I’m sitting in seat 12A on a flight headed to Denver for a long weekend business trip with thoughts going "mach 5" in my head like a bad newsreel that’s on loop. I really hate busyness, honestly. I cry out to God on the plane apologizing for being so busy and get into my usual daily rant of how I want to quit my job, sell my house, sit in a cave somewhere (usually Redding is my default, or sometimes Southeast Asia if I really wanna go “Walter Mitty” on Him) and be with Jesus.
But this morning was a little different. I cried to God and told Him that I was tired and wished I could just be still. I felt far away from Him because I had not “done” anything to get in His presence. In the middle of my crying, this “thing” comes over me. And this sweeet small voice says, “You don’t have to go there. What if I was with you in everything you did? What if you count everything you do as being with Me, because I’m with you… always?" (Matt 28:20)
And then, everything…stopped. No more noise. No more filmstrips of the week’s happenings. And I was brought back to the supernatural grace of God to just be real. I realized in this one instance when I was on the plane, that God doesn’t just all of a sudden change His love or turn it off when I’m not scheduling “formal” quiet times or when I’m on “work mode”.
But then again, neither do I.
I love God. He knows that. If anything, in one quick hour on a plane, not at a 2-day conference, not a 30-day fast (which are both good things, by the way), I realized that my relationship with God has not changed, from His perspective anyways. All the sayings about “if you feel far away from God, it’s because someone moved and it’s not God,” always made me feel guilty but today I realized – I didn’t move. I’m not in sin. I just needed a new way of thinking about His location, and mine. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth (Ps 145:18). I am seated with Christ in Heavenly Realms (Eph 2:6). He’s inside of me (Col 1:27).
Because He’s in my heart – He feels the effects of busyness and feeling overworked first, before I do. I just got a revelation that every day I can know He is present – not just when I’m at church but when I am busy too. Most of my prayers the past month have been, “I just want to be with you.” When, in reality, I was.
What if I could enjoy His presence at work? What if I could enjoy His presence wherever? Whenever?
I would love to spend 3 hours daily with the Lord before going to work. That doesn’t always happen. I still want that. But what if I realized that He was with me, and I was with Him, all hours of the day, as much as when I was up all night doing reports or trying to meet deadlines? What if my connectedness with Jesus is based onHis omnipresence (not just in my physical or chronological location, but in my emotional and psychological state) and His love? What if I actually believed what His Word says about Hisfeelings towards me, versus how I feel about it?
In no time, I felt close to God again, and the feelings of guilt were gone. I have been way too hard on myself, which has kept me from entering His presence. I can easily just say, “Thank you,” and receive the gift of grace God has given me to work, play, or to be still, in His presence. His grace removes the barriers of our own hearts so that we can run into His presence without shame or hesitation.
The captain’s just told us that it’s snowing in Denver; and this California girl didn’t dress for the party. Looks like I’ll be going with Jesus to the store to buy a new jacket.
(Katherine is a long-time part of the Blazing Fire family, and even more importantly, Abba-Papa-Yahweh's daughter!)
Friday, April 25, 2014
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Today is an Exceptionally GOOD Friday! By Pastor Brent
What kind of love would lead a man to willingly die for something that he did not do in order to pay the full price for a debt that was not his?
Jesus was gripped with a deep love for His Father in heaven as well as for a future Bride that would be His perfect match and so, "for the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)
Jesus was gripped with a deep love for His Father in heaven as well as for a future Bride that would be His perfect match and so, "for the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)
Are you ready to boast? We are given permission to do so!
"Far be it from me to boast in anything except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others!" (Galatians 6:14, The Message Bible)
So we can boast in an exceptionally Good Friday that changed our eternal destinies. Because of Jesus' sacrificial death on our behalf...
* We're Loved! (John 3:16; Romans 5:7-8; Galatians 2:20)
* We're Forgiven! (Matthew 26:28; Ephesians 1:7)
* We're Justified! (Romans 3:24; 5:9) Justified means that we have been tried and found NOT GUILTY!! This happened because Jesus took the wrath of God (Galatians 3:13) and He cancelled the legal demands of the law against us (Colossians 2:13-14; Romans 7:4).
* We're Free! (Ephesians 1:7-8)
"Far be it from me to boast in anything except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others!" (Galatians 6:14, The Message Bible)
So we can boast in an exceptionally Good Friday that changed our eternal destinies. Because of Jesus' sacrificial death on our behalf...
* We're Loved! (John 3:16; Romans 5:7-8; Galatians 2:20)
* We're Forgiven! (Matthew 26:28; Ephesians 1:7)
* We're Justified! (Romans 3:24; 5:9) Justified means that we have been tried and found NOT GUILTY!! This happened because Jesus took the wrath of God (Galatians 3:13) and He cancelled the legal demands of the law against us (Colossians 2:13-14; Romans 7:4).
* We're Free! (Ephesians 1:7-8)
* We're Holy and Blameless! (Colossians 1:21-22; Jude 24)
* We're Perfect! (Hebrews 10:14)
* We're Healed! (Matthew 8:16-17)
* We Belong to God forever! (Romans 7:4; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
* We're in His Family! (Hebrews 2:11)
* We're Alive Forever With Jesus! (Romans 6:5; 15:55-57; John 11:25-26; 14:3)
Now that's a whole lot of boasting, and it's ALL because of a Savior who first loved us and who says to us, "You are worth it, and if I had it to do all over again, I would do it in a heartbeat!"
Take a moment right now to read at least one of the Bible passages mentioned above and pray through it thanking Jesus for what He willingly did for you.
And please join us this Saturday night (6 p.m.) as we worship our hearts out for this Lover of all lovers! He's SO worth it!!
* We're Perfect! (Hebrews 10:14)
* We're Healed! (Matthew 8:16-17)
* We Belong to God forever! (Romans 7:4; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
* We're in His Family! (Hebrews 2:11)
* We're Alive Forever With Jesus! (Romans 6:5; 15:55-57; John 11:25-26; 14:3)
Now that's a whole lot of boasting, and it's ALL because of a Savior who first loved us and who says to us, "You are worth it, and if I had it to do all over again, I would do it in a heartbeat!"
Take a moment right now to read at least one of the Bible passages mentioned above and pray through it thanking Jesus for what He willingly did for you.
And please join us this Saturday night (6 p.m.) as we worship our hearts out for this Lover of all lovers! He's SO worth it!!
Saturday, April 12, 2014
A Call to Action - Danny Silk's Intern
From Brent: 2 months after Danny Silk's visit to Blazing Fire, are we still allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us how to "Keep our Love On"?
Blazing Fire family, let's keep traveling together deeper into the Father's heart where He will burn away anything that keeps our hearts confused from the truth of who we really are and keeps us divided.
Read this blog "A Call to Action," from one of Danny's interns, and be inspired:
A Call to Action!
I love this whole idea of ‘Keeping your love on”. It stirs up such emotion and hope, creativity and opportunity in my spirit. I have to admit, that initially it also stirred up some fear and pressure. Some stinking thinking sometimes still gets in my way… thoughts like, “Can I really do this all the time?” “What about when I am mistreated and I am justified in my hurt or anger…what then?” I have found in those moments, it is even more important for me to “Keep my love on”! I am discovering that keeping my love on is one of those things that is more about me than it is my circumstances or others. It is mostly about recognizing how my Father God loves me and then emulating that love. Emulating it to myself first… then to others.
Danny Silk recently shared, “Our Father God has convinced us that absolutely nothing, NOTHING we do will separate us from His love. Let me say that again…because it bears repeating…nothing, no political belief, no sexual preference, no sin, no demon, no principality; NOTHING will separate us from His love!” That is the heartbeat of God, the heartbeat of love, the heartbeat of who we should be with Christ in us. This is huge! I wonder what my immediate world would look like if I operated with my love turned on all the time. If I was the best me that showed up in any and every relationship, situation, place and task. If all of us who say we are Christians operated with this level of love, I imagine we would have strong families, communities, cultures and even nations. Probably ‘World Peace’!
Can you imagine it…’Love on’ everywhere you go, no offense, no judgment, and no condemnation. WOW! I think that is what Jesus wants from us…He wants us to be the light of the world…a light to the world.
When we operate with our love on, we create for others an experience and opportunity for them to encounter Jesus. We begin to create a culture. The Bible speaks to a world of miracles signs and wonders following believers. How is that working for you? You might be thinking here, yep, I’m out doing these things…or maybe it’s nope, I don’t see evidence of that in my life, so am I missing something? Well, I think those miracles signs and wonders are not just the big things like miraculous healings, manifestations of the Spirit or other amazing things that make you wonder about God. I think those miracles; signs and wonders begin at home. They begin with our family and they spread to the people in our daily lives. It is from this place of intimate love that we affect our world for God. The miracles are in the confidence, power and freedom that our children and we feel in our identities within Christ. It is in the signs that we see in behavior and choices as we learn to navigate this thing called life. It comes in our growth towards Him and in sharing His love and Spirit with others. It is a miracle to raise a child in this day and age that knows not only who God is, but who he/she is because of Christ; a child that has a relationship with God, not just an awareness of God.
We are all called to “Go and make disciples of all the nations…” Consider that this call may look different than you imagined. Consider that there are possibly countless ways that you alone cannot fathom or accomplish to disciple the nations. Consider what you can do…. you can impact one person, one family, you can impact a neighborhood, a generation, a community, and even a nation by “Keeping your love on”.
I feel that this idea, this concept of ‘Keeping your love on” is really a call to action for us as Christians. It is what sets us apart…they will know we are Christians by our love!
Thoughtfully submitted
by Ginny Comstock
Intern To Loving on Purpose
Blazing Fire family, let's keep traveling together deeper into the Father's heart where He will burn away anything that keeps our hearts confused from the truth of who we really are and keeps us divided.
Read this blog "A Call to Action," from one of Danny's interns, and be inspired:
A Call to Action!
I love this whole idea of ‘Keeping your love on”. It stirs up such emotion and hope, creativity and opportunity in my spirit. I have to admit, that initially it also stirred up some fear and pressure. Some stinking thinking sometimes still gets in my way… thoughts like, “Can I really do this all the time?” “What about when I am mistreated and I am justified in my hurt or anger…what then?” I have found in those moments, it is even more important for me to “Keep my love on”! I am discovering that keeping my love on is one of those things that is more about me than it is my circumstances or others. It is mostly about recognizing how my Father God loves me and then emulating that love. Emulating it to myself first… then to others.
Danny Silk recently shared, “Our Father God has convinced us that absolutely nothing, NOTHING we do will separate us from His love. Let me say that again…because it bears repeating…nothing, no political belief, no sexual preference, no sin, no demon, no principality; NOTHING will separate us from His love!” That is the heartbeat of God, the heartbeat of love, the heartbeat of who we should be with Christ in us. This is huge! I wonder what my immediate world would look like if I operated with my love turned on all the time. If I was the best me that showed up in any and every relationship, situation, place and task. If all of us who say we are Christians operated with this level of love, I imagine we would have strong families, communities, cultures and even nations. Probably ‘World Peace’!
Can you imagine it…’Love on’ everywhere you go, no offense, no judgment, and no condemnation. WOW! I think that is what Jesus wants from us…He wants us to be the light of the world…a light to the world.
When we operate with our love on, we create for others an experience and opportunity for them to encounter Jesus. We begin to create a culture. The Bible speaks to a world of miracles signs and wonders following believers. How is that working for you? You might be thinking here, yep, I’m out doing these things…or maybe it’s nope, I don’t see evidence of that in my life, so am I missing something? Well, I think those miracles signs and wonders are not just the big things like miraculous healings, manifestations of the Spirit or other amazing things that make you wonder about God. I think those miracles; signs and wonders begin at home. They begin with our family and they spread to the people in our daily lives. It is from this place of intimate love that we affect our world for God. The miracles are in the confidence, power and freedom that our children and we feel in our identities within Christ. It is in the signs that we see in behavior and choices as we learn to navigate this thing called life. It comes in our growth towards Him and in sharing His love and Spirit with others. It is a miracle to raise a child in this day and age that knows not only who God is, but who he/she is because of Christ; a child that has a relationship with God, not just an awareness of God.
We are all called to “Go and make disciples of all the nations…” Consider that this call may look different than you imagined. Consider that there are possibly countless ways that you alone cannot fathom or accomplish to disciple the nations. Consider what you can do…. you can impact one person, one family, you can impact a neighborhood, a generation, a community, and even a nation by “Keeping your love on”.
I feel that this idea, this concept of ‘Keeping your love on” is really a call to action for us as Christians. It is what sets us apart…they will know we are Christians by our love!
Thoughtfully submitted
by Ginny Comstock
Intern To Loving on Purpose
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