You're Family! by Pastor Brent Lokker

Earlier this month, I spent a week with my family on our annual reunion vacation—something we’ve repeated for the past 25 years or so, the last 18 at Donner Lake (near Truckee, CA) in the same rented house where we’ve shared mountain-loads of memories. Some of you might wonder, Why in the world would you choose to spend your vacation with your family?? While no family is without it’s challenges (can I hear an Amen from someone?) ours happens to be filled with a whole lotta love and we actually enjoy being together.



For the most part, these gatherings have been attended by my mom, her four children (I’m the baby of the four), our spouses, our children, some of our children's spouses, and most recently a few of our grandchildren. Most of you know that my mom graduated to glory last December and is enjoying her new heavenly home in the company of Jesus, so this was the first time that we came together for our annual love-fest without our sweet Momma/Gramma/Great Gramma there.

We had a memorial service for my mom at Donner Lake where we shared, through tears and some laughter, the ways she impacted our lives with the special care she took in discovering and sharing the interests of each and every one of us. The more we remembered and reflected on my mom’s life, the more the love tangibly flowed into the room.

At one point I said something like, “If any of us needed proof of the reality of God’s love, just look around this room. The love is thick in here! It’s a gift that mom gave to us, but there is truly only One Source for all this love. This is from our heavenly Father who IS love! Mom’s legacy of love will live on through all of us every time we chose to love and freely give what we’ve freely received.”

Family is God’s idea and love is the essence of who He is! His plan has always been for families to experience His love together. This is one of the primary reasons the enemy makes it such a priority to destroy the very fabric of families, and especially the trust between parents and children.

God’s not going to have it that way! He has a way of trumping anything and everything the enemy tries to destroy and it is God's plan to turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents (Malachi 4:6).

Papa God has created one HUGE family where He is the Father and we are all His children which makes us brothers and sisters to one another. He has also placed His Spirit inside of each one of us to help our hearts heal from past family wounds so that His love can once again flow freely through us to one another. This is the Father’s good and perfect plan—one that He is carrying out with great success!

It’s why in Hebrews 10:25 we read, Let us not give up meeting together. Some are in the habit of doing this. Instead, let us cheer each other up with words of hope. Let us do it all the more as you see the day coming when Christ will return. (NIRV)

If you have been hurt in your own family or hurt by those in the Family of God, you might be wondering, Why would we choose to come together and spend time with each other when at times there can be drama or even heartache? God’s answer is that we were made for family and anything less will leave us feeling incomplete. By insisting that we learn to love each other with His love, He is teaching us how to open our hearts up to one another and live vulnerably with each other as we were created to do. By going through this process with the Lord, we are entering into a depth of love we can encounter in no other way.

Lately, the Lord has been reminding me what a truly amazing family Blazing Fire is! Are we without challenges at times? Nope! But we are healthier now than we’ve ever been and there’s a whole lotta love whenever we gather—so thick and real you can cut it with a knife! And where is all that love coming from? From a Father who IS love and who is lavishly pouring it out on His kids so they will have a super-abundant supply to love each other with.

If Blazing Fire is your family, make it a point to come to worship on Saturday nights with the intent not only to draw closer to God, but also to draw closer to one or two more of His kids every chance you get. And if you happen to live in the Bay Area, please be sure to join us for our family picnic next Sunday, August 4th (details below) and choose to love and be loved in God’s family! You will be so glad you did!

With a Whole Lotta Love!
Brent

Call To Me by Pastor Russ Fochler

“Thus said the LORD (Yehovah) who is planning it,
The LORD (Yehovah) who is shaping it to bring it about,
Whose name is LORD (Yehovah):
Call to Me, and I will answer you,
I will tell you wondrous things,
Secrets you have not known.”
Jeremiah 33:2-3 NJPS

Is there a stirring in your spirit – a sense that the “same old – same old” patterns are no longer sufficient? Then, may this encourage you: It is time to call out to God – and then stay “tuned in” to receive what He shares with you. We need His revelation to strengthen and inform our spirits and hearts for the next season.

Who are we – that we could have such standing to call out to the Creator of the Universe – and that He would actually answer us? It is because He has provided for us to be "perfect" - like He is.

Pastor Brent Lokker spoke powerfully last Saturday (July 13, 2013) about a deep and liberating understanding of what Papa means when He calls us to be “perfect” (ta-miym).

Genesis 17:1 relates:
“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD (Yehovah) appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God (El Shaddai); walk before me, and be thou perfect (ta-miym).” (KJV)

And in Matthew 5:48 (NKJV), Jesus told His disciples:
“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

Brent shared that the Hebrew תמים (ta-miym) has the meanings of:
"Complete, whole, entire, sound, unimpaired, innocent, healthful, having integrity, completed time."

Tamam, the root word for tamiym has further meanings: 2) to be finished, come to an end, cease and 4) to be consumed, be exhausted, be spent.

Brent explained from this: That when we come “to the end of ourselves”; when we cease to trying live independently of God (which was essentially the temptation of Eve and Adam in the Garden) – that Jesus has opened the way for us to walk in child-like innocence and whole-heartedness with our Daddy.

This is good news! Much better than assuming that God expects us to “perfect” ourselves!

Going back to Jeremiah 33; the prophet Jeremiah was writing this while he was in prison and while the Babylonians were in the process of conquering Jerusalem. The answer that God wanted to reveal as Jeremiah "called out" – was God's provision for a new covenant: “They shall be My people and I will be their God; then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good;…” Jeremiah 32:38-40a NKJV

And then God revealed to Jeremiah that His means for establishing this new covenant would be by causing “to grow up to David a Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness on the earth.” Jer 33:15 We now know this Branch is our Messiah Jesus.

I believe that God’s invitation to Jeremiah – and to us to “Call out” to Him - is so that we strongly reach out with our heart to Him. And His answer for us will be about “the Branch” – about His Son reigning in our hearts – and extending His realm over the earth. Our heart-call will be answered by more of Him!

Abraham – our father in this faith-walk, often passionately called out to God (see Genesis 13:4 and 21:33 for examples).

Have you felt besieged or “hemmed” in? Has it felt hard to worship God with your whole heart? Then, this is a “perfect” time to call out to Abba - and experience how He answers you. His answer will always involve Jesus and the new covenant cut with His body and established with His blood.

"16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
Eph 3:16-19 NKJV

We need (and we thankfully have) eternity to explore these dimensions, these territories of His love for each one of us. I look forward to hearing about how He answers you for your next season.

Joyfully,

Russ Fochler

Rest in This Moment by Pastor Brent Lokker

Today, I’ve been at my computer quite a bit, preparing for my sermon tomorrow, returning e-mails, and doing many other seemingly needful tasks. Yet, there's a restlessness inside that’s been rising up because self-reliance has inadvertently taken over.

Let me explain.

I consider myself one who sincerely desires to be fully reliant on the Lord and to be continually led by the Holy Spirit.  Holy Spirit always lives in me and I am fully one with Christ.  There is never any separation.  I have talked with Papa many times today and have felt His pleasure over me as His son. But I’ve also been immersed in my own tasks for hours at a time without “lifting my head up” to enjoy the journey more with Him and to tap into His brilliant wisdom that He is all to happy to share with those who take time for intimacy with Him along the way.

So, as I was thinking (pretty much on my own) about writing this encouragememt e-mail, I finally paid attention to my restlessness and wisely allowed God access to my heart to pinpoint its origin.  His simple solution?  Papa God let me know, “I am everything you need!  I have every resource you require. Center your heart on me and ask me what I want to say to my children.” In that very moment, the restlessness of self-reliance gave way to the joy of the moment with Him. And in that enjoyment came the peace He promised that surpasses our own understanding (Philippians 4:7—read: our self-reliance that has to have everything figured out on our own).  Once the demand to figure it all out on our own is gone, our head is clear once again and our spirit can rise up to receive and embrace everything we need at the moment.

So as I quiet my mind and center my heart, I hear Papa saying to you right now: “I long to take the burden off of you, my child.  I long to enjoy life with you, moment by moment. I am already in your future with you and I know how to get you there safely.  As my beloved child, I long for you to rest in Me and my ability to care for you.”

And then He reminded me of a verse I have shared with you on many other occasions.  It is a heart to heart message, from God's heart to yours…

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”   ~Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)

In this very moment you are being invited by Papa God to experience His rest and peace.  Will you accept?  Will you give up your right to be in control of whatever task or situation that’s consuming you?  Resting in His goodness is the wisest and most fruitful choice you have.

Enjoy the journey with Him in this very moment!

Growing Our Hearts by Pastor Susan Fochler

I have always loved green, growing things. Ever since I was a child I loved to plant in the garden; flowers, fruits, vegetables. There is something I find very satisfying about tilling the soil, planting and watering seeds, then watching over the next few weeks as those seeds germinate and break through the soil to begin growing. I feel so much joy as I watch those little green leaves burst forth from the ground and grow into the plant their DNA coded them to grow into. My job is just to water and feed and pull weeds. They just keep growing!

Our Hearts Need Watering Too!
As I was looking over my growing vegetable garden the other day, Jesus began showing me some things about my own heart. Now it hasn't been until the last few years that I've realized how hard it has been for me to receive nurture and care from other people as well as God. Tenderness was simply not something I was familiar with growing up. And because it wasn't available, I stopped expecting it. I learned very effectively to just take care of myself. It has taken time and soaking in His presence to soften my heart and recognize the deep value of receiving His compassion. It is essential for spiritual growth to allow myself to receive God' loving touch in the deepest parts of my being.

God will Provide All your Heart Needs
Jesus started showing me how very tenderly He watches over my heart, how eagerly He anticipates watering and feeding my heart with everything it needs, even as I watch over my little vegetable seeds. As I look forward to watching the growth that will spring up from the seeds I plant, so does He. And Jesus waters, feeds, and nurtures us with His very life; His body and blood. He anticipates what we need, plans for it, knows what is needed and why. Jesus has made available everything that is needed for our heart to grow, flourish and develop into the fullness of being He intended our hearts to know. His seed has already been planted, He knows who you are to become. He is committed to your completeness! For (He is our) source of life, Christ, (who) puts us together in one piece, whose very breath and blood flow through us. He is the Head and we are the body. We can grow up healthy in God only as He nourishes us. Col. 2:19 MSG

You make His Joy Complete
Jesus sees the potential within that we can't yet imagine. He sees the growth coming, the fragrance and glory of the fruit of your life that He has planned for you since before the beginning of time. And His joy is just as full in the process of nurturing and loving on you, as it is in watching that growth take place.

With Love and Joyful Expectancy in our Growing Hearts;
Susan