Walking in Shalom by Pastor Russ Fochler

“Of the increase of His government and peace (shalom) there will be no end,” Isaiah 9:7a

Last weekend we had the joy and remarkable privilege of being with Leif Hetland.

Leif inspires us with the messages he brings – and many of us are touched by way he ministers so personally. We’re inspired by Leif’s example - that human beings who carry God’s love and light - really can go into impossible and scary-dark situations – and many hearts will fall in love with Jesus!

Leif brings more than what he speaks, and even more than what he does. The best words I can find at the moment: Leif brings an apostolic influence when he comes to visit us. Leif talks about partnering with God to shift the spiritual/emotional atmospheres around us. This becomes a matter of great importance if, like Leif, you found yourself facing a suddenly very hostile crowd. It’s no longer a “nice to have” capacity – it is a question of “life or death”!

Leif carries the peace of being a loved son of Father God first and foremost. And Leif has learned to draw upon this internal reality and to call upon his Father to shift the spiritual/emotional atmosphere around him. Many of us sense things shift in our own emotions and spirit when Leif or someone with a similar capacity are around us.

And yet, Leif himself is seeking an increase of the government and shalom of the Son (Jesus) in his own life – and he invited us to go on our own 28 day shalom walk.

Leif talked about “Superheroes, Shoes, and Frogs”. While Jesus is the only Super-star but we are all called to live as “super-heroes” – as daughters and sons of the Most High. But, even the super-heroes of comic book fame have nagging issues in their lives. Leif calls these “frogs” – like the frogs that kept him awake night after night during a trip to the Philippines.

Walking in the “shoes” of the gospel of peace (see Eph 6:15) is our birthright as daughters and sons.

But what about the “frogs”?
Leif shared keys from King Solomon (whose name means “Shalom”). Father God planned for and empowered the reign of this man of Peace. He had peace from enemies on every side. It was Solomon’s father King David, a man after God’s heart who prepared the way for Shalom in Israel. For the sake of his people, David fought and won many wars and also joyfully prepared for the magnificent temple that Solomon later built. And it was then Solomon’s relationship with God – including the supernatural understanding and wisdom he received - that extended and deepened the Shalom of God.

We need Father God’s wisdom and Holy Spirit’s power to deal with the “frogs” in our life. As Bill Johnson says; we have authority over the storms we can sleep through (have peace in) (from Matthew 8:23-27 and parallel accounts). Yet, many of us have tried to ignore the “frogs” – the nagging issues in our own hearts, issues in our relationships with family and friends, and in our work life – and the result has not been shalom (well being). So, there is a difference in how we deal with “storms” vs. how we deal with “frogs” : )

I encourage you to accept Leif’s invitation: Ask God to show you the “frogs” that you’ve been trying to ignore but are robbing you of Shalom. Invite Holy Spirit to heal your own heart issues – and then give you loving wisdom in removing the “frogs” that are undermining Shalom in you, in your relationships, and your work life. Leif encourages us to focus on this for 28 days.

Helpful to keep in mind:

• Choose to love without an agenda. This means loving without seeking to control the other person/push an outcome.
• Seek to stay or return to “Seat #1” the seat of living in the New Covenant with God – trusting Him to counsel you and work on your behalf. Seat #2- the place of compromising love and integrity for the sake of convenience – makes the full Shalom of the Son impossible.

Love,
Pastor Russ Fochler

Walking Upstream by Karena Lout

“The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:5

Last year at this time I made a trip to Cambodia to help at a rescue home for young girls. I’ve been thinking about those precious girls a lot. It was a challenging experience but also life changing. Unfortunately, girls in Cambodia are typically sold by their own family members into brothels because they aren’t valued. There's a saying in Cambodia that girls are like white cloth and boys are like gold. In essence, they believe that once white cloth is stained, it's worthless but gold can be polished and made clean again. But we know that what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross completely obliterates this lie. He made a way for all to be made new and gives worth and value to every life, male and female.

I know you’re probably thinking, “enough of the intensity!” but the story gets better. I’ve seen so many young girls and women receive healing and restoration in this area. Despite the statistics, I have hope that I will see an end to human trafficking in my lifetime. There are countless organizations rising up, dedicated to bring hope and healing to survivors. With any problem, there is an opportunity for God to break in and cut the injustice off at the root. I’m grateful that girls continue to be rescued, but I’ve come to see that until there is no longer a demand, the problem will remain.

Several years ago I heard a quote by David Batstone, the founder of Not For Sale, that really challenged me. He said, “Pulling drowning people out of the river is compassion but we have to walk upstream to solve the reasons they are falling in. That’s justice.” I saw this picture of compassion being fuel and justice being the vehicle. As we pour out compassion over people and situations, justice will then take us where we need to go. We can’t drive the car without the fuel. Both are needed. Holy Spirit wants to give us solutions that will bring lasting change and transformation in every area of life.

When I was in Cambodia, I witnessed this time and time again. Our team focused some of our time speaking to families and communities who sold their children into slavery. We talked about the importance of family and taking care of one another and communicated that every Khmer child has value and worth. Our team also visited a few organizations that teach families different skill sets to rise above poverty so they will stop selling their children to bring in income. We visited a gym where a famous Cambodian boxer trains young men to keep them off the street. He also disciples them to be responsible men and teaches them about the value of women and girls. Jesus is bringing amazing solutions and His light is overcoming a very dark injustice.

I’m praying that God would begin to show you what answer you carry inside of you to challenges in your family, your city or workplace. I pray that as you walk upstream, you would be filled with solutions that bring lasting fruit. You are qualified. There is nothing that our Father can’t do in and through you. I pray that you would be strengthened with might as you walk upstream, knowing Jesus took those very steps before you. He’s made a way for you and He is faithful to carry out the dreams He’s placed in your heart!

Love, Karena

Enjoying The Intimate Presence Of Our Good and Loving Father by pastor Todd Lout

Blazing Fire’s first Core Value is enjoying the intimate presence of our good and loving Father. This is so vital individually and corporately. When we foster an atmosphere of INTO ME YOU SEE with our perfect Father, we automatically walk in revelation of His goodness, His love toward us. God sees it all anyway and He loves us more than we understand. But when we open up and say, “OK, here I am! It’s all here and it’s all Yours!”, then our eyes open up more and more to the stark truth of His love and goodness.

When we come together we accomplish this by worshiping in spirit and in truth. We also experience this intimacy when we love on each other, seeing the treasures in each other, baring burdens and rejoicing with each other. Coming into a corporate worship atmosphere with defenses down, willing to give and receive, willing to learn beyond what you already know, will create this core value in ourselves and as a whole.

There’s nothing quite like enjoying

this relationship, you guys!

Here’s an acronym on the word T.R.U.S.T that helps foster this fellowship with our Father, through Holy Spirit:

T- Thank you: recognize the Spirit’s indwelling presence in you simply by thanking Him for it. Pray, “Thank you Holy Spirit, for Your bright presence in me. I love Your presence. Apart from connecting with You, I can do nothing that effectively (supernaturally) renews my love, sustains my zeal for righteousness, and releases revelation and power in my heart.

He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (Jn. 15:5)

R- Release Revelation: ask the Spirit to release abundant revelation of God’s heart, word and purposes to you.

Pray, “Holy Spirit, release abundant revelation in me”.

May give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him… (Eph. 1:17)

U- Use me: ask the Spirit to use you more and more in the spiritual gifts to minister to others. Pray, “Thank you Spirit, for releasing the manifestation of Your gifts and power through me to help others”.

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all… (1 Cor. 12:7)

S- Strengthen me: ask the Spirit to strengthen your mind, emotions and speech with His might. His power is alreadyin us (Gal. 5:22-23) therefore, pray, “Thank you for the presence of Your love, peace, patience, and self-control in me” or “Thank You for warring against my flesh and guarding my speech”.

…To be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man…(Eph. 3:16)

T- Teach me: ask the Spirit to teach you about God’s will and ways that He may manifest His leadership in every issue in your life including finances, schedule, circumstances, emotions, physical body (diet, health), relationships, alignment of the people you are responsible for (in the home, office, ministry), future, greatness in God, opportunities with divine appointments, fears, addictions and shortcomings. Ask that He establish God’s order in your home, job and ministry. Pray, “Spirit, I love Your will and ways, therefore, manifest Your leadership in me”. He will give us new ideas, order our steps and open doors of opportunity for strategic alliances in each area of our life as we ask Him.

The Holy Spirit…will teach you all things... (Jn. 14:26)

Love, Todd Lout

Blazing Fire's Vision & Core Values By Pastor Brent

God has given each of us the ability to see His purpose in our current and future lives and to imagine a better, brighter world around us because of the glory of God that we carry within us.

What I've described is the intersection of hope and vision, both of which are much needed gifts given to us by our heavenly Papa.

Hope is that "knowing in your knower" good is coming. It's the reason a little child can't get to sleep on Christmas eve--the excitement of what they know is coming feels so real, they can't calm their emotions. Romans 5:5 says that we have a hope that will not disappoint us because of the love of God that has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit!

Vision is a picture of that hope in action! That same child trying to get to sleep on Christmas eve can actually "see" the events that will unfold the next day (opening their stocking & presents, cousins coming over to the house, a big Christmas dinner, or whatever the family traditions are).

As a family, Blazing Fire has been given great hope and vision for our future! God has given us glimpes into a revived and transformed Tri-Valley & Bay Area region. We have already seen hundreds of lives dramatically changed by the presence of God over the years and we can "see" those changed lives impacting the culture all around us more and more with the love, grace and mercy we've received from the Lord. We truly are alive for such a time as this!

Last Saturday I shared our Vision and our updated Core Values. Vision helps us to see where we are going and core values helps us to stay on track with what is most essential to us. We plan to unpack these core values one at a time over the next 2 months. As part of our family, you will have an important role in walking these out, both in our family times together and also in the workplace and everywhere else you go and take the love and glory of God with you!

Blazing Fire's Vision:

Encountering God's transforming presence

Enjoying Kingdom life as His family &

Awakening World Changers!

Blazing Fire's Core Values

1. Enjoying the intimate presence of our good and loving Father

2. Celebrating our freedom and healing paid for in full by Jesus

3. Following Holy Spirit’s brilliant leading

4. Affirming the intrinsic worth in all people

5. Living life whole-heartedly

6. Choosing connection as the family of God

7. Participating in God’s ever-expanding Kingdom

Are We There Yet by Pastor Susan Fochler

Dear Family:

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked the question, “when will my healing process be over?” So often inner healing has been viewed as a process of getting rid of lies and demons, repenting of sin and proclaiming the truth. More and more, I am realizing that the “healing process” looks more like the ministry of reconciliation, both within our own heart as well as with the heart of God. It involves reconnecting parts of our hearts that have carried different perspectives and belief systems due to painful relationships and experiences we had growing up. Jesus refers to this as “binding up the broken-hearted”, from Isaiah 61.

Facing Lies
Early on during our recent Sabbatical, I began to feel like someone reached into my heart, found a stray thread and started unraveling some foundational misperceptions I had about myself. They didn’t line up very well with the great worth and inherent value Jesus ascribes to my life. I was shocked to see how deep-seated these issues were, particularly concerns about what other people thought of me. My left brain, of course, knows without a doubt that I am “Blessed and Highly Favored” without ever having done a thing to deserve it, but my heart struggled to fully comprehend and accept this as my experiential truth.

Allowing Him In
So part of my process involved doing what I have helped so many others do: allowing those hurting parts of my heart that had never known fellowship to be met. Too often our families don’t know what to do with a child’s messy emotions, so the child is left alone to process their own feelings. And being young and immature, this typically results in faulty conclusions about themselves. And those thoughts hurt so much they then wall off that pain.

Reconciliation Heals
Eventually, however, that pain will come up again. Once more a decision will need to be made regarding what to do with those oh-so-uncomfortable feelings. With Jesus, we have a much more life-giving option: not to stay there, wallowing in the mess and despair, but to allow the hurt, anger, discouragement, even hatred to be met, understood and then released to the One who is willing to go to every place our heart goes. Nothing can shock or surprise Him, and nothing will cause Him to reject or be repulsed by you. Nothing.

God’s Kindness leads to Repentance
As I could sense His tender compassion and depth of understanding regarding how I felt, the trauma and intensity of pain released to Him. I got in touch with how very alone I felt in my family, how much I felt I only caused problems and that no one seemed to be “for” me. As I felt Jesus come with unconditional acceptance and infinite kindness, I began to realize I had never been a “problem” for Him. He understood exactly how it felt, in every way. He’s been there. A new truth began displacing that old lie: “If God is for me, who can be against me?” Yes, He was for me, always has been and always will be. I can feel the truth of that Scripture inside my true heart as never before.

How Long?
So my response regarding “How Long” is best answered like this: “How long does it take to come to realize, with your whole heart, that you are just as known, just as valued, just as important to Father God as His own Son is?” It is a truth so good, so unfathomably precious, so able to fill any black hole within, that it will likely take all eternity to continue moving from glory to glory in our understanding of this Perfect, Unconditional Love. But what a grand journey to embark on; let’s all jump aboard, OK? We are in this together, forever!

With much Love,
Susan