Tarrying in Dormancy

As we journey into a new year, many of you are wondering, “What’s in store for my life?” and “What is God doing during these highly unusual times?” Here’s a word to offer perspective and hope. As you read this, you will get the fullest encouragement remembering that tarry means “to wait or abide in a place; to linger in expectation.”   “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5   Many plants have to go into dormancy depending on the season and their growth slows. Just so He showed me that many of us are in a dormancy period. We aren’t spiritually dead. We did nothing wrong. He did not pass over us to bless someone else. He said that we can’t always be bearing massive amount of fruit and that there was an ebb and flow of fruit bearing. The flowers will come back again. This is a time of tarrying.   He said for now, it’s important to do what is before us daily and to live in the now rather than tomorrow. The most powerful thing we can do is to focus on today even if it seems so very prosaic. No matter how hard we try, we can’t make the prophesied glories of the future happen today. Incredible glories of His presence await us as an absolute certainty! No amount of wishing and praying can speed that up no matter how badly we want that. A better way to embrace what appears to be a predicament is to relax and tarry with no worries.   We’ve been through a lot of pain and angst and the balance of justice will soon tip in our favor. More favor is coming and that is an absolute certainty. It’s important to grasp that reality in faith even if we don’t see it today.   Live in faith for a glorious future of the great move of His Spirit and live in faith today by embracing what you have set before you now. Today is where life is.   What He is saying is that where we are at now is normal. Dormancy is normal. For plants, when they go into dormancy, they are building up their strength preparing for Spring. We are being built up in our spirits being prepared to contain an incredible season of fruit bearing that we have ever seen in our lives.   Tarry before Him in intimate interaction and openness. Drink of His presence daily even in the simplest everyday things. Invite Him to participate in everything you do. Invite Him to observe and give Him permission to go deep and to help your unbelief and to do deep inner healing.   “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love.” John 15:7-9

The Christmas Miracle

Suzanne and I got to babysit our 5-month-old granddaughter, Iris, for the past three days. Oh, the simple joys of waking up a little one from her many naps to see her beaming face with her little legs kicking in gleeful delight! To be honest, we forgot how much energy and attention a little one this age requires—but the bonding moments of bottle-feeding her while she gripped my thumb in one of her tiny hands and my pinkie in the other, or of rocking her to sleep and feeling her little heart beating against mine, made all the effort seem insignificant in comparison!   Friends, this is the miracle of Christmas—that Elohim would come to us in the person of Jesus because love would go to any lengths to bond with us and to capture our gaze of affection in return—our hearts beating side by side in the eternal enjoyment of our union! And even though Jesus would grow from an infant to a man who would take on the sin of the world, in the end, this to him was insignificant in comparison to the joy of being with us forever!   We look away from the natural realm and we focus our attention and expectation onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on 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 12:2-3 (TPT)   Merry Christmas with Love,   Brent & Suzanne Lokker

Stepping Into Wholeness

From Susan: We heard from a few women from the Blazing Fire Family last Saturday night regarding how God is leading them into new places of wholeness.  As each one shared it was clear that they are discovering just how much Jesus wants to be involved in every moment of our lives as He leads us into the abundant life He has promised.  Whether we are dealing with fear, hurt, shame, doubt or rejection, it is His great joy to show us He understands and is the ever present doorway into freedom. I am inspired by how Sarah has learned to lean into the voice of God.  She is discovering how He really is there in the moments where she needs Him most.. No need is too small! ................................................ From Sarah: The Lord directs the steps of the righteous. He delights in every detail of their lives.   Psalm 37:23 NLT I’ve been going to a farmer’s market in Oakland almost every Sunday for the last fifteen years. The parking is tight there and I used to feel hopelessness rising after a couple of turns around the lot.  But over the years, I realized that I can always find a parking space eventually.  Only a handful of times in all that time did I have to park on the street.  Now, no matter how discouraging it looks, I feel relaxed knowing that a space will turn up.   Learning to trust God is a little bit like that.  In the past, whenever I faced a challenge,  I was nervous :  Will God come through?  Will He really do what He said?  Then again and again, God proved himself reliable and trustworthy.  If He said He will help, he did,  If he said it will be ok, it was.  Sometimes it took days and other times, months, but he was always true to his word. I have been building a history with God and his relentless kindness.   Even now, however, a thought can come:  What if God stops helping me?   I don’t doubt his love.  But sometimes, I think he might say “ Sarah,  you are far enough along in your growth to take care of the ‘little’ stuff by yourself.  I will just help you with the  ‘big’ stuff.”   But the Holy Spirit intervenes and says “No, that is not how I am.  I delight in every detail of your life.  I will always help you with big AND little stuff.”  I ask “Lord, why do you want to do this?”  He replies “Because you were created to do your life with me. This is our great joy, our union together.” .................................................. And Theresa encourages us that forgiveness is a process.  As we relinquish our pain, He gives us freedom and our hearts expand as “His love breaks open the way, and He brings us into a beautiful, broad place” from Psalm 18:19.  TPT.  That beautiful, broad place is our true self, the self He has always wanted you to live from. Forgiveness by Theresa Christian   A step towards healing A journey of hope Even though it is not easy Even though it is so painful Making the time to… Walk towards freedom, towards restoration Only from the safe place of your Father’s arms Listening to His heart Yielding to the pain Gently…. allowing your heart to feel, for it is real Purposefully moving forward “I hold nothing against you” A gift awaits you from surrender

Faith to See the Impossible

Pastor Brent: My good friend Dennis Lafayette shared a powerful message about what faith looks like that my spirit is still feeding on! I highly recommend you watch it here:  Dennis' Message from Saturday Night Dennis, and his wife Kathy live a life of obedience that has led them to see thousands of people saved, healed and set free! Dennis also shared some of his financial miracle stories and how his choice to obey God even when he didn’t have the money at hand, led him to Rwanda to be part of transforming a nation, primarily helping an apostolic pastor there by the name of Jean. Be encouraged to take steps with the faith the Lord has given you when he nudges you to go somewhere, talk to someone, pray for healing, give a word of encouragement or other expressions of loving others in his name. Here’s more of the story that Dennis didn’t share on Saturday…   "We traveled to a village in the south of Rwanda, very close to the border with Burundi. When I stepped out of the car, I could feel the blood in the ground. Many had died here over the past 60 years. The people in this area knew suffering far beyond anything I had ever seen. Why was I here and what could I do to help them?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        There was a tent setup with several hundred people inside. When it was time for me to speak, I got up still not knowing what I could possible say that would somehow make a difference in their lives. I remember praying, 'Lord if you don’t show up, I’ve got nothing for these poor people'. My little bit of hope was soon infused by His Spirit as I began to speak. As I continued to speak, I slowly realized that I was bringing a message of hope to these devastated people. I was thinking, 'Lord, I hope you know what you’re doing'. The last thing I said to them in this meeting was, 'you will be a light on a hill to this nation'. I stood there in silence thinking 'Lord you have a great calling on these people, if they have any hope'. Soon, one after another began to jump to their feet and cheer and praise God. In a matter of moments, they were all on their feet cheering and praising God. I thought 'Lord, this is really going to happen!' Eight months later, the government began closing and tearing down churches built of mud and sticks—over 8,000 were closed around the nation. Jean and Christine, the native pastors I had come to help, had the foresight to build their church in this village out of stone, metal, and concrete. Then to everyone’s astonishment the government said if you want to see how to build a church you should go to this village and see this church. The very place where I prophesied hope was now becoming a light to the nation! Around this same time the government decided to build a new international airport, with runways long enough to land jumbo jets. Almost all of Rwanda is hills, except in this area which is very flat. The new airport is only 10 minutes from this village. The 26-mile dirt road is now paved and electricity has arrived in the village. Our school now has hundreds of students and we are building our national mission headquarters.  We didn’t have the resources, but simply the faith to believe God. This village is becoming light to an entire nation, providing hope for a better life and future that the Lord has planned for them. Hope gave rise to steps of obedience in faith that has become substance that you can see. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1  Today we have the opportunity to give hope away. Once hope is embraced, God gives the increase. We don’t know His measure, but we do know His amazing love and generosity. Just think about hope as the seeds of faith. Jesus said, “What seems impossible for you is never impossible for God” (Matthew 20:26). Go after the impossible and see what happens."

The Miracle Of Metamorphosis

These past two years have been quite likely the most difficult season of our lives. When the Covid virus pandemic first became a “thing” we couldn’t have imagined how much devastation, disruption, and heartache it would cause. We also couldn’t have imagined that two years into this, we’re still not at the end.   But God…   Through it all, God has been continuously, faithfully doing exactly what he promised. Whether you’ve been aware or not, God has been brilliantly and lovingly using the intensity of the pressure you’ve been experiencing to expose tattered places in your heart that haven’t been able to trust and distorted ways of thinking that aren’t consistent with who God says you are. Not just exposing but inviting you into a healed upgrade in the way you perceive yourself and others, and thus, the way you love as God loves.   Each of us crawled into this pandemic two years ago, inching along as a caterpillar, thinking this was our truest self. It wasn’t wrong or bad, just incomplete. The pandemic and all that’s transpired in these past two years entombed us in a way that made us feel helpless, uncertain, and isolated. Yet we were never alone.   The Spirit of the Risen Christ has been coursing through our veins and every cell of our bodies the entire time. Something utterly miraculous has been taking place. Akin to the Grinch whose heart grew three times that of a normal heart, we ask ourselves, “how does this happen?” But we really can’t say. It’s Christ in us, the hope of glory, who’s been transforming us into the very nature of the One in whose image we’ve always shared.   We’ve been in a chrysalis and if the truth be told, it’s not been fun. That caterpillar couldn’t possibly know what’s coming, only that it currently feels kind of like a death. Yet, the beauty is happening, and the wings are forming.   The wings…what once would take a day to travel will be covered in seconds. A freedom awaits that couldn’t be conceived of. The ability to find the currents of the wind of the Spirit and to soar with an entirely new perspective is burgeoning.   Friends, we’ve all been in a time that doesn’t make any sense to us, yet something beautiful has been transpiring in each one of us. While the transformation in our chrysalis is nothing short of miraculous, it can’t be preempted. It must run its course. If we try to break the butterfly out before its wings are fully formed, it will die. What does this mean for us? We don’t have to know exactly how this miraculous transformation is happening and where we are along the process. To know that it’s happening is enough. Amid the feelings of uncertainty, we can be still and know…know that God is God, Yahweh doing in us and through us and for us what we could never do for ourselves.   This is not just a new season we are approaching. We’re in a metamorphosis. God has been preparing us to embrace the full truth of his life in us as someone who is entirely different from the one who entered into the chrysalis of these past two years.   Beloved, we are God’s children right now; however, it is not yet apparent what we will become. But we do know that when it is finally made visible, we will be just like him, for we will see him as he truly is. 1 John 3:2 (TPT)

God's Perfect Plan

When I was a little kid we used to sing this song at church, "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you!"  My grandpa would sing it. My parents would sing it at home.  One day young Toddy, (who was the quiet and often teased kid at school), was having a particularly bad day.  Last picked on the baseball team and not wanting to play in the first place, I was outfield, hoping the ball wouldn’t come my way. Kids were not very kind about my inability to be “sporty”.  In the midst of some high anxiety, the words of that often-sung song began to go through my head, then my heart.  I was able to recall some things God had done for me and such. Within a couple of minutes I felt like I had a secret little world of my own going on that nobody around me knew of and I felt safe there. God always knows what He’s talking about. He gave us certain guidelines to live the most successful life by. Now it’s up to us to apply them. Check out what He put here in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 - 18: “Let joy be your continual feast. Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus.” Next time something stressful is going on, try turning your thoughts into gratitude. And if, in the moment, you’re having trouble thinking of something, just ask Holy Spirit to help you out. He remembers the whole inventory of goodness in your life. Bless ya’ll and have a great Thanksgiving! Love, Todd

His Eternal Love Reached Into The Future

Todd and I recently had another foster teen placed in our care. One thing that often comes up when we get a new teen is their need to have things happen immediately, whether it’s signing up for extracurricular activities, purchasing things, going places. There’s typically a feeling that if it doesn’t happen instantly, it may not ever happen because many kids have experienced so much disappointment, constant change and instability. It’s difficult to visualize a tomorrow.   For so many, this pervading thought was brought on as we watched the world sit in a lot of uncertainty for the last year and a half. I can see in my own life where I’ve allowed worry and fear to disrupt my hopes for the future. Surrender has become a daily practice as I choose to trust Jesus with my life and with the world around me. I came across Romans 8:28-29 in the Voice translation the other day and it really resonated with me:  “We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love him and accept his invitation to live according to his plan. From the distant past, HIS ETERNAL LOVE REACHED INTO THE FUTURE.”   It’s so comforting to know that God, who is not bound by time, has already been in our future, making a way for us. When Jesus went to the cross, his blood poured out, covering our past, our present and future. His eternal love goes before us, into our tomorrow, guaranteeing that we don’t have to live a day without his presence meeting us there.   I want to encourage you to take some time and ask Jesus, “What does your eternal love in my future look like? What truth do you want me to know about it?”   Worry and fear begin to lose their power when we know Jesus is with us and has gone before us. I pray he fills your heart with new hope today.   Love, Karena

Preparing for the Newborns

I had a vision of parents who were preparing for the arrival of a baby where the mother was gathering baby clothes and blankets while the dad made a cradle. The Lord showed me that we are mothers and fathers being prepared not for just one baby, but a huge harvest of babies. He showed me that He was like a squirrel storing up acorns, storing up in our hearts His goodness for the newborns to come. In this season He has been digging deep into our lives bringing light into every corner and encouraging us to let Him into every nook and cranny of our hearts. By doing so He has demonstrated His joyous love for us. Our hearts as a result have become His storehouses of love, acceptance, friendship, honor, compassion, truth, holiness, safety, healing, patience, joy, respect and many other things that define a passionate, caring devotion toward each other. These are things that we will be giving the hungry newborns. The purpose for this season is to let Him revive, renew and transform our inner man/woman because the coming generation of new believers will learn by our example, by the love He demonstrates to us. We will be disciplers and point the way. They will be a thirsty generation like a deer that is satisfied with the water of His presence and will be characterized by their deep, holy worship and falling down before Him. They will be a generation so focused and caught up with Him. They along with us will be a great light in the dark times to come. There will be a clear distinction between them that walk with Him and them that don’t. It will be clear what is His love in us and what is not love. I saw in a vision the whole land shaking like in an earthquake and saw that the whole earth was shaking. More shaking is coming and them that have faith and hope will ride the storm. Them that cling to Him will get through it.

Meeting God Outside Of Our Boxes

If you were raised and brought up in this world, then you were raised under the standard of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. We were brought up to learn how to handle and cope with the adversities of life on our own, independent of God. In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve lived completely dependent on God until the fall when they ate of the fruit of the forbidden tree. Their temptation was to gain knowledge, ability, and discernment of good and evil independent of God. In other words, being able to know and do things without needing God.  If we are real with ourselves, in many places in our lives this is the norm. As a result, there are many times in life when we feel like we can’t hear God or He doesn’t seem to be present during difficult times or struggles. Many times, our default is to try to handle it on our own.  These times can seem like the most difficult times to connect with God. This is because all the insecurity and pain in us is looking for a place to land that seems safe. This safe space or box that we construct creates walls and barriers to protect us to prevent anything we deem “unsafe” at the time from coming into our life.   When our insecurities are triggered, much of the time we switch to defense mode and need things to look and happen a certain way to feel safe. When God doesn’t meet us within these constraints, it can feel like God has abandoned us or isn’t present. We often don’t realize that our constraints require God to look and feel a certain way in order for it to feel safe for us to meet with Him. While many times God will meet us in this space/box because He loves us, there comes a point in your relationship with God where He will no longer allow you to constrain Him into your box. God wants to show up in your life completely Himself, without your constraints. God wants us to get to know who He really is, not who we want Him to be.   For us to truly know who God is, we need to come to a point in our relationship with Him where we allow Him to set the conditions of how He meets with us. When we get triggered by something, we will find that God is waiting for us with His hand outstretched to us, just outside of our safety box. As we choose to trust Him and take that small step outside of our box, we find out that He was always close and has never left us. He has always been there waiting to fill us with the peace our hearts have been longing for. As we encounter Him more and more, we find ourselves getting further and further away from our box until we can’t even see the box anymore. The more we run to and encounter Jesus as our comforter and our defender, our own protection mechanisms start to feel largely inadequate, causing us to naturally surrender these things to Him more and more. An important thing to remember is that Jesus is the One who does the work, for He is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).   As we surrender more of our independent thinking and actions to Jesus and begin including Him in all of our ways (Proverbs 3:5-6), we find ourselves naturally surrendering and trusting Him with our needs just like Mary of Bethany (in Matthew 26:6-13). Fully aware that her own protection mechanisms have failed her, she lays herself and her needs bare before Jesus, and in response, Jesus becomes vulnerable to her about His needs. She was the only one in that dining room with whom He shared the gruesome death He was about to experience. In response, she poured out her most expensive perfume, worth a year’s wages, all over Him as an act of love and adoration towards Him.     When we are real with Jesus, He shares who He really is with us.

An Atmospheric River of God's Spirit!

Last week, the Bay Area and surrounding states experienced a rare phenomenon: an atmospheric river flowed over us and released a deluge of water. Atmospheric rivers are relatively long, narrow regions in the atmosphere – like rivers in the sky – carrying an amount of water vapor roughly equivalent to the average flow of water at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Woah!     What made last week even more rare is that it was accompanied by extraordinarily high winds because of a what’s known as a bomb cyclone, also called bombogenesis, where a cyclone up in the sky becomes intense very quickly.   God often uses natural phenomenon to let us know what is coming in the spiritual: “However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.” 1 Cor 15:46 (TLV) There’s a reason God has been helping us to align our hearts with his true heart of love, teaching us to eat of the Tree of Life, His very Spirit, and leading us to repent (i.e. turn from our own perceptions and think like him) from inferior ways of looking at ourselves and others instead of the way he sees us.   I believe this atmospheric river and the bombogenesis (beginning of a great explosion of wind and power) is pointing to a massive outpouring of God’s Spirit that’s beginning to increase and bring about a great hunger in people in our Bay Area region and all over the world to know God and his beloved Son, Jesus! Friends, during this last difficult season we’ve endured, God has been lovingly drawing us away from our self-centeredness and into his glorious loving presence because there’s a huge harvest of God’s children about to come through the doors of his kingdom and they will need loving support and guidance from people who are deeply rooted in their love with Jesus!   Revival (“to live again”) happens in the hearts of those who know Jesus already (this is what’s been happening) and then quickly spreads like a wildfire to those who don’t know him yet, but are searching and longing for real life (this is what is imminently coming in much greater measure). This is the harvest God is bringing.   The way for our hearts to be revived is to enjoy even more of the Lord’s presence we’ve always had access to: “God has a constantly flowing river whose sparkling streams bring joy and delight to his people. His river flows right through the city of God Most High, into his holy dwelling places.” Psalm 46:4 (TPT) You are God’s choice as his dwelling place!  He’s purposed to make his home in you! So, this scripture is saying the life-giving River of his sweet Spirit is flowing straight from his heart to yours. As in right now, at this very moment! Whatever you are going through, no matter what you think is going on in the world right now, take this moment to center yourself with the one who’s life is constantly flowing right through you: Surrender your anxiety.     Be still and realize that I am God.     I am God above all the nations,     and I am exalted throughout the whole earth. Psalm 46:10 (TPT)

You Are A Healing Presence

You are a healer? We are all healers because we have Jesus in our lives. The power from the Father that raised Him from the dead flows through all of us emanating through our very beings, day to day, permanently. His invisible, glorious light shines through us and influences everyone we encounter even if it’s not perceptible. We are the light of the world. As we interact with others, we can bring healing to broken hearts and those struggling with all sorts of issues. We can do this through encouraging words and actions. We can do this though just listening or just being present with someone who is having a tough time. A simple gift like a flower, a note or food can wash away depression, loneliness or grief. These are simple acts of healing that anyone can do. To be a healer does not necessarily mean you are performing miracles, pulling people out of wheelchairs, healing blindness, or causing body parts to appear. Some of you operate in that gifting, but everyone has a special effect the Lord has ordained for you. The most basic is being a person of compassion, love, and connection. I used to oversee prayer counseling teams in San Francisco City where we would see a person 3 times, listening and praying for them. Having ministered to hundreds of people in this way I noticed that though there were no profound words of counsel, people were freed from various anxieties and issues just because someone took the time to be there with them with a non-judgmental listening ear. Just knowing someone cares can bring tremendous healing. That does not take a lot of skill. He connects with you personally with all patience, kindness and friendship, no matter where you are in your growth or struggles. As He demonstrates His love to you every day, He is demonstrating how to be a lover and how to be a healer. As He heals your heart, you now know how to heal hearts and how to teach others to be heart healers as well. Accepting Jesus into your life started you on a journey of being a healing presence of encouragement, comfort, compassion and helps. Go therefore and make disciples of love and healing. Be a reconciler and a peacemaker. By doing so, you are a healer of the world around you.   "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us." I John 4:12

Discerning Which Tree Is Motivating Me

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil or The Tree of Life?   As a fellowship, we've been considering the theme of the two trees in the Garden of Eden.  About the temptation to decide on our own what is good and what is bad.  And we're starting to realize how destructive this to our planet, our relationships, and ourselves.  The only true antidote to this insidious dynamic is moment by moment choosing to trust Jesus' life in us - and His life-giving leadership of our heart, thoughts, and actions. Most of us find ourselves defaulting back to wanting what we want and judging from self-interest.  Last Saturday I shared some teaching from Scriptures and then invited people to share how they've learned to discern which tree they are operating from and then find their way back to Jesus' heart leadership.  I hoped we would learn from each other and grow in our own walk with God.   People shared their wisdom with vulnerability. You can watch October 9th service on youtube here And I highly encourage you to experience the worship with Todd Lout and Mark Paulson, as well as Clayton Jung sharing a moving story from his life and leading us in Communion.  We also prayed for Todd's mission to Uganda. The two slides I shared about the different motivations and modes of being of the Two Trees are below. With love and gratefulness, Russ Fochler

Love Like This

“What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.”   I completely agree with the sentiment of this popular song first released in the mid-60’s. However, I also disagree with the premise that there’s too little love in this world because in actuality, love abounds in our Father’s kingdom so there can never be a lack of love.   So why is there such an apparent, widespread disconnect from this abundance of God’s love which he freely gives? In a word, independence. Whenever we don’t choose to eat from the Tree of Life, which is enjoying and yielding to the very life and love of Jesus within us, then by default, our flesh runs the show. This looks like fear, suspicion, meanness, arrogance, disconnection and judgment, to name a few of the damaging fruits of relying upon our own sense of what we think is right and wrong instead of resting in the goodness of our Father by trusting his ability to lead us perfectly in every situation.   But there is hope. There is always hope! Our tenderhearted Father has been intentionally growing us up in the ways of love during this difficult season, first by making clear to us where our own independent choices have taken us; and then, by drawing us back to his kind heart and inviting us into a 1 Corinthians 13:11 season—having us put aside childish ways and embracing genuine love.   What does genuine love look like, though?  We can look to 1 Corinthians 13 that gives us numerous practical examples. From the richness of multiple Bible translations and paraphrases, I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite descriptors from verses 4-8 that gives us a vivid picture of what our union with Jesus looks like, loving others with his love. Just to be clear, this is not a self-effort check list. There is nothing described here that you can do apart from Jesus and his love inside of you, so meditate on these with him. If Jesus highlights one of these as you read them, sit with him and rest in his ability to love with you in this way. Here we go:   Love is large and incredibly patient (Passion) Love has no desire to make others feel inferior (Mirror) Love gives in order to bless others (Remedy) Love refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. (Passion) Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. (Passion) Love never does the graceless thing; never insists on its rights (Barclay) Love is not spiteful and gets no mileage out of another’s mistakes (Mirror) Love doesn’t look after No. 1 (Word on the Street) Love does not play “one-up-man-ship,” nor does it react to those who do (Heart of Paul) Love doesn’t fly off the handle (Message) Love never nurses its wrath to keep it warm (Barclay) Love cannot be provoked and ,does not brood over an injury (Knox) Love is not touchy or fretful or resentful (Amplified) Love doesn’t tally wrongs (Voice) Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. (Passion) Love doesn’t revel when others grovel; It takes pleasure in the flowering of truth (Message) Love is a fortress where everyone feels protected rather than exposed! (Mirror) Love protects like a blockbuster hero and trusts more than a toddler (Word on the Street) Love’s first instinct is to believe in people; Love never regards anyone or anything as hopeless (Barclay) Love never loses it’s altitude (Mirror) Love originates in God and therefore will never stop and never fail (Remedy)   Friends, there is no lack of love for us to tap into, partake of and freely give to others. To each one of you I say, “In your union with Jesus, love will always prevail!”   With Genuine Love in My Heart for You,   Brent

Would Jesus Get The Vaccine?

Now there’s an interesting question, don’t you think? Why would we be so compelled to know the answer? It could be for a variety of reasons: Perhaps you’ve been holding off getting the vaccine and you’re still not sure if you should, but maybe if Jesus did, you would too. Perhaps you’ve already gotten the vaccine and you’re not sure you should have, but if Jesus got it too, maybe you can breathe a sigh of relief. Perhaps a more honest reason for most of us would be this: If you found out Jesus agrees with you (i.e. is on your side), you’d have some heavy ammunition to use against all those people who think you’re an idiot for making the choice to take or not take the vaccine. And, at the very least, you’d feel more comfort in your decision.   Why am I even bringing up vaccines? Because there will always (and I mean ALWAYS) be issues that arise in the world to divide and polarize us and this one is a doozy right now, tearing at the fabric of families, churches and workplaces. I doubt there are many reading this who haven’t been personally facing the sadness of a relationship that’s strained or disconnected altogether over this issue. This polarization (which looks like “us” vs. “them” and finding a bad guy to blame) is the fruit of eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. This looks like coming to conclusions of what each one of us “knows” to be true over and above loving and honoring each other in the way Jesus demonstrated.   So, back to the question. If you were to ask Jesus, “Did YOU get the vaccine?”, what response would you get? Have you ever noticed Jesus rarely gave a direct answer to a direct question? He understood life involves complexity and mystery and he was so aware of his Father’s focus on the deeper issues of the heart to help his children grow in the ways of love.  I rather suspect Jesus would answer your question with another question:   “Where are you choosing to place your trust?”   Or even more to the point: “Where is fear clouding your ability to trust your heavenly Father who holds your life in his hands?”   Then the internal dialogue in your head begins: Wait, are you saying that if I get the vaccine, I’m not trusting God but if I don’t then I am?? Or are you saying that if I don’t get the vaccine, then I’m not trusting God, but if I do, then I am??  Our mind is truly dizzying at times and Jesus will let the wrestle-mania battle within continue until it wears us out. Why? Because it’s part of our human condition that we must come to the end of ourselves before we’ll surrender to the simplicity and beauty of Christ in us. In other words, God is allowing us to clearly see the outcomes of our independent thinking so we’ll repent and turn back to eating the fruit of the Tree of Life—Jesus himself.   If you get the vaccine, God is with you! If you don’t get the vaccine, God is with you! The world is screaming at us that this issue (and the next one that’s inevitably coming) is the issue where you must make a stand and stake your life on. No, your life is in Christ alone. The issues our flesh gets so wrapped up in cloud the simple instruction given to us by Jesus: I want you to love each other in the same way I have loved you.   Friends, if the issue of vaccines/no vaccines has been straining relationships, I encourage you to give up your right to be right and choose the ways of love that can only emerge from your union with Jesus. What does this look like? I plan to share much more about this on Saturday at Blazing Fire because there is a way through this. You won’t be able to successfully navigate this minefield by thinking your own way through it. Remember, it’s not by your own might, nor by your own power, but only by God’s Spirit that you will walk in freedom and rest he has promised.   Praying God’s peace and rest and love to fill your hearts!   Brent