titled “Why I Love My Disappointing Church” and I wanted to share it with you. It is a great way to look at church and ourselves concerning church.

I hope you enjoy it and it speaks to your heart.

Blessings, BW

—————————————————–

I am part of a disappointing church.

They weren’t a disappointing church at first. They were once welcoming, warm, loving, spiritual, worshipful and generally fun to be around.

That was then. This is now.

Now they are a disappointing church. I’ve had time for a good long look behind the scenes, and some of what’s there just isn’t very pretty.

The truth is, this is not the first time I’ve found myself in the middle of a disappointing church. It doesn’t happen every time. Just some of the time.

Some churches I’ve seen are caring and faithful and loving and I have nothing but good memories of them. Not detailed memories, since these were churches I visited on a Sunday or two and never went beyond that. I never got deeply involved. 

But, the worship service was certainly powerful. And based on my admittedly limited visits, everything from the happy greeters that met me at the doors to the joyful praise songs that lifted my soul, proved that these were wonderful churches. Unlike the church I’m at now.

After some careful analysis of the past 30 years, that is the common denominator true of all disappointing churches. My level of involvement.

The churches I found disappointing were the churches where I got really involved. Went to Bible studies. Went to meetings. Got in deep enough to actually get to know people over time.

So, the best way to avoid finding yourself in a disappointing church is to limit your involvement.

Only go to worship.

Don’t volunteer.

Be friendly, but don’t make friends. 

Sing, clap and give a little money.

Stay at the edges.

You have probably noticed, if you compare worship attendance with the totality of those showing up for anything else, that many Americans have already figured this out.

That’s the key. The truth is, I’ve never gotten really involved in a church — any church — that was not sometimes disappointing.

Of course, it’s likely, at some point, I may have been a little disappointing to them. OK, my unpaid editor-in-chief, Linda, assures me the words “it’s likely” and “a little” ought to be deleted from the previous sentence. Hmm. Sometimes our wives can be disappointing.

OK, I’m back. The good news is I think the bump on my head is already getting smaller. Now, where was I?

There are simply no churches, if you peel away the gloss and the Sunday morning smiles, that are not populated by imperfect and inconsistent people. We do not confess our sins to each other because we have so few, but because we have so many.

Churches become disappointed in pastors. And pastors keep getting disappointed in churches.

The steady prattle of small talk about churches changing pastors or pastors upgrading to better churches permeates our ministers’ meetings and our conventions. 

It follows a pattern. 

Everything is going to be great.

Everything is great.

All in all it’s great. 

OK, it’s not great, but it’s acceptable. 

It’s less than acceptable.

This is not where God wants me. (In evangelicalese that means, “I’m getting outta here.”)

And then, wow, this new church (job) is going to be really great.

The somewhat tentative involvement of vast numbers of church attenders follows a similar pattern. 

The whole thing is like a watching people on roller coasters, where some are optimistically climbing to the heights of finding the greatest church ever, while others are plunging into chaos of disappointment, disillusionment and withdrawal. Many decide to get off and never get back on. Others go find another roller coaster to get on, and start climbing upward in idealized expectations once again.

There is a sad irony in realizing the very thing we all want in a church is the very thing we ourselves lack: consistency.

The church is a hospital. That’s true.

But it’s a hospital with no doctors, only patients. The healing hands of the great physician are not always miraculously coming down from above. No, many times He uses the wounded to tend the wounded.

Grace given to sinners is also grace to be given through sinners.

But, we still have to face the fact of disappointments.

Psychologist H. Norman Wright once said that, on balance, most people will experience more anger in life toward our own husbands or wives than anyone else.

Why? Because there is no one else closer to us. To get close to the family of God is discover that you are a disappointing person called into community with other disappointing people.

I love the church. I love the church from the outside in and from the inside out.

I love the faith, the love, the pettiness, the doubt, the hope, the spirituality and the carnality that walks her halls, sits in her meetings, and serves her cause in the world.

I love the visible, gathered, in-the-flesh church as it is, not simply the church as I wish it was.

And, here’s the marvel, I have it on good authority that they actually love me.

Once, Oliver Cromwell is said to have scolded the artist painting his portrait: “No, no, no. Go back and this time paint me warts and all.” I’ve seen the painting of Cromwell. There’s no doubt the artist did just that.

I wish I had never disappointed a church. I wish a church never disappointed me. But, there we stand, blemishes and warts and all. And to think, He calls this His bride. 

I highly recommend our friend Michele Perry’s book titled, “An Invitation To The Supernatural Life.” I was blessed to offer her some input while she was writing it. At the beginning Michele addresses the people whom it is written, “To all those who dare to embrace the unpaved road into His heart and live out a yes-cry with their lives.”

I will never forget the day the Father gently spoke to my heart and invited me into the supernatural life. I had just finished reading the Gospel of John, Chapter 3, where Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3).

As I sat pondering Jesus’ words, I heard the still small voice of God the Father speak very clear, but so gentle to my heart, “You don’t really see do you, Byron?” I responded in somewhat of a matter of fact way, “Not really, Lord” and then He said, “I am going to teach you how to see.” I gave Him a yes-cry and have never stopped saying yes.

Within an hour it was game on and it has been an unpaved road of high adventure into His heart. It has been a four-wheel excursion off the highways of the Christian life and experience to which I was accustomed. Looking back on my entire life from childhood I see God had created and prepared me for revelatory experiences, to hear His voice, to encounter Him in visions and dreams.  

Going off-road is not always fun and easy. It can be tricky, bumpy, and unnerving at times and it can wear you down (see Daniel 8:27). I have been challenged, rejected, misunderstood, wrong, immature, discouraged and disappointed along the way, but the adventure is well worth it.

Many people have encountered the supernatural in the new age, eastern mediation or other occult experiences. These people have a grasp on the supernatural although it is perverted, but many sincere believers in Christ do not understand it and reject or even condemn it. That is wrong. How can we truly know a supernatural God when we reject or shy away from the supernatural?

I believe dreams, visions, revelations and spiritual encounters are part of the normal Christian life. Paul the Apostle, said, “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). Paul’s life was marked by dreams, visions, revelations and spiritual encounters. He confidently said they would always be a norm in his life (2 Cor. 12:2).  We just have not been living the normal Christian life as the Bible describes. 

Having gone down this unpaved road of the supernatural for several years now, I see more and more supernatural encounters are nothing more than ways in which the Father communicates His heart with His children who live in this present world.

They are not something that makes us special or something we should glory in since we are already special as His children. They simply help us to know Him and His ways of thinking and doing. They help bring understanding and clarity to written Biblical truths. They help bring clarity and focus to the Person of Christ. We will never live to our full potential apart from the supernatural.

Many Blessings, BW

For other info visit us at www.riverlifefellowship.com.  

• Tuesday:  “Tidal Wave” Middle School Youth Ministry – NO MEETING – taking a summer break
• Wednesday: High School Youth Ministry –NO MEETING – taking a summer break
• Wednesday: Intercessory Prayer Meeting 9-10:30 at the church

• Thursday:  Healing Rooms @ RiverLife – 7-9 pm

• Friday: 1^st FRIDAY Worship – come enjoy worship & ministry time  – 7 pm

• Friday Fun Night for Kids (K-5^th grade) – games & fun – in back building – 7 pm

COMING SOON: 

• Wed, June 12^th:  NEW Life Group Starting – Miller’s Life Group (Mooresville) – arrive at 6 for dinner; lakeside worship/meeting at 7  Address:  338 Ponderosa Circle Mooresville 28117 – for more info email Jeff at telihu41@aol.com – Anyone welcome!
• June 10^th-15^th: Camp Morley – for grades 6^th-12^th – pre-register before April 28^th on our website.
• Now: RiverLife Wellness Center Counseling Program: our counseling program provides FREE services for adults (individual, marriage, and family).  Call the church number, ext 4 or email wccounseling@riverlifefellowship.com for an appt.  There are brochures in the foyer.
• Now:  the Father’s Table – “Cash for Cows” – donations being received to buy wholesale meat to provide for families in need (see display in the church foyer)

*ANNOUNCEMENTS:  If you have any announcements please email to info@riverlifefellowship.com.  If you need it published on Sunday morning please send no later than WEDNESDAY at noon.

 *PRAYER REQUESTS:  Email prayer requests and/or praise reports to prayer@riverlifefellowship.com.  (PLEASE NO ANNOUNCEMENTS.)

In the New Testament there are two words for time; one is chronos, our watches and calendars record chronos time.  The other word is kairos; it means “the appointed time in the purpose of God, the time when God acts.” Mark 1:15 is an example of this, “the time (kairos) is fulfilled.” All of us have experienced a kairos moment at some moment in our life – the best way I can describe it as those times that mark our lives, something changes and life is looked and thought about differently from that point on.

One significant kairos moment I had was years ago during our Sunday morning church service. I was looking around the room during the worship and the Holy Spirit asked me a simple question, “Is this what is in your heart?” I replied, “Not really, Lord.” He responded with another question. “Why don’t you find out what is in your heart and do that?” I responded back to the Lord something really lame. I said, “Lord, I have gotten so far from my heart I have no clue what is in there. Why don’t you put something in there and I will just do that. We can act like I found it?” Of course, the Lord did not even respond to that self-pitying grovel.

From that moment everything began to shift. First, I set my mind toward finding out what was going on in my heart, but more importantly, the Lord began to do something. He began to answer David’s prayer in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

Over the months ahead, the Holy Spirit began to do surgery in my soul. There were plenty grievous ways in me; wounds, unresolved issues, disappointment and on and on, some going back to my early childhood. He began to address them one by one. I had some amazing encounters with the Lord my healer and liberator during those days. He was doing sozo on me before I knew there was even such a ministry called sozo. Looking back it was a very precious and changing time in my life.

l didn’t connect what was happening with me to the conversation I had with the Holy Spirit during worship that day. I was being healed and set free so I could live from my heart in a healthy and wholesome way. Living from the heart has been my aim since those days. I look back at some of the experiences we have enjoyed with the Holy Spirit River, the Father’s Love, the revelation of grace, dreams, visions and revelations in the spiritual realm and I realize the kairos moment I experienced that day during worship was a linch pin that freed me to explore the wide open spaces of God’s grace filled kingdom.  

Since those days I have met a lot of people who say they want to live from their heart, but they find it to be messy at times and just give up. Never give up living from the heart; yes, it is messy and at times down right discouraging. Sometimes it is just easier to walk away and live behind our walls, with our mask on and aloof from others, but that goes against everything Jesus Christ taught and did Himself. He was the ultimate heart guy. Living from the heart is His way.

Many Blessings, BW

It has been said that eagles are to the air what lions are to the earth. Lions are the kings of beast and eagles are the kings of the air. That is so true because in Exodus 19:4 God likens Himself to an eagle. The eagle is actually mentioned 31 times in the Bible and Proverbs 30:19 notes the way an eagle soars in the air is an amazing wonder, and it truly is.

Matthew 24:23-28 is a scripture about eagles that I have thought about often. I think it applies to the day we live in. It is in the context of Jesus talking about the end times and how to avoid some of the deadly pitfalls that are actually happening right now.

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

We have certainly seen the false christs and false prophets gather people into a remote compound away from family, society and friends sometimes with tragic results. That is the extreme. Most of us are not going to fall for that foolishness, but there are a lot of believers who fall for a much more subtle version of this same deception.

A desert, or inner room, speaks of anything that isolates you from other believers and the body of Christ. Luke’s version of this same story brings some clarity by recording a question the disciples asked Jesus, “Where, Lord?” or literally, “Where is the body, Lord?” (Luke 17:37)  Jesus responded by telling them the carcass is the Lord Himself and the eagles are His disciples.

In the natural eagles only eat what they kill. Normally they will not eat road kill, something that was killed by another predator, or died naturally. God, the Father, the Great Eagle has killed his Son for all of us, His little eaglets to feed upon (Isaiah 53:10).

Jesus said, “He who feeds on Me will live because of Me” (John 6:57). Psalm 34:8 says, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good” and Psalm 103:5 tells us, “The Lord satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

Note it says satisfies our mouth, not our ears or eyes. In the natural it is what you eat and drink that gives you strength, health and sustains you. We can hear about what a dish tastes like or look at it all day, but it only works when we put it in our mouths and consume it. That is the way it is with us spiritually. We have to feed upon Him personally and in a community with others that we “do life together” with.

God created community and He created us as humans to live life together. The pages of the gospel reveal a Jesus who highly valued and lived His life in community. His mission was grounded in the community He was a part of.  Your spiritual life and ministry will never go anywhere near its full potential apart from living in community and “doing life together” with others.

Jesus warned us in the last days people would separate themselves from community, the gathering of eagles, whether it is intentional or simply being caught up in the flow of current culture. Whatever the reason, it is deception. We should be intentional to not just gather on a particular day or time, but to “do life together” in the context of a community where Jesus Christ is the central person.

Many Blessings, BW

As of now we will not have a monthly Tapestry meeting again until late summer! Being such a busy time for many, we thought it would be a nice time for a break. Hopefully some of you ladies will make plans to meet in smaller groups, to love and encourage one another.

Blessings,
Becky, Rhonda & Paula

For other info visit us at www.riverlifefellowship.com.

CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES!

• Tuesday:  “Tidal Wave” Middle School Youth Ministry — 7:00-8:30 – more info email melissa@forsythfamily.com (MS) – last meeting of school year – 8^th grade graduation! Parents invited.
• Wednesday: High School Youth Ministry –7:00-8:30 – more info email cory.meade@gmail.com (HS)
• Wednesday: Intercessory Prayer Meeting 9-10:30 at the church

• Thursday:  Holy Ghost Girls (20s&30s women) – 7 PM @ Donna Culler’s house dc7092@att.com Bring favorite finger food!
• Thursday:  Men’s Group – 7 pm@Ken’s fortune.et.one@gmail.com 
• Friday: “Emerge”:  a small group for girls ages 12-18 -6:30 pm at church – for info contact: vmstark22890@yahoo.com

• NEXT SUNDAY: Memorial Day Weekend Picnic & “Church in the Park” 10 AM – please bring a side, dessert, drink & chair (hot dogs provided). To volunteer to help set-up, cook, or clean-up, email Karen at kcallahan4@triad.rr.com.

COMING SOON:

• June 10^th-15^th: Camp Morley – for grades 6^th-12^th – register NOW on our website.
• Now: RiverLife Wellness Center Counseling Program: our counseling program provides FREE services for adults (individual, marriage, and family).  Call the church number, ext 4 or email wccounseling@riverlifefellowship.com for an appt.  There are brochures in the foyer.
• Now:  the Father’s Table – “Cash for Cows” – donations being received to buy wholesale meat to provide for families in need (see display in the church foyer)
• June:  New Mooresville Life Group COMING IN JUNE!  Meeting on Wednesday nights for dinner, worship, fellowship & ministry!  Anyone welcome.  More details coming soon . . .