Facing Fear by church member contributor Theresa Christian and Pastor Brent Lokker

Pastor Brent's message last Saturday night sure got my attention. I could hardly stay still in my seat the whole message!  Let me take you back one week earlier.....  I was reading 1 Samuel 17 and right after I finished the story of David and Goliath, God reminded me of a dream I just had that same night:     ...In my dream, I was standing in the hallway of a school and a man, who was as tall as the 8' ceiling, was using foul language. I said to the man, "Excuse me, you can not speak that way in this place." He turned around, continued to speak, without looking at me. I said, "Are you not going to acknowledge me?" He looked down at me and left the school.... I realized something here was very important for me.  For the rest of the week I sat with the story, noting what David was facing and how he was able to face his enemy with boldness, confidence and was fearless. He trusted God wholeheartedly. I needed to do this also, so my next step was to make a list of all the giants that I have been facing. Things that were holding me back and lies that were taunting me. Some of those giants were for health, fear of man and fear of loss. My friend, Sarah Yang and I made a plan to face these giants together on a Sunday hike. We spent all afternoon praying, declaring and making our giants acknowledge us. What freedom and strength we felt as we listened to the Spirit of God. We declared freedom in all areas, for not only us, but for our families, knowing that God was doing all the work.  While I was preparing my notes, this song was playing, "We will overcome, by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. Everyone overcomes. Jesus, Awesome and Great is Your Name - Your Overcame!"  All that God had shown me the previous week was exactly what Pastor Brent was sharing on Saturday night! God is so amazing!  Be encouraged and know that God sees you.  Be brave and face your giants. Freedom is on the other side!                                                                                    Love, Theresa Christian You can listen right now to the podcast of Brent’s message, “Facing Fear:” http://blazingfire.podbean.com/e/facing-fear-brent-lokker/ //\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\ And here is a prophetic word from Doug Addison that went out yesterday: I have been encouraging people to help change the spiritual atmosphere that is over the world right now. There is a thick spiritual fog hanging over many people as a result of masses of people being in fear. Since we are the “Body of Christ” and we are interconnected, when Christians begin to move in mass fear and discouragement it has a negative effect on the entire world (1 Corinthians 12:26). I want to assure you that we are entering into a new season. The economy did not crash. The second coming of Christ has not occurred. This is a time like never before to come into agreement with the positive plans God has for us all. As we do this, we will shift the atmosphere to that of hope, blessing and encouragement. (Doug will be with us on New Year’s Eve and Jan. 2nd!)

Moving Beyond Disappointment by Pastor Suzanne Lokker

I've been going through a particularly difficult season of my life where disappointments--specifically not seeing people I love healed the way I prayed--caused me to be angry with God.  "Why do I have to pray for healing and miracles anymore? Why can't I just say, 'God is good,' and leave it at that?"  Of course, Abba-Papa-Yahweh's pursuing love wouldn't let my well constructed walls keep Him out--not that I really wanted that anyway. Recently a friend said something that rocked me out of my pain and complacency.  She said, "Your worship is helping Jesus go to the cross." It was one of those "God moments" where truth gripped my soul.  Suddenly I saw Jesus on the cross with his eyes of love gazing past his dimension of time to see me along with countless numbers of his followers through the ages who were worshipping him.  "We look away from the natural realm and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith's perfection.  His example is this: Because his heart was filled with the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God."  (Hebrews 12:2 in the Passion Translation) Who was I to deny my heart to the One who endured the cross for me? God melted my heart and began showing me what I needed to know.  He showed me that I was restless because I was fighting myself. In His patience and grace, he showed me that He's calling Himself out of me! And He's calling Himself out of you!  It's time to take our disappointments and our broken "trusters" back to the One who knows how to victoriously see us through this journey with Him. It's time to let the authentic you rise up and to let your authentic roar sound!   Suzanne

Relationships, Stress, and Brave Communication by Pastor Russ Fochler

Whether we’re married, in a relationship, have bosses and co-workers, customers, clients, or contractors, have siblings, parents, children, friends, or acquaintances; we’re going to have stresses, conflicts, and even confrontations.    And isn’t it “funny”; the very times we most need relational, effective communication, are the very times that we tend to “forget” the communication tools we’ve heard about.   We need more than “the right words”.  We need help with our hearts.   It’s not simply about getting better at communicating:  We can do a “great job" of communicating anger and disrespect - and creating emotional distance from the other person.   But is that the kind of communication we want to give?     Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John all had a lot to say about how we treat each other.  Many of us have tried to “act” loving or “act Christian” while hoping that someday, somehow our emotions will come into alignment with their words in the Scriptures.     How can we nurture life-giving connections with others?  How do we engage with what we are feeling in the moment, and yet not be enslaved to the strong self-protective impulses that come up when we're stressed?   Part of the answer is engaging with Holy Spirit for the healing/restoration of our own heart.  Susan Fochler will be sharing about this in her class “Healing the Heart” starting Feb 2, 2016.   Another part of the answer is developing practices that strengthen our ability to live from our core values in stressful situations.  Practices that will help "the ways of our being to match the truth of our being” (one of my favorite quotes by William Paul Young about what wholeness is).      Our next World Changers Equipping School class is “Brave Communications: Keeping Your Love On”.  It starts this Tuesday evening November 17th.  We’ll gain insights watching videos by Dann Farrelly and Danny Silk.  And we’ll discuss and practice the material.     I invite you to be part of this class. Please see below for more specifics.   Warmly,   Russ Fochler

Now Is The Time For Healing by guest contributor Joe Smylie

Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the time of salvation (healing)

(2 Corinthians 6:2)

by Joe Smylie

In the gospel of Luke chapter 5, we see Jesus demonstrating the heart of Father God by declaring that he is “willing” to heal sickness and disease as He reached out and touched the man with leprosy and instantly healed him.   Also, we see in verse 17, that many people gathered to hear Jesus teach about the Kingdom of God and the “power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.”  This power in Jesus then translated immediately to a paralyzed man laying on a mat as his friends lowered him through the roof right in front of Jesus.  This account in Luke tells us that when Jesus saw the faith of the men carrying their friend on the mat that He immediately forgave the man’s sins and healed his paralysis instantly.

What do these events in Luke chapter 5 tell us about the heart of God the Father towards each one of us?  In our World Changers Equipping School class “Healing the Sick,” we have answered this question directly during the last four gatherings in our Tuesday evening class.  We have discovered and demonstrated that: 1) it is always God the Father’s will to heal people, 2) that God the Father is always moved with compassion towards the human race, 3) Jesus healed and delivered everyone that came to Him with need during His ministry here on earth, and 4) He (Jesus) still wants to translate that same healing and deliverance power through us to everyone who needs his touch in our 21st century modern society.

During our class meetings and outreach to the streets in Dublin and Pleasanton, we have seen the compassion and power of Father God demonstrated through several authentic physical healings of many types (hips, knees, shoulders, necks, and backs).  One young man last Tuesday, at the Stoneridge Mall, allowed one of our teams to pray for his hurting back.  As the team prayed for his healing, he stood there amazed as a calmness came over him and he stated that “his back was feeling better.”  We also witnessed several young Egyptian and Israeli men and women receive emotional and mental healing in their hearts and souls as we prayed for them to encounter Almighty God in the name of Jesus the Messiah.

This upcoming Tuesday (November 10th) will be our last “Healing the Sick” class offered.  We would like to invite everyone (for free) who needs any kind of healing (physical, emotional, mental, relational, financial,) to come and receive what Jesus “already paid for them on the cross.”  The students of the class will be praying for everyone who has a need in this “Healing Service” finale.  Also, please bring any family or friends who need any type of healing.  We believe the Lord Jesus wants to touch them and set them free, as well.

The “Healing Service” will start at 7pm at Parkway Fellowship Church in Dublin, Ca.  The address is 7485 Village Parkway, Dublin, Ca 94568.   Hope to see you there!