True Belonging by Pastor Susan Fochler

We are in a season at Blazing Fire where we are seeking to discover and embrace what family and belonging means as a church body. This theme implies two dimensions; first, that we belong to God, then, out of that revelation, we can know that we belong to one another. I want to look a little at that first dimension; what it means to belong to God.

We are at home with Him, and He is at home with us, no matter what may be going on with our external circumstances. If we root our identity in anything less than knowing we are sons of the One Most High, we will feel empty and frustrated. No amount of ministry or doing can ever fill the vacuum of our deep-heart need to know-that-we-know, in an irreplaceable and irrevocable way, that we belong.

In looking at this theme, my thoughts turned to Abraham, at the moment when God came and asked him to take his long awaited and beloved son Isaac up Mount Moriah as a sacrifice. Say, what??? Can you imagine; the key to fulfilling every prophetic word over Abraham’s life has finally come - after a wait of many, many, decades. And now God is asking him to lay down the cumulative hope of his life. Of course we know God had another plan, but Abraham did not know that as he headed up the mountain.

What was it that had happened to Abraham between the time he “forced” his destiny to happen through Ishmael, and now, when he so willingly yields in complete trust to God that which was most dear to him? Clearly it was something that so radically transformed his heart that Abraham had come to a place of trusting God more than he trusted his own ability to figure things out. I am wrecked by Abraham's quick surrender. I can’t say I would act that same way in similar circumstances.

Believing the Promise

I believe what happened to change his heart and his very nature was this: covenant. God came to Abraham sometime between Ishmael and Isaac and promised: I will be yours. I will be faithful, I will fulfill My promises, I will take care of you. I care about your future, and I care about you. And Abraham believed Him, to the bottom of his heart. In exchange, God asked Abraham to be circumcised.

Circumcision is a cutting away of the flesh. Under the new covenant it means a softening of our heart, our conscience; a willingness to allow God into the deepest places of our thoughts, desires and yearnings; becoming one flesh with Him as we surrender any walls of independence or self-protection. A positioning where we want to partner with God in all things, and no longer live independently out of our own understanding.

Abraham becomes a son!

Clearly, for Abraham, this covenant/circumcision deal did something radical to his heart. He really, truly got that God was calling him to be a son who belonged to a Father who loved him dearly and tenderly. Abraham came to realize that the emptiness within, that need to be valued and have purpose, would never be satisfied with all the land, finances and possessions in the world; not with multitudes of progeny, giftedness and exploits...his only place of true satisfaction could be found in the fullness of who God is. Our identity is to be rooted in Who we belong to, not what we are doing. The “what” will always leave you empty, dissatisfied, yearning for more. The “Who”, the fullness of God’s goodness and glory; the never ending flow of His unconditional love and acceptance, is the only thing that can fill you to overflowing.

Our only true place of belonging is in Him, and from that place we know that we know that we belong to this body called the Church, Christ’s incarnate body, here on earth. He is our home, and once we get that we won’t be shaken.

So know this: you are your Beloved's, and He is yours!

You are in Him; He is in you. You are His home, He is your home; you’ve made it! You more than qualify; you are the best idea He has ever come up with!

He is pleased to possess you, and pleased to allow you to possess Him!

Your God truly is your exceedingly great reward!

Susan Fochler

I BELONG!

Last Saturday night at Blazing Fire I preached a message entitled "I Belong!" explaining that we belong not only to God but also to one another. We watched a very moving video of the song "I Belong" by Kathryn Scott. We actually watched it twice that night--once at the beginning of my message in agreement with the truth that we fully belong to our heavenly Papa and never separated from his love, and once at the end of my message while standing and holding hands across the sanctuary as one big family agreeing with the truth that we belong to each other. There were many moist eyes as we were moved by the spirit of love and acceptance that was thick in the room. Here is that link for you to watch it right now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg9TchaiOck

A noticeable and powerful shift took place last Saturday night in the Spirit. Without question Papa was very, very pleased with our desire to intentionally pursue his dream for us to experience family together the way He has designed it. If you were not there, I strongly encourage you to listen to the podcast that is already up and running (Thank you, Patrick!) Here is the link:

http://blazingfire.podbean.com/

For over a decade, Blazing Fire has been a place to experience and enjoy God's tangible, loving presence. That will never change! But Father God is inviting us to take that same love and go deep with each other just as Jesus spoke of--with a oneness and love for each other that would cause the world to believe we are truly followers of the Messiah. (see John 13:34-35 & John 17:21-23)

Each of us has a deep need within to belong and to be part of a meaningful family. Many people did not experience what God had intended for family when they were kids growing up. But God's intent for us to be part of a genuine family remains--one with love, fun and encouragement, but also one with conflict resolution and believing the best about each other when offence tries to rear it's ugly head. There have been some good aspects of family already in Blazing Fire, but what we have been doing intuitively, we are now on a course to do intentionally!

Exciting and even a little scarey, perhaps, but it's time to grow up together in love! It's going to be a process, so choose to hang in there as part of the family. The payoff of truly belonging will be well worth it!

Speaking of Family, this Saturday night, my spiritual Papa, Kris Vallotton will be speaking! He has played a huge role in my spiritual journey of wholeness over the past 12 years. Because Kris needs to leave Blazing Fire early to go to another speaking destination, he will be speaking BEFORE the worship time and not afterwards, so be on time, or better yet, early! We will enjoy our worship time after Kris leaves.

We will also be ordaining Angela Ellis as a pastor and elder of Blazing Fire Church! That will happen right at 6:00 pm with Kris preaching immediately after.

Angela and Lonnie Ellis

Upgrades are being released... by Pastor Lonnie Ellis

Blazing Fire Church had the pleasure of hosting Leif Hetland (www.leifhetlandministries.com) a couple of weeks ago. Papa used him to impact the lives of the KTSSM students and staff and the Blazing Fire family. He deposited so many nuggets from heaven that there are too many to list in this email.

One of those nuggets he released was: The enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy but Jesus comes to give life, life more abundantly - John 10:10. The point is if you are or have gone through something tough you are ready for an upgrade! An upgrade from Papa that brings life more abundantly. This is our promise. This is good news for us all!

Even now Papa is releasing upgrades as you read this short message. Expect to receive upgrades in the natural realm simply because He loves you and because He is for you.

My wife Angela and I, along with many others are already receiving Papa's upgrades in the natural.

Just agree to receive His goodness and upgrades for your life!

Are you expecting GREAT THINGS from God in 2012...

I personally shared on this topic at Blazing Fire on Feb 4, 2012. I am still feeling Papa's heart for His sons & daughters to step into and receive His revelation for their lives on this word.

With so many negatives events being portrayed in the world I feel Papa is saying "will you focus on my goodness and love for you? Will you position your self to receive great things no matter what things look like in the natural realm? Will you trust me and not what you see?"

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts - Isaiah 55:9

It's time we shift our perspective to see how heaven see's!

Do you value you...

You are Papa's greatest joy. You are His favorite son and daughter. You were created in His image. With this truth, do you value you as He values you? It's natural to see our selves from our natural perspective, but we are called to be supernatural. To see as He see's. To value Him in us. Since we have been made one with him, how can we not value ourselves as Daddy values Him in us. We are a perfect reflection of Him.

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27

He values you so much that He placed His spirit right inside of you so He could be with you always in all events.

He could not stand being separated from you one day longer. So He sent His son Jesus to pay the great price so you could be one with Him again. He values you that much.That is an extravagant love!

He loves and values you more than you may ever be able to comprehend.

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:26

Papa teach us to value ourselves and each other the way You value us.Saturate us in your love that renews and transforms our hearts and minds. Give us the gift of faith the helps us to believe!

Be Blessed and Be A Blessing - Lonnie Ellis

It's Going To Be Alright! - By Bill Hernandez - BF Prophetic Ministry Leader

I have learned that trials, troubles, griefs and difficult circumstances resolve themselves favorably, return to near normal, or turn into something wonderfully new as long as I am willing to be flexible, expecting the Lord to do good in my favor. Some things take longer to resolve and perhaps a lifetime. If I hang in there I will reap relief and many beneficial things. If it takes a long time, God is always with us through the process. Sunshine and joy will emerge and in the meantime there are blessings all around if we can see them and if we ask Him to show us. Of course we all want difficulties resolved now and in this lifetime so we can experience financial freedom, relationship harmony, perfect health, freedom from pain, job security, a committed partner, various possessions to work properly, (you fill in what you need resolved now).

Some situations we can’t help, undo or change for now, but we still can choose how we react. We can choose to worship and thank Him. We can choose to show compassion to others and to be mature. We can choose to live in the now and not with yesterday’s regrets or lost moments. We can choose to stay connected to the body or ask for support and prayer, especially if we are suffering terribly or grieving losses.

The Lord knows everything we go through and He cheers us on by giving us that precious scripture in Rom 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

We love God. We are called and invited by Him. We are one in Jesus and Jesus is happy. Therefore, we can find joy now and in our future. We have relief and resurrection into new vistas and if not now, then absolutely later. Because we belong to Him, whatever circumstance we are in, it will be resolved somehow, some way. There is an answer. There is a way. It will not be partially resolved, but completely and totally resolved!

If it’s going to be resolved for absolute certainty it will be done His way for His perfectly good reasons. In other words, we must let go of our expectations, let go of control, trust Him and reap the benefits of how He works it all out for us--meaning for God, for ourselves and for others. God has a plan and purpose. One of those purposes is a gush of love from His heart to your heart. Papa knows best! His adoring heart is totally focused on your wellbeing and destiny. He will remove pitfalls, roadblocks and anything that gets in the way of His doting love for you and He will promote His blessings to you again and again.

Our big Brother Jesus’ suffering worked out for incredible good in the end and ours too will work out because God is on our side. God will honor and bless us for all we’ve been through and will go through. If Jesus gets to be happy and loved on by Papa, well, hey, so do you and I! That is an unchangeable truth.

Please repeat this, write it on your wall, fridge or mirror – “I trust You Lord because it’s going work out for good.” Repeat this often. May His kingdom come to you now as it is in heaven!

Blissings!
Bill Hernandez

Everyday Kisses by Pastor Karena Lout

There is nothing I love more than enjoying the sweet presence of God. Sometimes He shows up like a big glorious explosion and sometimes He reveals Himself in the quiet whispers of a gentle breeze. I often encourage people to stop, be still and pay attention to the subtle ways Jesus wants to communicate His love for them. Though I really love when God rocks me like a hurricane, manifests in a thunderous roar or shows up with Glory signs and wonders, I'm just as thrilled when I notice a new flower blooming in my yard or when He saves me time at the grocery store by leading me to just the right line. If relationship is your goal, then you will never be disappointed!

Since we are ONE with Christ, there is never a time that He is distant, separate or disinterested in our day to day lives. It may feel like it at times, but the truth remains that He is closer than the very air we breathe. "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ." Rom. 8:38

Brother Lawrence, author of "The Practice of the Presence of God," found no distinction between a time of business and a time of worship. He was just as aware of God's presence while worshiping at church as he was washing the dishes. God is not withholding an encounter from us. As His children, He has lavished every good gift upon us. He is simply waiting in excitement for us to acknowledge the "kisses" He has placed in front of us every day. When you see the world through the lenses of love, you see Christ in everything.

I pray each of you become more and more aware of the simple, yet powerful ways Jesus is communicating His love for you. Enjoy your union with the ONE who loves to encounter you with His presence without measure!

Love,
Karena Lout

God Really Is There For You - by Pastor Susan Fochler

One of the things I love about our God, is that He is, and will always continue to be, exactly Who He says He is. And He has a whole lot to say about who He is. It is by increasingly coming to know who He is, that we come to discover who we truly are, His sons and His daughters, created out of His love, to be His.

One of the names He calls Himself is the “God who is there”, Adoni Shahmah. Last summer, as I sat by Russ’s bedside as he lay “partly dead” for a number of weeks, I really needed to know God was there, with me. It was an overwhelming, stark time, where I could not keep up emotionally or mentally with the changes and information being thrown at me day after day. My friends and family came to support me and be with me, and were an incredible help to me when I didn’t quite know how to ask for help. The challenge was in knowing how to be with myself, and with Jesus, in an emotional space I had never experienced before. It wasn’t a surprise to Jesus that this was going to be hard for me.

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You are familiar with all my ways. Psalm 139:1,2

But He has promised us, although we may have never “passed this way before”, He has. Deuteronomy 31:8 states that “...The Lord is the one who goes before you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor forsake you.”

As I encountered places in myself I had not known before, missing Russ desperately, unable to talk with him for several long weeks after being married for 32 years, Jesus kept reassuring me, “I will be with you.” It took a while for my heart to catch up with what my mind knew was His reality. It really is true. There is nowhere we can go, in place, time, emotion, thought process, where He will not go with us. He goes with us to our highest highs, and our lowest lows. His love for us is all-encompassing, ever-present, constant. This is His unconditional love: in His infinite wisdom, and most tender of mercy, He does not respect the boundaries we place on our own hearts.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. Psalm 139:7,8.

I began to experience the gentleness, the sweetness of His mercy in a way I had never known before. He whispered this encouragement to me, “Remember I’m here; lean on Me. And if you feel weak, lean even more. You aren’t supposed to be strong in and of yourself. I am your strength. I will always be here, I will never leave you, turn away or stop being for you. Everything you need is right here.”

I truly believe the most unexplored part of our universe is our own hearts. The place where we are to encounter God most profoundly is right here, within. He has already been there, but we have not. And it is His great joy to go there with us...and stay...always. And in making His manifest presence known to us, His joy fills us in recognizing He has joy in our presence.

If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. Psalm 139: 9,10

The amazing thing with our God, is that He knows us, everything about us, right where we are. You never, ever, have to feel that you have to be “on” with God. He has already been to your “off” place, anyway...even goes ahead of you into it! Let’s get over ourselves! He has!

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You. Psalm 139: 17,18

God is not capable of rejecting you, turning His back on you, ever. There is nothing you are capable of doing that can possibly cause Him to do anything less than adore you. He knows all of our secrets, already; He’s already been there!

You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it. Psalm 139: 5,6

Such amazing, unconditional, holy and tender love is beyond our comprehension. I think we have to just accept that as fact. But the really good news is that we don’t have to wait until we understand it to receive it. It’s all yours, already. The whole of His heart is yours for the asking. Just open up and receive.

Susan Fochler

Liberty and Justice for All - By Pastor Karena Lout

"I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth and I delight in these things.” Jeremiah 9:24

My Dad has always had a huge heart for justice. As president of a union in the Bay Area, he works hard to ensure that people are being treated fairly and that they’re protected. He has also become the answer to many other causes and just seems to spread love to everyone he meets. Much like my Dad, I've found I have a deep desire to protect and love people who may not always have a voice too.

Likewise, we reflect the image of our Abba Father who is Justice Himself. He sent His Son to make all things right and justified us through His shed blood on the cross. Since Christ became justice for us, we get to express and communicate that to the whole world. We carry it on the inside of us. The law would say that justice is punishment, revenge or "getting what they deserve." But the new covenant's definition is: Receiving all Jesus paid for on the cross. All mankind reconciled, fully acquitted, made right, whole, redeemed back to their original design. Or as Paul Manwarring has put it: "Justice is a man and woman walking into divorce court and coming out reconciled." Justice is salvation for ALL, just as God intended it from the very beginning.

I have a deep passion to see justice in the area of human trafficking, not only in other nations but right here in the U.S. where young girls are forced into slavery every day. Though the statistics are alarming and the victims' stories heartbreaking, God has encouraged me not to keep my focus on the problem but on the solution. This doesn't mean I'm ignorant to what's happening but I no longer "camp out" there. Sometimes sympathy can keep people locked into a problem, but the compassion of God draws them out. Heaven sees things very differently. We have been invited to see from that perspective. "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of Heaven where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand." (Colossians 3:1 NLT) Jesus always asks me, "How do you want to be the answer?" One way Wildfire answered this question was by selling their prophetic art at BFC and donating the funds to a shelter in the Bay Area that houses and brings restoration to survivors of human trafficking. YOU supported this and were part of the solution! Because we are walking representations of Christ on the earth, we just can’t help but be the answer the world is looking for.

We don’t need to gather around who we’re against but around who and what we're for. As we celebrate and honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr. this week, I've been reminded that he changed the course of world history through DREAMING with God. He carried a vision in his heart and kept his focus on the answer, the dream. What is your dream? What moves your heart and stirs up passion? How does God want to be the answer through you? I want to encourage you that Christ in you is shining forth and you are carrying Him, who is the answer, everywhere you go!

“But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. And so we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.”-Martin Luther King Jr.

I love you Family,
Karena Lout