New Chapter for a New Season

We all have a life-story that has been lived up until this very moment, stories which read very different from one another. Your own story line has journeyed through many seasons, with each chapter taking on different themes with a turn of events. Some of you have even wondered what the future of your story holds. What is the next page or chapter going to reveal?

The Holy Spirit declares that you are entering a new season with a new chapter. This is a season where the love of Papa God is going to restore that which was thought lost; a story that defies all odds; a story full of redemption and unconditional love, from a Father who is deeply and passionately in love with you. He is a good, good Father!

Today, the Lord says, “Get ready, this new chapter that I have written is a ‘page turner’, a chapter where the plot thickens in epic and amazing ways.” Victories, success, favor, freedom, provision and sustenance are coming to you as God already “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world”, according to Ephesians 1:4

The Holy Spirit declares in your heart this day that you are on a journey of encountering and experiencing the Father's love in a way like never before; in only a way that the Father can touch; in only a way that the Father embraces; in only a way that the Father can heal, restore, redeem; in only a way where the Father's love can transform every area of your life; in only a way where the Author already knows what the next chapter of your life holds. 

Pray this simple prayer. Holy Spirit, I give You permission and access to the places in my heart to go where You want to go, do what You want to do and reveal the truth of who You created me to be, as I continue on this journey in partnering with You. In Jesus Name, Amen. 

A new chapter for a new season is upon you!          Love,   

                                                                       

Two Versions fo the Gospel by Pastor Russ Fochler

As I approached the time to give the message last Saturday, I felt both hope-filled and concerned.  Hope-filled by the freedom and life I felt Holy Spirit wanted to bring.  And concerned about the how my talk could impact people with long-held assumptions about God’s wrath and the Cross. I started out the talk reading this excerpt of “The Shack” by William P. Young: (Papa is talking to Mackenzie) “…At this point, you don’t even comprehend that freedom is an incremental process.”  Gently reaching out, she took Mack’s hands in hers, flour covered and all, looking at him straight in the eyes she continued, “Mackenzie, the Truth shall set you free and the Truth has a name; he’s over in the woodshop right now covered in sawdust.  Everything is about him.  And freedom is a process that happens inside of a relationship with him.  Then all that stuff you feel churnin’ around inside will start to work its way out.”                 “How can you really know how I feel?” Mack asked, looking back into her eyes.                 Papa didn’t answer, only looked down at their hands.  His gaze followed hers and for the first time Mack noticed the scars in her wrists, like those he now assumed Jesus also had on his.  She allowed him to tenderly touch the scars, outlines of a deep piercing, and he finally looked up again into her eyes.  Tears were slowly making their way down her face, little pathways through the flour that dusted her cheeks.     “Don’t ever think that what my son chose to do didn’t cost us dearly.  Love always leaves a mark.” She stated softly and gently.  We were there together.”     Mack was surprised. “At the cross?  Now wait, I thought you left him – you know – ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’”  It was a Scripture that had often haunted Mack in The Great Sadness.     “You misunderstand the mystery there.  Regardless of what he felt at that moment, I never left him.”     “How can you say that?  You abandoned him just like you abandoned me!”     “Mackenzie, I never left him, and I have never left you.”     “That makes no sense to me.” He snapped.”  (~ page 95-96)  This passage from “The Shack” lit a yearning in me to understand this more fully.  I feel drawn to the version shared by Paul Young, Baxter Kruger, and Brad Jersak.  And in the past, I’ve shuddered and tried to hide myself from images of God’s terrible wrath being poured out upon Jesus on my behalf.   Which version is true? What we believe about what happened on the Cross deeply influences how we relate to the Trinity; especially when we're in the midst of our own “Great Sadness”. I invite you to listen to this talk and explore this question with me: http://blazingfire.podbean.com/e/two-versions-of-the-gospel-russ-fochler/ If you use the link above, you can also see the slides. You can also watch “The Gospel in Chairs” video by Brad Jersak which I used in the talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0BUFR9wSko In the midst of all this, I encourage you to engage with the One who is the Way (the process, the journey), the Truth (who sets us free), and the Life (through experiential relationship with Him). Love, Russ Note: The other two books I referenced in the talk were: "The Shack Revisited" by C. Baxter Kruger, and "A More Christlike God" by Bradley Jersak.

Take the Plunge by Pastor Todd Lout

There’s an older, Vineyard song that I still love to sing.  You know the one,

“Let The Winds Blow”, written by David Ruis?  Every time I lead that I just have to repeat a line in it over and over; “You consider me lovely, let this truth open up my soul”.  Also, when we’re singing the song, “Indescribable”, by Laura Story, I always repeat the phrase, “You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same”.  Every time we linger on those phrases there is a definite shift in the room.  The atmosphere becomes more intense and emotions take more color.  These powerful truths touch a deep need in the human heart.

We are longing to be seen and still loved.  But by, “seen”, I mean really seen….to the core.  Have you ever let somebody in on something that is sacred, secret, exposing or even shameful to you?  It is such a huge risk!  It’s a risk because, “What if they see this and reject me?”  “What if they know this and expose me more than I was willing to be exposed?”  “What if they shame me even more??”  BUT, when you take that plunge and discover that there is pure love coming back at you, there’s nothing quite like it! It's like a refreshing plunge into healing waters.

I’m convinced that one large reason people become addicted to alcohol, or other substances, is to tap into a synthetic, and momentary version of this feeling we’re talking about here.  Think about it, when we’re in that drunk state of being we don’t really feel that “what if” feeling....those layers of protection that we typically wear, that fear of man, seemily gone for a minute.  Then, oh the yucky consequences of something not real. 

BUT GOD, sees everything (1 Samuel 16:7) and He still loves us beyond what we tend to even believe about love. (1 Corinthians 13:7, 1 John 4:16).  It's all there, laid bare, in front of Him, Who IS pure love.  Yet His love toward us is an ocean without a shore.

Yes, He does see some things that need correcting and He does help us.  This is certainly one of the scary parts.  It’s because we tend to compare His correction to the disapproval we’ve felt from humans before.  But this, too, is an act of pure love.  He wants the very best for us on the inside and is willing to allow conviction in to help us.  We must get the truth in us, though, to receive this correction.  The truth is that this is still approval of us.  If it wasn’t, He wouldn’t bother. In fact, the Bible even tells us that if He didn’t do this from time to time, we would be “illegitimate” (Hebrews 12:5-11) 

So here’s a wrap up:  Let’s let ourselves experience the euphoria of being seen by perfect love.  It’s like jumping into the ocean.  It could seem scary but once we do, it’s exhilarating, refreshing, all encompassing and there aint no turnin’ back!  Even so, find this joy in the correction and perfecting of love. Being refined by it and simply basking in it.  Step out!  Come out of hiding!  We will find nothing but pure love waiting to soak us through and through.

*Might I offer a great book recommendation?  It's called, "Skinny Dipping With The Savior", by Eric B Blackwell.  I know, I know...it sounds crazy, but it's really good and takes this subject matter into much detail.

                                                    

The River, The Cocoon and The Navigator - by guest contributor Sarah Yang

For most of my life I believed that life's journey took place on train tracks.  The path was linear with specific sub-stations to mark my progress in life (i.e. get an education -> get a job -> get married -> get a house -> have kids.)  Therefore, I was constantly trying to figure out God’s will so I could be at the right place at the right time with the right people on the right train so I could make all the right stops and eventually get to “Destiny Central Station.”  I would know when I finally got to my destination when people around me chanted, “You’ve arrived!” God could be my Conductor so long as He made all the stops at the sub-stations of “success.”  But I came to realize when my life got derailed and became a “train wreck,” that this God I believed in was the make-believe god of karma (do good, get good.)  It has nothing to do with the real God; it is completely founded upon my performance.  And if whoever you think is God can be shaken, it's not really God. That’s when God showed me that His path is more like a river.  In a river, there are infinite paths that you can take but you can always trust the current.  The current will always get you to where you want to go.  No matter what path we choose, as long as we stay in the raft with Jesus as our guide and remain in the current, we’ll get to our destination.  That current is His Love, that destination is His Heart, and the One navigating is not in a rush.  You are safer in the river with Him than anywhere else even though it might lead you into the dark and unknown.   What is dark and unknown?  Cocoons.  Feel like you are hanging by a thread?  Shelved?  In the dark?  Have no clue what's going on but everything in and around you is changing?  So does a caterpillar that’s becoming a butterfly.  And the Invisible Thread that’s holding you in your process of transformation is stronger than all the steel that exists on planet earth.  So don’t shortcut the process – a butterfly freed too soon will never take flight. The other option is religion.  Religion is a “Mirror of Self-Evaluation and Comparison” that is only able to reflect back your performance and productivity.  This mirror also magnifies your flaws and turns molehills in your character into mountains of defects.  You never feel good enough no matter how hard you try because you were never made to behold a mirror… you were made to behold a Person.  You were created for Son-gazing not mirror-gazing.  There is no formula but there is a wild adventure.  We are invited into a journey where the River is His Love, the raft is the cocoon of His Presence, and our faithful companion and guide is Jesus.  So enjoy the ride.  :)

It's Not the Critic Who Counts by Pastor Karena Lout

I’ve been really impacted by this quote by Theodore Roosevelt; “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasm, the great devotions; who spends himself on a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” I’ll be the first to tell you that I’ve fallen down many times. I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I’m actually okay with that because I know I wouldn’t grow otherwise. We tend to spotlight our failures and minimize the great courage it actually took to step into the “arena”.  Sometimes the loudest voice we hear is the voice of criticism; whether it’s our own thoughts or the shouts of others. I’ve been criticized and I’ve also been the critic. Criticism is the easier road because it requires nothing from you. It’s easy to stand on the sidelines and point out a problem. But it takes great courage and vulnerability to step into the arena. In Numbers 13, Moses sends out 12 tribal leaders to scout out the land of Canaan, their Promised land. They checked it out to see what the land was like, if it was inhabitable and what kind of enemies they were up against. They report back to Moses that the land is fruitful but there’s giants living there that they can’t overthrow. So the Israelites began yelling and complaining and grumbling. They couldn’t see a way out and end up in the wilderness. The reality was that they could overthrow their enemies. Caleb and Joshua were confident they could conquer the land.  “But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land.” Numbers 14:24. Perspective is everything. Some see a problem, while others see an opportunity. If you are presented with a problem, it’s usually because you hold the answer, the promise. We are living in some pretty intense times. We don’t need to ignore that problems exist. But Jesus is calling us as sons and daughters to survey the land, access the damage and He will give us solutions to remedy some things. Sons and daughters take ownership. You really do have what it takes to step into the arena. Jesus will give you grace when you mess up and courage to get back up when you fall. I pray the loudest voice you hear will be the voice of truth and encouragement. You got this!                                                     Cheering you on, Karena