Jesus: Our King-Priest Who Understands by Pastor Susan Fochler

Leo came into our booth, eyes downcast, clothes disheveled, tangibly oppressed.  He was elderly, much older than the average person who typically came. He knew what he wanted:  a prophetic word and a healing.  Michele and I then began to pray and ask God to show us what He would have us say.   Ministering Hope We both received similar words:  that Leo had been through some tough things in life, and that God was about to bring him into a sweet season of restoration and rebirth.  I drew a picture of a baby bird in a nest, beak open and raised, representing how God was going to bring the nurture and care into his life he had always yearned for.  We told him he could hope again.   Leo immediately burst into tears, his grieving heart pouring out to us.  Twenty years ago he had been watching “Miracle on 34th St” when, a long-shuttered memory from childhood came crashing back.  He had been forced to watch as his father tortured animals, and was ridiculed for not participating.  He had carried deep, relentless guilt and shame ever since.  Not because he had in any way been responsible, but because that’s the kind of burden kids take on when confronted with cruelty and trauma.  Releasing the Burden to Jesus Our hearts went out to him; although the wound was decades old, we knew that Jesus lives outside of time and could minister His love and hope to Leo.  He agreed to let Jesus minister to his heart.  As Jesus drew near and began to touch Leo with His tenderness and mercy, the agonizing guilt and the aching shame began to wash away and free him from years of life in the shadowlands.  The burden, never meant to be carried by man, went to where it belonged: the Cross. Our King-Priest Understands  Leo met Jesus, the Jesus who walked the earth as we do, and understands everything we have ever gone through.  Everything, without exception.  “For we have a magnificent King-Priest, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who rose into the heavenly realm for us, and now sympathizes with us in our frailty.  He understands humanity, for as a man, our magnificent King-Priest was tempted in every way just as we are, and conquered sin.  So now we come freely and boldly to where love is enthroned, to receive mercy’s kiss and discover the grace we urgently need to strengthen us in our time of weakness”.  Heb 4:14-6  The Passion We all get a New Heart! Like Leo, we all can carry burdens that are not ours, and often don’t recognize it’s there.  But Jesus is always willing and ready to come and make the exchange only He can do: our ashes for His beauty, our mourning for His joy.  “I will plant a new heart and new spirit inside of you. I will take out your stubborn, stony heart and give you a willing, tender heart of flesh.  And I will put My Spirit inside of you and inspire you to live by My statutes and follow My laws”.  Ezek 36:26-7 The Voice.   I pray we all learn to come quickly and boldly before His throne of grace, knowing that mercy waits there to kiss us and restore us to fullness of life. He wants it for you more than you want it for yourself! With much love,                           Susan

Abide by BF prayer team leader Matthew Guillot

Abiding In Jesus! By Matthew Guillot In the book of John is the recorded testimony of Jesus our Messiah saying: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” –John 15:5 (emphasis mine) Later in verse 7 Jesus proclaims: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” –John 15:7 (emphasis mine) The prerequisite Jesus sets for us to bear fruit, and for answered prayers is that we abide in Him.  If this is the prerequisite, then it is important for us to know what this means for us individually (to abide). There have been many times where I have been disappointed by an unfulfilled desire or expectation; even ones I thought were from God.   One of the most tempting things for us is to search inwardly to find a reason for unfulfilled desires, lack of breakthrough, lack of anointing, etc.  The enemy is more than happy to oblige, giving us plenty of reasons why we are at fault and why we should beat ourselves up for not being whom we want to be. I struggled with this for years and no matter how much breakthrough or encounters I had with Jesus, it never seemed to fix me. After years of going through this struggle I discovered something that would change my life.  Through an encounter I had at the Jesus Conference 2016 in Orlando Florida, Jesus showed up powerfully and I saw and felt more of Him than ever before. I quickly realized in this encounter, that I didn't even care if I ever got fixed, or my circumstances changed as long as I got to be with Him.  I came to a whole new understanding at a heart level of what was right in front of me in the scriptures; abiding in Jesus.  I wanted more than anything to just abide in Him.  It was simple. I just want to be with Him. I just want Jesus. Everything else seems to flow out of just being with Him. If  I want to bear more fruit, then I just need to be with Him.  If I want my desires fulfilled, I just need to be with Him.  If I really wanted to know His much higher thoughts (Isa 55:8-9) towards me to prosper me (Jer 29:11), which outnumber the grains of sand on the sea shore (Ps 139:17-18), I just need to be with Him. This has been the most freeing revelation I have ever received.  If I want to be the person God created me to be, I need to be with the One who truly knows who I am and allow Him to be the One to transform my heart.  It is ludicrous to think I could transform myself to the person I was created to be, when half the time I have conflicting, competing thoughts about who I should be.  I don’t have to, and shouldn’t try to fix myself. The whole point of the new covenant Jesus established is relationship with Him.  Without relationship, we are stuck in our independence to figure things out on our own, hoping God will bless how we are living.  This is how Israel lived under the Old Covenant, proving time and time again how impossible it is. Jesus came presenting a new way of living.  It is to simply abide in Him.  He sent us the Holy Spirit to connect us with Him (Jn 15:26).  This is GOOD NEWS!!!  All the pressure is off to figure things out on our own or to figure out a way to get breakthrough.  We can abide in the One Who is our breakthrough and watch as He eagerly moves on our behalf! Matthew Guillot To hear Matthew's sermon this past Saturday, "Give Me Jesus!" click here

Foundation of Covenant Love by Pastor Brent Lokker

“Long before God laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love." Ephesians 1:4 (TMB)

Long before this world was created, there was Papa...and Jesus...and Holy Spirit who loved each other deeply and honored each other sincerely and wildly celebrated one another. The richness of their affection for each other and the depth of their commitment to one another led them to desire to share this extravagant love with a multitude of others because fiery and genuine love must always find an outlet, an expression. It must find another one to pour its love out upon. YOU are that one!  This is what Yahweh's (Papa's) eternal covenant of love is all about.  A covenant is an ironclad promise that the Lord actually makes with Himself to be sure it will be fulfilled. Just as He did with Abraham, He says to you, "I've chosen you in order to bless you. I am blessing you because you are mine and for no other reason. I love you because I love you because I love you because it's My choice to do so.  Your purpose in this world, above all other purposes, is to be loved.  This is why I created you.  And not just to be loved in this life, but to be loved eternally.  That means forever times forever, with no end in sight!" Throughout history we've had horrendous misconceptions about the heart of the Father that have attempted to steal away our intimacy with Him. Jesus came to show us the true heart of our Father who approves of us and accepts us as His own. If you have the time, please listen to this week's podcast where I survey several thousand years of history to explain the covenant heart of God that has never changed: The Foundation of Covenant Love. Here is that Covenant of Love in its purest form described in Romans 8:31-39 (TMB) "So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture...None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us." It's time for you to agree with the true heart of the Father for you: "I'm loved. I'm wanted. I'm accepted. I'm favored. I'm blessed beyond measure.  This is just the way it is and I agree!" With Much Love, Brent

Stay Steadfast by Pastor Karena Lout

“I run with passion into His abundance so that I may reach the destiny that Jesus Christ has called me to fulfill and wants me to discover. I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus." Phil. 3:12-14 (Passion Translation) I recently heard Heidi Baker say, “If you don’t quit, you win.” It’s interesting, over 80% of people that make New Year’s resolutions to join the gym in January, quit by the second week of February. We tend to want to run from discomfort and pain. After all, who enjoys that? But Jesus promised that our “light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” He’s committed to see us through!   A while back I met a sweet couple that have been married for over 55 years. They are both survivors of the holocaust. They weathered many challenges in life but told me their love for each other was stronger than the day they met. Pastors Brent and Suzanne have been faithfully pastoring in the Tri-Valley for 27 years. They are some of the longest standing pastors in our area. There’s something that grips me when I hear stories of people that have stayed steady and committed for years and years to what God’s set before them in life.   During the last 12 years that Todd and I have been youth pastors at Blazing Fire, there have been times that we wanted to throw in the towel. When you love hard, there’s always the risk that disappointment will hurt just as hard. But our hearts are committed to see the youth in our area experience the real, tangible love of Jesus. We’ve gotten to love hundreds of kids throughout the years who’ve come through our door and we’ve been a part of their lives long enough to now go to their weddings. What an honor!   I want to encourage you that your faithfulness in every little thing and every big thing in your life hasn’t gone unnoticed. It matters! You ARE moving forward. You ARE making a difference more than you know. Jesus is so proud of you. Keep leaning on Him for your strength. You weren’t meant to do this alone. Don’t quit now.