Embracing Growth by Pastor Karena Lout

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me.” 2 Corin. 12:9

“We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, Who is the head of the his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly.As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” Eph. 4:15-16 (NLT)

When I was in labor with my son Josiah, I remember thinking, “Why didn’t anyone tell me this was going to be so painful?!” Todd was so comforting and patient with me throughout as I grabbed his arm and yelled, “I’m dying!” I didn’t have an epidural so I literally thought I was dying. No joke. I didn’t anticipate that kind of pain. Of course, the amazing gift of my son was far greater than any pain I endured.

In my journey I’ve found that it’s helpful to know that not everything is going to come easy. In a culture that looks to make things quicker, easier and predictable, sometimes we lose the value of process and mystery. As our kids were growing up, Todd and I let them know that life isn’t always gonna feel like “rainbows and butterflies.” As parents, we want to shield them from any harm and pain. But I also know that life can be challenging at times and I want them to gain the strength they’re going to need to face difficult things, relying on who Jesus is for them. We can’t always be prepared for everything that happens in life but we can choose how we will respond and what we believe about God in the face of it.

I recently heard this quote, “You can forget what hurt you but never forget what it taught you.” We have the choice to let difficult things define us and keep us stuck or we can choose to allow them to bring growth in our life. God has been encouraging me lately to take a look at some things that just aren’t working for me anymore, patterns and beliefs that He wants to transform. At times I feel stretched and uncomfortable but the reward far outweighs the cost. God isn’t looking to manage our behavior. He is more concerned with “why” we do what we do and wants to show us His way of doing things. When we begin to ask Him to show us what’s really going on in our heart, He brings healing and transformation that no law could ever bring. As we look at who Jesus is, we begin to see who we really are and then how we live will follow.

One way God inspires growth in our lives is by encouraging us to ask questions. All throughout the Psalms, we see David inquiring of the Lord and diving into the beauty and mystery of all that He is. God recently told me, “If you don’t find yourself asking questions, you may have to consider that you are too comfortable with already having all the answers.” Part of growing up is staying teachable, asking questions and realizing that our life with Jesus is a continual discovery. It’s in asking Him questions that we find how expansive and beautiful His love is. I encourage you to dive deep into the ocean of mystery where something new is always unfolding.

Growing up doesn’t mean we’re no longer childlike. “When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.” (1Corin.13:11)

Embracing growth in our lives is allowing God to transform the way we think, leaving behind patterns that are no longer working on our behalf. It’s in becoming childlike that we actually grow in our relationship with Him. I encourage you this holiday season to allow the wonder and mystery of what Jesus did for you to capture your heart again. Look at life through the eyes of a child. There are mysteries and surprises waiting for you to unwrap. Take time to ask Jesus to show you what His strength and comfort looks like as you face some of life’s challenges. You can do this! Jesus already provided the way for you so enjoy the journey!

Love, Karena

Christmas PRESENT by Pastor Todd Benjamin Lout

Trying to come up with that perfect Christmas gift to give your friends and family? How about a fantastic birthday present for Jesus to celebrate His coming here and rescuing us? Oh, and maybe a little something for you too? I've got just the thing! It's the gift of being present! This is sure to be a winner!

Here, meditate on this: "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

Life is busy, for sure. So many of us have brains that have adapted to thinking of the next thing you'll be doing, the next person you're going to be with, the next day's activities and how to accomplish it, all while you're in a moment that should actually require your presence. Be still! Let's settle down our minds and allow God to have this moment...and the next and the next. There are treasures right in front of us, little surprises from a good Father, that we sometimes miss because we're not being present in the moment.

Often, when we jump ahead, we start leaning on our own understanding. We try to figure out how we're gonna do this or solve that and anxiety comes.

(see Proverbs 3:5 & Philippians 4:6)

When we have a tendency to look back a whole lot, regret tries to creep in....
"I should have said this", "I should have done it that way."

God is our present help. He is right here, right now to help us make the most out of every opportunity. (see Ephesians 5:15 & 16) When we stay present we have more to give and more to receive. Your friends and family will certainly be thankful to have the actual YOU with them, instead of the shell of you while your brain is in tomorrow. Your perfect Father will enjoy having your gaze and you, yourself, will certainly be enriched, more peaceful, more solid as you allow Him to meet you in this moment. You'll even have more ideas, more energy and more love in approaching those "next" things.

Try it today!

Your presence will make even the busy Christmas season a whole lot merrier!

Contending for Advancement by Pastor Susan Fochler

We are continually grateful to Jesus for His decision to descend from the perfection of Heaven and join us in our confusing and sometimes brutal world. He provided everything necessary for us to become One with Him as a brand new creation in Christ, with a new identity as a holy child of the One Most High. A moment’s choice on our part to say “Yes”, results in a radical response from Jesus to make all heavenly resources available to us. What exactly that means takes a lifetime to learn to unpack.

Stewarding our own Hearts
Accessing those resources is something we need to learn. Now that we are His, it is our turn to step up and steward what has been so generously provided for us. Stewardship means cherishing and nurturing the territory of your heart that Jesus purchased with His own blood. We cannot do this in our own strength and understanding, however; we need to co-labor with the One who created us and knows us better than we know ourselves. 

Russ and I are planning to put in a new garden in our backyard. The plans look fabulous! It’s a bigger job than we can do on our own, so we are hiring a landscape company to put it in for us. But we also know, after the initial work is done, the long term work to maintain that beauty will be on us.

Is not about Knowing Everything, but Knowing the One
In medical school, students are told that becoming a brilliant doctor isn’t a matter of knowing everything, but in knowing where to go and how to get the understanding that is needed. Similarly, as believers, our goal is not to know everything there is to know about God, but to discover where to go and how to get what we need from Him. One of the best “where to go” in God places I know is in discovering an aspect of His personality expressed by one of His Names. In the essence of Who He is, we encounter every answer for any problem or deficit we could possibly have.

Here is an a excerpt from an article that came across The Elijah List this week from Angela Greenig, where she exhorts us to Contend for the Top of the Mountain:

It is time for the tearing down of strongholds and, even if you can't see your promises right now, believe that darkness is crumbling under your feet in the name of the Lord Jesus. It is happening!!! We are as in Isaiah 45:1-3 where the word decrees:
"Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held to subdue nations before him, and I will unarm and ungird the loins of kings to open doors before him, so that gates will not be shut. I will go before you and level the mountains [to make the crooked places straight]; I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut asunder the bars of iron. And I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, so you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, Who calls you by your name."

What Does God Need to be for You?
He is our Healer, our Peace, our Provider, our Shepherd, and our Friend. Our Comforter, our Teacher, our Deliverer, our Helper and the source of all our Wisdom. Our Strength, our intercessor before the throne, our Strong Tower around us and our Almighty One. And many, many more. 365 at a minimum according to John Paul Jackson. Who do you need your Jesus to be for you? How does your heart need to shift in order to make that space available for Him? What would it mean for your life to discover that He really does want to help you in your area of need?

I Love Being on this Journey Together with All of You!


Susan

The Original Black Friday by Pastor Brent Lokker

It's interesting that when Jesus was born at night, the sky lit up like day with a bright star. Then when Jesus was crucified during the day, it became as dark as night for three hours. (Matthew 27:45)

What happened on the cross was a divine exchange. Jesus was made sin so we could be made righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21). Righteous means we were made to be a perfect match for God.

On the original Black Friday, Jesus did all the purchasing and we did all the receiving. He bought everything we would ever need for a life of purpose that's filled with hope and saturated in love. And he did it all in a day...

"For you know that the price of your ransom from the futile way of life handed down from your ancestors was paid, not in anything perishable like siler or gold, but in precious blood as of a blameless and spotless lamb, Christ." (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Retailers have used the term Black Friday to indicate the sales making their ledgers black (not in the red) with the profit. Jesus' purchasing power was infinite and He used it to forever put you and me on the positive side (in the black) with God!

"Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrifical death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way." (Romans 5:9, The Message Bible)

As we enter into this Christmas season, giving and receiving gifts, let's do so honoring the One who willingly came to pour out his life for us as a a gift beyond comprehension. The highest honor we can give Jesus is to receive His gift of love and forgiveness with open hearts and to freely give to others what we have freely recieved from Him.

Declaring over you this Christmas season all of the peace and joy that Jesus purchased for you in full!

With much love,
Brent

God's Promises & Our Response Pastor Brent Lokker

On Monday, Nov. 17th, Blazing Fire turned 13--We're officially in our teen years now!

Last Saturday night I shared the significance of the number 13 (A number of great blessings from the Lord) and how that ties in with the journey Suzanne and I have been on. From the bottom of our hearts, we truly thank those of you who have chosen to travel on this journey with us. Each of you are a priceless treasure and an important part of the Blazing Fire family!

I want to strongly encourage you to listen to my message from last week because in it, I am laying the ground work for where we've been (the promises God has given us over the past 25 years here in the Bay Area) and where I see us going (our response together as a family), including an update on Blazing Fire's search for a place of our own to host God's presence 24/7. Part 2 of this message is coming up tomorrow. I ended last Saturday's message with a prayer for God to breathe on the promises you have received from Him through the years. If you've been discouraged about the timing of the promises you've been waiting for, you will be greatly encouraged listening to this message! You can listen by clicking here: http://blazingfire.podbean.com/e/brent-lokker-11-15-14/

Bill Johnson of Bethel Churh in Redding recently proclaimed that God is about to pour out the greatest measure of FAVOR, RESOURCES & AUTHORITY that believers have ever seen!

He declared that we are in a Psalm 67 time:

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us
2 so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth.
5 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
6 The land yields its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
7 May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

God has every intention of blessing each of us as His treasured children in a big way SO THAT the nations will be saved! These are the times we are living in and this is why we have been allowing God to prepare our hearts for the increase.

I bless you in this season of giving thanks to the One who has outrageous plans for our good. It's a great time to be alive!

With much love,

Pastors Brent & Suzanne

Hope For All Seasons - Todd Benjamin Lout

Here it is folks! We’ve arrived, again, at the wonderful holiday season. Amazing how fast it comes and goes and comes back again. Many have nicknamed this time a, “season of hope”, and rightly so as there’s such a focus on Jesus and all that was born into the world with Him.

Interestingly, though, our common use of this word, “Hope”, is reduced to a wish. Often it’s even used in a negative connotation rather than a positive one: “Gee, I sure hope I get a raise.” (said with rolled eyes and no expectancy at all). BUT, this glorious aspect of our perfect Father, this promise that we can open and keep, is a wonderful one because true hope is the joyful anticipation of good!

Abraham and Lot were both referred to as “righteous men”. In 1st Peter we see something interesting: “Righteous Lot was oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men.” As Lot looked around and saw his surroundings, hopelessness crept in, swallowing hope and allowing himself to become defined by his surroundings. BUT, Abraham, (Lot’s uncle), hoped when things seemed hopeless, (Romans 4:17). He defined his surroundings by painting it all with hope. Both men considered righteous, but Abraham was called God’s friend and was given much more than an honorable mention when the entire chapter 4 of Romans is dedicated to him. God is recognizing the value of hope here.

Hope and Faith are married and we know that God loves faith operation. Hebrews 11:16 even tells us that we just can not please Him without faith. In fact, it looks like promises come to us because of our faith, (Hebrews 6:12).

Dare to apply…no, baptize, your dreams, your burning desires, in Hope. Get your hopes up, as they say. The desires of your heart, whether ending human trafficking or sending an encouraging note to someone, are real-estate that God occupies when hope is there. Hope becomes the atmosphere that faith grows in.

If you’re feeling like hope has been swallowed up by hopelessness, I urge you to let hope arise again. As hope is stirred up a little bit more in this time of year, grab onto it! It is infectious, you know. Let it skyrocket all through the year, every year!

Say, with hope, “I am who God says I am!”

Three Chairs, One Papa! by Pastor Brent Lokker

Last Saturday at Blazing Fire Church I further explained the three chairs that Leif Hetland had described two weeks ago. You can listen to my message and see the accompanying keynote here: http://blazingfire.podbean.com.

Everyone on the earth is sitting in one of three chairs:

Chair #1 is the chair of commitment to the Lord, based on His covenant with us--promising to work all things for our good all the time. In this chair, shalom is your companion--God restoring you in all ways, making you whole and complete. Those who sit in this chair know that they are Papa's sons or daughters who live from heaven to earth, who see challenges as promises to be received, who think brilliantly with the Lord, and who experience rest!

Chair #2 is the chair where believers in Jesus compromise love and integrity for the sake of convenience. In this chair, the "frogs" of distractions overtake the shalom of the Lord that is your promised inheritance. Those who sit here behave as orphans who are in lack, who live from earth to heaven, who see challenges as problems to be acheived, who perceive life as continual limitations, and who live in striving and stress.

Chair #3 is the chair of those who are not yet saved. The god of this world has blinded them from seeing the glory of Jesus as well as the glory they carry as those made in the image of God. (2 Cor. 4:4)

Believers can move back and forth from chair #1 to chair #2, but we were designed to operate out of chair #1. This is our inheritance in Christ! By living life in the Spirit instead of letting our soul lead the way, we actually will choose life and love every time!

“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” Romans 8:5

Here is the 28 day challenge I extended to you: To wake up each morning for the next four weeks and pray a prayer like this:

Holy Spirit

Today, I choose to be led by You!

Because my spirit is engaged with you,

My spirit will lead and my soul will follow

As you show me the frogs that distract,

I will give you access to my heart

and receive your Shalom

Finally, I want to remind you of this: Our heavenly Papa loves every one of His children with the same intensity. He doesn't love the children who reside in one chair over those who are in another, but with His whole heart, he wants all of His children to enjoy the fulness of His passion for them and to be saved through Jesus' perfect sacrifice to enjoy the inheritance that Jesus paid for!

Brent