Hope Never Disappoints by Pastor Karena Lout, Pastor Susan Fochler and Intercessor Diane Jung

- KARENA LOUT -

A few months ago, a young adult showed up at our house pretty desperate. Unfortunately her Mom told her that there's no hope and she would have to live the rest of her life without it. I recognized that look of desperation as she shared this with me. Before I knew Jesus, I remember I'd often feel like I was suffocating, gasping for air and searching for any ounce of life I could cling onto. The good news is this young woman experienced Jesus' love for her in a powerful way and the hopelessness that once weighed so heavy in her heart is gone.   As someone who feels compassion pretty deeply, I've had to learn how to process with the Lord what my part is when people around me are suffering. I once heard someone say that empathy is feeling "With" not "For." It's important we aren't discounting people's pain or feeling responsible to fix what they're facing. The world is really looking for people who are filled with hope. Hope isn't passive. It's a substance, like faith, yet it's something we can't see. Jesus is inviting us to peer into Heaven and grab hold of it. Hope never disappoints.

- DIANE JUNG -

Romans 15:13  May God the source of all hope, fill you with all joy and peace, by means of your faith in him. so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit. (GNT) Pondering on this verse, God continuously and abundantly provides all hope. He desires to fill me, but this flowing can be impeded by my lack of trust in Him.  Growing up, I was taught that hope was an expectation or goal to be met. Recently, I was in a circumstance which I couldn't solve, so I felt out of control. Doubt kicked in and anxiety overwhelmed me. I was self-condemning myself. Why didn't I have enough faith in God? What the heck was wrong with me? As these lies were piling up, hope was being stolen, letting disappointment settle into my heart. I couldn't be present with anyone, because my mind was focused on shaming myself. Tired of feeling this way, I chose to hope. I sought ways to process my heart, with safe friends, and received inner healing prayer.  I was vulnerable with God, acknowledging that I was not able to have faith in Him to help me. Instead of feeling He was judging me, I felt Him pouring out love and empathy. Trust began to build, creating space in my heart to receive from God's abundant flow of truth. Hope became reality, and I felt so much joy and peace replacing the anxiety. Even though I thought I had less faith than a mustard seed, God took that little bit, and ran with it. Bill Johnson said "Hope and Hopelessness are both contagious. Decide the influence you would have on the world around us." No matter how hopeless your circumstances feel, I bless you to open the door to trusting God, and find "your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit"!

- SUSAN FOCHLER -

I’ve had quite a journey learning to embrace hope.  Before I understood the ways of the Kingdom, I dumbed down my expectations and allowed cynicism to flavor my view of the future.  I didn’t even realize it-but I had so come to expect disappointment that my heart was hardened against hope. It was just a pleasant surprise if something good happened.  But the more I experience Christ’s love and acceptance it is becoming easier to keep my heart soft as I focus on the Person of Christ, and less on circumstances and outcomes.   It is such an amazing but true statement from Col 1:27, that Christ within us is the only hope, the only source of the glory of God’s goodness and abundant life.  The power of this truth is in knowing He who created all things, who is holding this entire universe together, indwells us in full.  I cannot control or predict my future, but I can know without a shadow of a doubt that my Jesus and all of heaven is as close as my next heartbeat.

How Awesome Is That? by guest Charles Razzell

How is your year going so far? No, not the one that started on January 1st, but the one that began on Rosh Hashana, (September 21, in 2017). The start of the Jewish year begins with 10 “days of awe,” which are days set aside for repentance, introspection and charitable works leading up to Yom Kippur, also known in English as the Day of Atonement. This “Sabbath of Sabbaths” is a day of complete fasting from both food and water along with several other prohibitions. The scriptural basis for this practice comes from Leviticus 16:29-30:

This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: on the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work – whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you – because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins.

The Hebrew word for repentance is TESHUVAH, pronounced: tuh-SHOO-vah, meaning literally “return”, referring to a “return to God.”  This was never intended as a mere intellectual exercise, but was always profoundly practical. It required action, including confession, reconciliation and restitution. Isaiah 55:6-7 calls for this return to God in the following words:

Seek God while he’s here to be found,     pray to him while he’s close at hand. Let the wicked abandon their way of life     and the evil their way of thinking. Let them come back to God, who is merciful,     come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness.

There is no hiding in religious niceties here; it is downright practical and direct: “Let the wicked abandon their way of life.”   An important lesson we can learn from Jewish observance of the Days of Awe and Yom Kippur is a radical awareness of our need for atonement and forgiveness. However, it would be a tragic to stay in that place, and not alsounderstand God’s astounding and complete provision for our atonement! The fulfillment of the Day of Atonement was completed, once for all, when Jesus offered himself on the cross, as described in Hebrews 9:6-14.

But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.  The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

May we never lose our wonder, at that act of amazing love!  As Steffany Gretzinger’s worship song puts it:   It's extravagant, it doesn't make sense We'll never comprehend, the way You love us It's unthinkable, only heaven knows Just how far You'd go, to say You love us To say You love us To say You love us   God’s love requires a response: If we understand, even dimly, that the One who was without sin died for us, we should be willing to move out of the comfort zone of “theory” and open ourselves up to receive him. Although we must take a step towards Him, he takes huge leaps and bounds to meet us, while we are on the way!  The prodigal son story illustrates this perfectly in Luke 15:20

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

This is Teshuvah (repentance) in a nutshell. “I will get up and go to my Father” is a very practical statement that was immediately followed though by visible action. However, that action is not one that attempts to fix the problem directly by using our own resources, but it is a decision to depend entirely on the mercy of God and His resources!   The willingness to take concrete action, however small, is often a prelude to much greater supernatural power showing up, so that we are no longer self-powered but Christ-powered. This unequal partnership is key to enjoying the Normal Christian Life, which is always God-powered and goes far beyond what our own actions could ever achieve on their own.  How awesome is that?!                                                                          Blessings! - Charles

Gift of Repentance by Pastor Brent Lokker

Suzanne and I have a wonderful marriage with plenty of tender moments between us, but believe it or not, we are sometimes at odds with each other because one of us does or says something that is not honoring to the other (audible gasp!).   Just pretending it didn’t happen doesn’t bring us back to the tender, loving place with each other.  What does bring us back to the tender places is when one or both of us are willing to understand how our words or actions negatively impacted the other, takes ownership of our part in it, and sincerely asks for forgiveness because of a longing in our hearts to want connection more than we want to hang on to pride.   I share this with you, not primarily to let you know we’re real people just like everybody else, but to paint a picture of what repentance looks like and why it’s such a gift from God to us.   We were all made to have deep connection with our Lord.  We were meant to enjoy tender moments with him.  Just as Adam was first created to walk with God and enjoy His company, so we were created to experience closeness with our Father all the time.  But since we make poor choices and then pride causes us not to see things the way they truly are, repentance is a precious gift God has given to us so we can reconnect our hearts to Him!   We are in the middle of the 10 Days of Awe, part of the Jewish fall feasts between Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), where God invites us to press the reset button if our hearts have been asleep, offended, disengaged, fixed on addictive patterns, or any number of things that have caused us to wander away from being close to Papa.  Instead of being angry, His great heart reaches out to us over and over again to say, “Repentance is my gift to you. Wouldn’t you rather have what I have in store for you this next year instead of the direction your life was going?”  Listen to His heart and respond with repentance (“Yes, Lord, this is what I want!”) when you feel your heart tugged by these pleas from Papa God to you:   Wouldn’t you rather trust Me? Wouldn’t you rather take My hand? Wouldn’t you rather be free? Wouldn’t you rather love yourself? Wouldn’t you rather care again and let your light shine? Wouldn’t you rather rest in my ability to take care of you? Wouldn’t you rather partner with me? Wouldn’t you rather let love win? Wouldn’t you rather accept yourself? Wouldn’t you rather give Me your fears? Wouldn’t you rather give Me your fears? Wouldn’t you rather just let go of the madness? Wouldn’t you rather believe it doesn’t have to be this way? Wouldn’t you rather make life giving choices with My help? Wouldn’t you rather not feel alone? Wouldn’t you rather speak life over yourself & your situation? Wouldn’t you rather know that I got you? Wouldn’t you rather focus on Me? Wouldn’t you rather agree with what I say about you? Wouldn’t you rather invite me into the mess? Wouldn’t you rather let yourself be loved? Wouldn’t you rather understand I have no hidden agendas? Wouldn’t you rather hand me your hurts? Wouldn’t you rather let the offense go? Wouldn’t you rather not make up negative stories about others in your mind? Wouldn’t you rather forgive completely as I have done for you? Wouldn’t you rather remember the times I’ve come through for you? Wouldn’t you rather ask for my help? Wouldn’t you rather be open to My invitation?   So what can you do in these last few days of the 10 days of Awe to prepare your heart to walk into all that God has for you in this next year?   Continually say YES to our Father’s invitation!  Go back to the prophetic words over your life and open your heart up to them again Read God’s word and declare His promises over your life. Find reasons to be thankful every day WORSHIP!  WORSHIP!  WORSHIP! God’s heart is always for you, never against you. Let your heart be melted once again by His kindness towards you and give Him permission to heal your heart in any way that’s needed for this next season of life.   “Do you belittle the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience—not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4 TLV)

I Am The Vine, You Are The Branches by Pastor Brent Lokker

Last Saturday night in the midst of deep and intimate worship, a clear message came into focus from God’s Spirit. It was a timely reminder to combat any discouragement or weariness that may have tried to settle into our hearts.  What was the simple and profound truth that came through many voices last Saturday?   Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches.   Here is that truth found in John 15:5: I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me.    Recently our family took a vacation to Spain. We were celebrating the landmark of both of our sons having graduated from college. One of the days we wound our way through the hills of northern Spain where vineyards stretched as far as the eye could see.  We stopped at one of the vineyards to go on a tour of the fields.   I was astonished and thoroughly impressed to learn just how meticulously these grapes were cared for. Branches were pruned back to such an extent that the grapes would produce more intense flavor instead of volume. There needs to be enough water so that the grapes are sustained, but too much water once again reduces the flavor. Even different rows of grapes on the same property received more or less watering depending upon the exact components found in the soil. Though the fields were vast and spread out acre upon acre, one vinedresser carefully and painstakingly inspects and cultivates each and every cluster on the property to care for it in the best way possible day after day after day.   If this much care is given to produce the best and richest grapes possible in the natural, can you begin to imagine how much care Jesus takes in the supernatural fashioning your life to yield the purest and most exquisite representation of His pure love?  We have this tendency to try and judge for ourselves how good we think we’re doing. We look at one point of time in our journey and think, “I’m not as far along as I should be” or “What am I really doing that’s making a difference?” or even “Does it really matter than I’m alive?”    Jesus says, “Trust me.  I know what I’m doing.  I am the vine as well as the vinedresser. Why don’t you let me do the gardening of your heart? I know the soil of your heart and I know just how to water you at the right time. I am your source for everything in life. Everything you need—love, encouragement, hope, blessing, favor, breakthroughs—everything—comes through me. I am meticulous in my care for you and I know how to make your life the sweetest version of who I created you to be. I don’t look at your life in one fixed point in time. I see all of your life from start to finish as one beautiful montage of all the highlights of the ways you have loved well because you have chosen to remain connected to me. You’re making a bigger difference than you know. I’m making sure of it. Trust me.”   Take in the truth one more time from the heart of Jesus to you and hear the tenderness in His voice:  I am the sprouting vine and you’re my branches. As you live in union with me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from me you are powerless. When your lives bear abundant fruit, you demonstrate that you are my mature disciples who glorify my Father! I love each of you with the same love that the Father loves me. Let my love nourish your hearts.  (Portions of John 15:5-9 in the Passion Translation)                            Love,

Free Falling Into Him by Pastor Karena Lout

Last week our family got away to Tahoe for a few days. I always come alive when I’m in nature. I was feeling pretty adventurous and decided to make a big jump over a portion of a pool that narrowed into a canal. Well I didn’t quite make it across and ended up hitting the concrete pretty hard. Thankfully a trip to the ER wasn’t required but I did get some pretty sizable bruises, swelling and scrapes all over my legs. My kids told me afterward they were surprised that I didn’t hesitate to make such a big jump. And strangely enough, I didn’t regret it.   I’ve been challenging myself to not let fear dictate my decisions. I realize that I probably could’ve used a bit more wisdom before trying to leap across that pool, but I was glad that I didn’t see it as an impossibility. God’s been encouraging me to walk in this kind of faith in my relationships and also in the dreams I’m pursuing. As we live vulnerably, love wholeheartedly and take more risks, every obstacle that comes our way is an opportunity to trust Him more.   I love this quote by Bill Johnson, “living in regret will become your biggest regret.” I lived many years feeling regret over big decisions and small decisions. I put all of my perceived weaknesses and failures under a microscope, ready to judge through a harsh lens. Jesus began to show me that He doesn’t measure success by whether I stand or I fall down. We’re already a success because we’re loved by Him. The most courageous thing you could do is to get back up after you’ve fallen down.   This song, In Over My Head by Jenn Johnson has really been moving my heart lately. Here’s a portion of it: I’m standing knee deep but I’m out where I’ve never been. I feel you coming and I hear your voice on the wind. Would you come and tear down the boxes that I have tried to put you in. Let love come teach me who you are again. Would you take me back to the place where my heart was only about you And all I wanted was just to be with you Come and do whatever you want to Further and further my heart moves away from the shore Whatever it looks like, whatever may come, I am Yours Then you crash over me and I’ve lost control but I’m free I’m going under, I’m in over my head. Whether I sink, whether I swim It makes no difference when I’m beautifully in over my head “May you have the power to comprehend with all the saints, how wide, how long, how high and how deep His love is.” Ephesians 3:18    I pray you would have the courage to leave the shore, give yourself grace to make mistakes and free fall into Jesus’ all consuming, overwhelming love for you. (He’s soft, so you’ll escape with no injuries of course, haha!) Karena

Trusting in God's Love by Pastor Russ Fochler

Trusting in God's Love by Russ Fochler Susan and I love the 13th chapter of the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church.  It is how we want to do life.  Time and time again, we’ve seen how conveying the gentleness, patience, and kindness of God has been a key for unlocking people’s hearts: 4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.  NASB Years ago, I loved singing the worship song “Your Love Never Fails”.  It was written by Chris McClarney and is also the title song for the Your Love Never Fails Jesus Culture album.  And yet, for many years, I’ve struggled: How can I square this song along with this passage from 1 Corinthians 13 — with the scriptures about “hell” and unending torment?  I asked Holy Spirit for wisdom and then waited and watched for new understanding. God’s love (the Greek word ἀγάπη, agápē) is indeed what Paul is describing for us in 1 Cor 13 — so we as followers of Jesus may embrace this way of being for ourselves.   I appreciate Wm. Paul Young’s definition of agape: “Self-giving, other-centered love”.  This love does not take into account a wrong suffered, bears all thing, hopes all things, and never fails (never stops!).  Last Saturday night (August 26), I shared some of what I’ve been learning about difficult verses in many English translations about “eternal/everlasting punishment”.  I am very encouraged.  How I perceive Father God’s love is no longer tinged with what seemed to be extreme rejection and needless cruelty.  My trust and hope in God's goodness has grown.   Here is a link to the podcast. A link to the slides for the talk (with additional slides) are also on this podcast page. http://blazingfire.podbean.com/e/to-bring-us-into-the-home-of-his-heart-russ-fochler/ If you just want to see the slides, here is a link:  https://www.slideshare.net/rfochler/to-bring-us-into-the-home-of-his-heart-russ-fochler And if you just have a few minutes, I recommend watching this clip of Wm. Paul Young.   I used it to close the talk.  https://www.tbn.org/programs/restoring-shack/watch/restoring-shack-13  (move the slider to 23:45 and listen to about 26:30)   With Love, Russ P.S. I’m aware the material here and in my talk is surprising -- and may be controversial.  Before you form an opinion, please listen to the talk, review the slides, and perhaps even watch the 2 episodes (15 and 16) of Restoring The Shack first.   Thanks!