Author Archives: cjsministries

Who I am

I must be a good wife, I must be a good mom and I must be me. Who I am is about my father’s business. Who I am takes care of me because I am the fathers business. Who I am feels music burst through her and must let it free. Who I am has words that explode in my mind and must be written down. Who I am cares deeply for others who are hurting, lost and alone because caring, loving, saving others is my father’s business. Who I am has a mission and my mission is CJ’s.

CJ’s…. ?
CJ’s is more than a place. It is more than a coffee shop. It is more than an oasis in a dessert, a pit stop before your next destination. CJ’s is that place we all long for. CJ’s is that place we all need. It is the place that we remember who we are. It is the place people remind us that we matter. It is the place that is secret, still and quiet where we can finally hear clearly what we need to hear, what we are yearning to hear. “I love you! You matter!” says your Father. CJ’s is waiting in the line at Dutch Bos. When the guy taking your order leans out the window and asks you how your day is going and he then takes the time to listen while someone else makes your coffee, he has a real give and take conversation that matters with you. CJ’s is a park bench in the early morning, fog dissipating, sitting on a wakeful morning, birds chirping and the breeze surrounding you and the beauty of nature hugs you till you release all your tension and you begin to breathe easy again. CJ’s is the moment when the house is quiet and the kids are at school or your room mates are out and even though there is a thousand and one things to do you sit, lean your head back and rest, really rest knowing it’s okay cause even God rested on the seventh day. It is a coffee shop with a cozy lounge chair where you treat yourself to your favorite drink and acknowledge it’s okay to just sit and simply be for a brief moment of your day. CJ’s stands for Christ Jesus’s Place. It is the place where you find Him with you, feeling His presence surround you, and hear Him speak to you clearly. CJ’s is more than one place. That is Why CJ’s Ministries is so important. It is a mission to give others what they need, long for, a moment to hear they have a father who loves them, that they matter, and that where ever they are they have a purpose and it is not too late to be who they are meant to be. Everyone deserves to be given the chance to know they are Wholly Loved, Wholly cared for, Wholly His, and to be about their father’s business.

BeHold, Believe, Look to Jesus

 
 
Sermon Notes, Real Life Church: John 3:1-21

Jesus Is  Greater Than Our Systems!

Jesus is not defined by our earthly human traditions, systems, programs etc. Jesus does not fit nicely in a box to be pulled out when ever we want a nice reminiscing moment of good times. As we turn our hearts towards him and begin to let ourselves believe, not just that he exists or even the fact that he died for us. We can believe in him as we believe in our spouse to bring home the bacon, or pay  the bills, or believe in our children to have the ability inside them to do the right thing, or accomplish great things. This is the kind of belief in God I am talking about. It begins with a humble heart to approach Jesus in a way that says I need more; I am not enough on my own. Humility comes when we relinquish control and make Jesus greater than our routines we are so comfortable in. Jesus said in John chapter 3 “we can not enter into the kingdom of heaven unless we are born again.” We must be born into the Spiritual Kingdom of God and it is only possible by allowing the Spirit of God into our life, trusting him enough, believing in Him enough to let him change us, help us, teach us, and bring new life inside us to shine His light through us.

Jesus is the fulfillment of our Faith.

The goal in our life is not to get better at our routines or our systems. It is to draw deeper into a relationship with Jesus. As we draw closer to the one who created us we come to know who we are, who we are meant to be and this is when we begin to shine. Our dreams God planted deep with in us will come true and our faith in God is fulfilled by our best friend, counselor, prince of peace, Jesus leading our every step.
Behold! Believe! Look To Jesus the author and finisher of your Faith!

Jesus Brings Light  to our Hearts.

As we draw closer to Jesus his light shines on our flaws and we have the tendency to cringe back in fear or lack of comfort. Sin is uncomfortable and not easy to face. Jesus wants us to face it and deal with it so that we can be free of it. He does not want us to deal with it alone. When we walk with him and draw close to him and sin in our life is revealed, he is not condemning us or telling us to fix it or else. He desires to help us, together hand in hand with Jesus we face it, confess it, turn from it. We need the people Jesus gives us to keep us accountable to stay away from the sin that is causing bondage. Jesus came to set us free! Free from every thing that is holding us back from being at peace, full of joy, and pursuing all we are meant to be.

1 John chapter 1 verse 7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light and not run from exposure Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

James chapter 5 verse 16 ” Therefore,  Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

We Conclude with these thoughts

Approach Jesus in Humility, and begin to Believe in him, Place your trust in Him.
Make Jesus the Goal of your Life!
Make a choice to walk into the light.
Choose to stay in the Light walking with Jesus!

Posted first in http://bloggingwithjesus.blogspot.com/ also written by Nora Williams

LifeTree Cafe Spokane

We have been running our Lifetree Cafe at Chairs Public House for 8 months now. That is so hard to believe! Every Monday night at 7pm we meet to discuss different life topics with people who come desiring conversation, friendship and a good cup of Coffee.  We have met some very incredible people and had amazing conversations every week for 8 months. God’s love is at Lifetree and he shows up every Monday night as the highlight of every conversation hour. It is inspiring how people can discuss God with out arguing or debating belief systems. Everyone’s opinion is truly welcome. At Lifetree Cafe people can disagree and still be friends. I love this conversation community outreach God has led CJ’s to bring to Spokane.

LifeTree Cafe Spokane

LifeTree Cafe is now up and running in Spokane! We meet at Chairs Coffee, a wonderful place that is letting us use the space for free. It has been such a blessing getting to know those who are Chairs staff. The coffee is great and so is the company. We have been having this conversation cafe for a month and a half now. We have had some great conversations and have many more great topics coming up this month,and November!

Our first conversation was on the Art of Loss. It helped us be okay with feelings associated with loss. It also, had a few stories from girls who used their artistic abilities to help them work through the different feelings they were experiencing with loss.  We explored the possibility of having God in the Center of our life, someone  who could never be taken away from us. The conversations with people who came were great and many were drawn closer to God. On the comment cards many stated that they had definitely felt the presence of God.

In fact every week the comment cards have had people who say they have totally felt the presence of God during LifeTree Cafe. At Lifetree Cafe we believe that faith in Jesus is a relationship. As people talk and listen to each other, sharing their stories and learn from each other, they are also learning about a specific topic of how faith has played a part in someone’s life.  As relationships are built with people, so is that relationship of faith in Jesus.

Our latest topic was the tough topic of “Is there only one way to God?” The verse “I am the way the truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the father accept through me.” was read. We discussed why, since the beginning of time people have tried to draw close to God. Not just christian, but people of every culture have done this. We talked about our own spiritual journey and the  twists and turns we have taken. We listened to an intriguing story of one gals journey to finding God, that brought her from universalism, to knowing Christ as her Savior and best friend. She was raised Catholic, in America, and actually found God in China in an underground church. We all did an experiment during our Lifetree experience, and invited God that night, to talk to us by being silent for a full 90 seconds.  It was a great night.

I love the comfort that people have in sharing their stories, no matter what they are, or what they believe. Everyone is welcome at Lifetree Cafe no matter what belief or lifestyle they have.  We have met many new people at Chairs coffee shop. They tells us how they like the non-judgmental atmosphere and even though they do not even consider themselves to be religious, that they really enjoy being at Lifetree Cafe. These people have come back, stuck around, and chatted at the end. They always tell us thank you before leaving.  During the last episode we met a gal who just wanted to be there and listen to the conversations. She thanked us for letting her be a part in her own way.

It does not matter whether we have a small group of people or large that come for Lifetree Cafe. Every time God moves and lives are changed. Being in a public place is a perfect way to not only, help people be comfortable, but also, to meet new  people who don’t go to church. Many who are already at Chairs stay, and either participate, or listen in the back. Some times people do leave when they need a place to just sit and study, but not before we introduce who we are, and invite them to be a part. Many who need to study stay, and just listen while they do their work. These people have told us that they also liked the idea of Lifetree and wished they did not have to study and could participate in the conversation. Lifetree Cafe is making a difference in peoples lives in Spokane. It is bringing people together in relationships with each other and their God who truly does love them.

Half Baked

Christians who love God and only other Christians are half baked Christians.

 

Really Christians who love God and only love Christians are self-centered and love themselves far more than is humanly healthy.  “Hey! that’s not true” You might be yelling at me right now. “I don’t love myself I hate myself, I love God and other christians way more than I love myself”

Here is the problem with what you claim. Whether love or hate yourself you still spend way too much time thinking about yourself. You want what is good for you and what is comfortable and feels good is God and other people who love God who are also good to you, so it is easy to be friends with them and love them.

 

Ouch! I’m speaking to the choir, as it is said. I myself, have been here, done that, been that way.

 

Problem is this: the greatest commandment states to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.  Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-31

Who is our neighbor? A man asked Jesus this question. Jesus responded, as Jesus often did, by telling a story.  A story of a man  who was beat, robbed, striped of his clothes, and thrown in a ditch along the road to die.  Along walks a priest and does not want to dirty himself with blood on his hands, so he walks on the opposite side of the road so as to not hear the man groaning, and crying for help. Others do the same. One man, a rejected by the Godly society man, stops and cleans the wounds of the injured left for dead. He gives him food and water and carries him on his donkey to an inn to rest. He pays for the man to be cared for and promises the inn keeper that he will come back and pay more, what ever is needed to see this stranger, this left for dead, to be well again, back on his feet.  Jesus then turns to the man who asked “who is our neighbor?” and says  “Which of these men was a neighbor to the man in need of help?”  The crowd responded the ” Samaritan that helped him.”  story found in Luke 10:25-37

So Who are we suppose to love as ourselves? Is it those who love us, who have life figured out, who are happy and a joy to be around?  Who did the Samaritan treat as his neighbor?  It was the broken, the hurting, the robbed, the hungry, the hopeless left for dead that he treated as his neighbor.  Shouldn’t we also?

Mother Teresa’s paraphrased version of Matthew 25: 31-41.

On the last day, Jesus will say to those on His right hand, “Come, enter the Kingdom. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was sick and you visited me.” Then Jesus will turn to those on His left hand and say, “Depart from me because I was hungry and you did not feed me, I was thirsty and you did not give me to drink, I was sick and you did not visit me.” These will ask Him, “When did we see You hungry, or thirsty or sick and did not come to Your help?” And Jesus will answer them, “Whatever you neglected to do unto one of these least of these, you neglected to do unto Me!”

In Genisis God breathed life into us. When we believe in Jesus he gifts us with his spirit in us to guide us though out our life.  James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

When we love only the Good in us and only the good people around us we are accomplishing only part of the greatest commandment, which is Loving God.  Everything good comes from God.  Jesus did not die for a bunch of good people. He died while we were still sinners sinning, spitting in his face, mocking him.  He pleaded ” Father forgive them for they know not what they do!”

This is what Jesus asks of us found in John 13:34  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

What was that? We are to judge others and tell them they are going to hell and how horrible they are and how they should repent of their wickedness and be like us or be doomed thrown into the fire for eternity.

John 13:35  “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  Loving others comes first and for most. When people trust you and respect you, and the holy spirit guides you, then teach them how their life would be better if their actions were different. Show people what love really looks like, feels like as Christ did for you, accepting you just as you were as a sinner. Then with the spirit in you guiding you, introduce them to your hope, your savoir Jesus.

 

People want real relationships that last. People are tired of being manipulated into making decisions. People want to be loved, accepted and to feel like they belong. What impression are we sending the lost by asking them to first be good to earn our love and then we can let them into our christian love group of Jesus followers?

 

 

 

Location! Location!

While we do not have funds as yet to have our own CJ’s Building we are stepping out in faith to start in Spokane a LifeTree Cafe. This is a ministry that will be ran at CJ’s when we have our building. If you want to know more about what LifeTree Cafe is visit the info on this blog or LifeTreeCafe.com  We are building the team and meeting every other week as a team to train and pray for opening day in September. We still needs a location. We are praying about three different locations. It is tricky because to be a LifeTree Cafe it cost money. So at this time we would not be able to afford to be a LifeTree Cafe and pay to rent a space. We are trying to find a place that allows groups to come in for free and use their space.  We also want to be in the Neighborhood that God wants us to be in.

For LifeTree Cafe to run smoothly it needs people willing to be on a friendship team who meet and greet people as well as make the coffee and help set up. It needs the Hosts who will be the one who facilitates and keeps the conversations going. We need a seed group of people who will just commit to showing up to be a person at a table so that no one has to sit alone and not have anyone to talk to.  We also have a need for Out on a Limb people who want to get  into the community and help those in need. Then there is of course the communication team that makes fliers, keeps face-book updated, and keeps everyone informed of each weeks topic. 

If you know of a friendly coffee shop type space that might be available to use for free, or would like to get involved to help make Lifetree Cafe in Spokane launch in September please Contact me at 509-389-5560

 

 

Sanctuary

Where is your sanctuary? Is it a special moment sitting at the kitchen table, bible open, and the aroma of God hugging you sweetly with peace unsurpassed? Is your sanctuary a coffee shop, a park bench? We all need sanctuary. A sacred place; a consecrated spot; a holy and inviolable, secure, safe place. We need moments when time seems to stand still losing its weight on us. We sit, we lay, we kneel , in the presence of God and let everything that matters go.  We trust in that moment we are safe, forgiven, loved, able, and free.

Matthew 10:38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

  Matthew 16:19 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their lifewill lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

Taking up your cross may seem like a heavy ordeal. It might even seem an unthinkable task to take on every day.  Taking up our cross is not the painful intimidating ordeal we think it is. It is our moment of Sanctuary; our moment of not my will, but yours, not my way, but yours,  not my fear but your victory! 


 We sit in his presence, pour out our heart, laying it all down, then we find our selves still and listening…waiting. Then we hear or feel Him. He whispers ” You are forgiven, set free, you are mine, I am yours, I am with you, trust me and my will for your life, then my peace and Joy will be yours.” 

In the darkest times God is our light to our path. Often we measure our troubles against other peoples troubles. Often we measure our troubles against our own strength. We need to measure our troubles up to the Utmost High God and remember he is our God! With God all things are possible! With God you are free. Believe it! Take up your cross, acknowledge what he did for you on the cross. Acknowledge what he is doing for you as you hand over to him your worry, fear, and sin. Acknowledge how mighty he is and how absolute his love is for you, his child. Claim your moment of sanctuary today. Pick up your cross and follow him. 


 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Matthew 11:29-30 “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Walk in His freedom. Find your sanctuary today! Go there daily. Take up your cross and follow him!

  

Amen! 

By Nora Williams December 2012