The Journey of Surrender by Pastor Karena Lout

Todd and I felt God leading us to move to Missouri early in our marriage. It was a big decision and the first time I realized I needed Him to guide and lead me. I was 20 years old, Josiah was a newborn and I had only known Jesus for a few years. I knew Him as Savior because He rescued me from a really dark pit, but I wasn’t familiar with Him as Lord. I had taken care of myself for so long that putting my trust in someone who wanted to lead me was foreign. Control felt easier than trust because it had this false illusion of protection. It’s been a journey to learn to surrender my heart and my life to Jesus over the years. It’s been scary at times but also a huge relief to know I don’t have to do it all on my own.   David may have understood the importance of knowing God as Lord and King because he was a shepherd himself. I’ve been reading Psalm 139:23-24 in the Passion Translation almost every day lately:

“God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart. Examine me through and through; find out everything that may be hidden within me. Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares. See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on, and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting ways- the path that brings me back to you.”

What kind of vulnerability and courage does it take to open your heart completely to God like that? In order to invite that kind of leadership in your life, it’s vital that we know the true nature and heart of God. If we don’t know His nature, we can’t be certain how He will use His power. Jesus never uses His power to control or injure us. He uses His power to heal, to love and to make all things work together for our good. We may not fully understand His ways, but when we know His heart for us, surrendering becomes much more inviting.   For a long time I felt like I never measured up so if I received correction, I’d crumble. But as Jesus began to heal me, I started to invite people to speak into my life. I knew I had blind spots and my pain wasn’t always allowing me to see myself or situations clearly. Self-sufficiency is an enemy to growth. We were never meant to live in isolation. When you’re part of a healthy family, you quickly find out that you’re no longer living just for yourself and that what you do matters and impacts those around you.   Give yourself grace. Trust takes time. Surrendering areas of your life and your heart that still feel “in process” doesn’t happen overnight. It’s okay to have questions. In fact, they can be just as important as the answers you’ve already gotten. I pray for courage as you grow in trusting God and those you’re in close relationship with. Even though there aren’t any short cuts to learning to surrender, the journey is going to be so worth it.                                                                                                                   Love, Karena

Let The King of Your Heart Be the King of Your Trials by Pastor Todd Lout

There is a King of your heart Who not only desires you, but He desires to be in the trenches with you, in your mess with you, in your victories with you and down there in the deepest, secret thought with you.  Jesus is, indeed, the solid rock on which we can stake everything.  Is there a better King? No way!  If Jesus is truly the King of our heart then we should let Him rule.  He’s got the best way of conducting business, responding to situations and people, dealing with our emotions…and on and on.  Isaiah 55: 8 & 9 He tells us, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Let’s put our trust completely in Him, taking all of our cues from this kindest of kings. Yes, we definitely need community, but the ultimate "go to" for us can be / should be Jesus.  He’s the only one who will never leave us or loosen His grip on our lives. (Hebrews 13:5)  He’s not immature, unhealthy or acting out of a victim mentality so we can trust that He will see our hearts rightly.  He’s our oasis. (Matthew 11:28)  He’s got the answers we need. (Colossians 2:3)  And like a certain song lyric says, “What kind of King tells you He loves you?”   Friends, Jesus has been through the worst that other humans can do to someone.  He was severely misunderstood, misrepresented in the most vile way, made fun of and tortured beyond description.  He did this to save us.  He is absolutely the best one to help us out in trials. Praise Jesus!  He has committed to be our King, brother and friend, through thick and thin! LOVE,          Todd

I Need You In The Game by Pastor Suzanne Lokker

Back in October 2016, I worshipped during the opening worship set of the Open Heavens Conference (Oct 4-6, Bethel Church).  This is the first time I had heard Kristene DiMarco's song "Take Courage".  I sobbed singing the chorus, "Take courage my heart, stay steadfast my soul! He's in the waiting." At the time I wasn't entirely sure why this declaration over myself was gripping my heart and spirit.  But as I reflect on this past year, little did I know that even back in October 2016, the Lord was lovingly giving me a heads-up that for this leg of my journey with Hi, my heart would need courage and my spirit would need to stay firm.  He was preparing me for "the waiting".  I wish I could say that at that very moment, I stopped whining and began to listen to Him and to be at peace and rest "in the waiting". To my chagrin, I confess that I proceeded to spend the next year vacillating through my journey with the Lord, often feeling faith-less rather than faith-filled. Having tantrums, pouting during my "time-outs", continuing to ask Him, "To what end is this all for?" Then, suddenly (okay, so fast forward through most of 2017), (a reference to many prophetic words about “Suddenlies of the Lord”), through prophetic words and dreams, the Lord Himself is inviting me to dance with Him, care for His sheep, bring Peace.  He wants me to partner with Him! Then, to make sure that I don’t miss His invitation, He tells me (in a dream) that I’m a great cheerleader, but now He needs me in the game. And I’m blown away at what’s implied here:  He thinks that I have the skills, the savvy, the know-how to be a player on the court!  What???  After I spent most of the year whining and pouting?  Really??? God you are SO GOOD! After the service this past Saturday, I was so encouraged by the many friends who shared with me that they, too, are stepping into their “suddenlies” with the Lord in recent days.  Many are seeing the fruition of prophetic words they received a decade or more ago!  MORE LORD! There is a quickening in my spirit that many more of you will step into your moment with the Lord, and you will know it. The Lord is so gentle and wise and loving and He knows what you need to hear and even how you need to hear it.  He’s coaxing you even now--see and listen!  I love the verse that Eric Johnson shared at the end of the worship set at Open Heavens.  He read from The Passion Translation this declaration from King David:   "You keep every promise you've ever made to me! Since your love for me is so constant and endless, I as you, Lord, to finish every good thing that you've begun in me!" Psalm 138:8 The Lord is the FAITHFUL ONE and He will do what He declares over your life! YAY, GOD! Love, Suzanne

The Revival Torch is ABLAZE! by guest contributor - Shannon Heyman

I so appreciate this word from Shannon! She has been a part of our Blazing Fire family for many years. When I read this, there was a resounding yes in my spirit. It's what our hearts have been sensing and longing for and what our Heavenly Father is orchestrating at this very hour!     ~Pr. Brent Waves of past revivals are returning Waves of past revivals are returning to bring forth the new revival/reformation. I see the past revivals being the set up to the upcoming revivals reminding us of the joy it had contained, the passion to know who Jesus is, Holy Spirit is, and Father is.  I’m not saying it will be the same as back then. far from it. It will look very different. It will Shift the atmospheres Change the mindsets of mankind Restore Families and strengthen Church Family Open Doors for past words, prophecies and dreams to come back to life and for new ones to form Allow easier access to the Heavenly realm, Throne Room and Heaven’s Court room Bring forth a deep knowing that we are loved Children of God by a Father who adores us This upcoming revival is Heaven/Revelation packed Eyes will see Ears will hear Hearts will know Hands will praise Feet will dance Mouths will speak The waves giving the upcoming revival a push is like a parent urging the child to step out and take that risk. It is like a Mama Bird teaching the baby bird to fly by pushing it out of the nest. No more staying in that comfortable place. It’s like the Father (God) telling us to step off the cliff (spiritual one) and trust Him to carry us on the winds of Holy Spirit.   People need to know, and people need to be ready!  It is so close, it is upon us but are we truly ready?  Are we ready to catch its overflow as it hits the top of California on down?  Are we ready to be the epicenter for this region? Are we ready to see it for what it is—the glory, His face and so much more? The groans are coming closer, the shaking becoming stronger. The worship is a huge key to opening the portals of Heaven and for us to engage with the One that wants us to be in unity with Him. Are we ready to hear what the Voice says to the Church? Are we ready to take the scroll, to swallow it and to abide by what it says for Blazing Fire Church? Are we ready for the shift that is already taking place and are we ready for the Holy Presence about to come in like never before?   The FIRE of the LORD is being lit! The torch is ablaze, the runners set to carry this glory from sea to shining sea! What we will carry will set many on fire. A Love on fire and a Joy that surpasses ALL understanding!   I am seeing Angels with Swords ablaze, eyes ablaze with the fiery light from their eyes. They are being instructed to burn what tries to deceive, destroy and distract us from pursuing all that God has ordained to happen in this time and season. It will obliterate or at least cause great injury to the enemy of God (spiritual) that tries to take this church down for God’s Holiness is not to be touched and His people are not to be crushed by the enemy’s ploys. God’s goodness, kindness, fierce passion and love for His children will overshadow, overtake and obliterate the enemy’s plans.   The truth will be revealed as this revival and reformation comes forth—the truth His Heart. The truth of who He is and the truth of who we are and our place in this season and the seasons to come. My heart longs for us to rise and be all that we are in His eyes. We need to know who we are! We need to know we are loved. Yes, God will “use” anyone yet He wants us to be drawn to Himself and know ourselves like He does. We have this battle, yet it has already been won by Him on the cross!   The Angels are excited, and God is way much more excited as He sees all and knows all! It will truly be a fulfillment of what is yet to come. Are we ready for it?     Love you all so much.   Philippians 1:3 – 10   Shannon Heyman

The Joy of Trusting Jesus by Pastor Brent Lokker

Did you know that none of us are actually lost even during the times we feel lonely or seem to be walking aimlessly through life? Jesus knows right where you are, he knows how to get your attention and he knows how to call out the treasures in you to reveal the truth of your heart.   Remember the first time Jesus met Simon? Jesus gazed into him and declared a bold prophetic truth to a man longing for purpose, “You are Simon and your father’s name is John, but from now on you will be called Cephas (which means Peter the Rock).” (John 1:42)   I can almost hear Peter’s thoughts, “Hey, that’s pretty awesome!  I have no idea what Jesus really meant by that, but it sure felt good. There’s something very different about this man. He has an authority unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and I can tell he genuinely loves me. I don’t know how that’s possible since we just met, but it’s undeniable. If this man thinks I am somebody, then it must be true!  I’m Peter, the Rock!”   Isn’t this what happens to each one of us?  We felt lost because we were wandering through life without an awareness of Jesus and the security of knowing we belong to him. Yet at some point in time, something in our spirit grabbed onto the truth that Jesus is the real deal and he’s the One we’d been missing all along. We discover we weren’t lost at all! Jesus always had his steady gaze upon us and was wooing our hearts to him. In a moment of God-breathed revelation we were suddenly convinced, “I’m loved! I’m wanted! I belong! I’m forgiven! Oh, Jesus!!!”    We were flooded with exhilaration and relief. But this initial and well-founded euphoria gave way to the constant demands of life and an awareness that we’re not yet the truest version of who Jesus says we are. What happened?   I want to say to you right now, you didn’t do anything wrong!  This is all part of the plan. Choosing to follow Jesus doesn’t mean we suddenly know the depths of his heart—that takes a lifetime. And it’s actually the most rewarding part of knowing Jesus.   Back to Peter the Rock…just because he chose to follow Jesus didn’t mean he had arrived in life! He made plenty of mistakes along the way and Jesus was very direct with him at times, revealing to Peter the core values of God’s Kingdom (love, grace, honor, etc.) and challenging him so he would embrace his truest self.   It’s essential to our growth that we understand love without truth isn’t real love and truth without love isn’t real truth. Jesus always loved Peter and he also spoke the truth needed to set Peter free. He does the same with us. This is what it means for Jesus to be the Lord of our lives. Yes, he died to save us from our sins so He is most certainly our Risen Savior, but he also came to lead us into a place of wholeness that can only come as he challenges false belief systems within us and points to the core issues in our hearts that don’t believe who he says we are. Only if we yield to Jesus as Lord will we continually allow him access to our hearts and process the directness of his truth spoken to us—truth  that we need to hear in order to experience the fullness of the freedom he intends for us to walk in.   After three years of growth being with Jesus, Peter was able to see the truth about Jesus in a way he couldn’t before. Peter needed time with Jesus, a shared history with him—just like we do—to be able to say, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!”   So often we’re more concerned with where we are in life or how we think we’re doing instead of who we’re spending it with. Jesus wants to do life with you! And no matter where you are in your journey with Jesus, there are always new places to go with Him.   Giving your heart to Jesus is a decision made in a moment, but it’s also a lifetime growth curve of discovering the nuances of his heart and why he’s so trustworthy and good all the time. It’s a fantastic journey and well worth a lifetime!   With Love,                Pastor Brent I shared more about this last Saturday night.  You can listen to it here:

The Joy Of Trusting Jesus

Come Holy Spirit by Bill Hernandez - Prophetic Overseer

About a month ago I was driving in to church and some thoughts went through my head about all of us doing church, going to home groups, pursuing healing, listening to sermons, helping with infrastructure, meeting people and everything else having to do with our daily, weekly, monthly Christian lives. Our lives have been filled with many routines and traditions. I thought to myself it's time to party! I just want to have some fun. I believe this desire is Holy Spirit inspired for us. I think a great visitation is upon us, if we want it. If we declare, "Come Holy Spirit", I know He will come. He stands ready at the door. An invitation is here for us NOW.   It's time to fling ourselves back into the river of the delights of God's Presence - the Holy Spirit. It's time to focus on being rather than just doing. It's about being enraptured by and being ravaged by His presence. It's about being in His presence and having an enthusiastic desire to encounter our Great Lover. I believe this is the year or season of the Dove, getting back to letting Him wreck us. It's time to let Him be as it were a bull in the china shop of our lives. Lord, light the fire again! Are we willing for Him to come in and rearrange the furniture in our hearts again? This is about letting go of control and flowing with the Holy Spirit.   We have a great invitation before us this hour. He wants to come in again like the great outpouring many of us have seen in our lives. I believe He has never left us in that way. He has always been with us and I believe that He wants to pour out with revival fire in that way. I believe that He wants that for us and more. I believe that He wants newer generations to experience this for themselves also.   I experienced the revival that fell upon Vineyard in the 80s then later as it fell upon us as Renewal in 1994. There was the palpable sense of the Holy Spirit in our midst and it was met with laughter, joy, power, the prophetic, healing, evangelism, unity, all kinds of manifestations, shaking and baking. With it was also the sense of His imminent return because He was so close. I believe He is ready to break out upon us to equip us and empower us and just for fun - plain old fun. I want that! Don't we all? He wants to take us to a new level and equip us with His appearing. He wants to surprise us and play with us just like a loving Father. That makes me feel secure, safe, accepted and content.   He is ready to fall upon us if we ask, but we need to ask. He's asking us to throw ourselves at Him. Come Holy Spirit! Come Holy Spirit! Come Holy Spirit! Annnndddd - repeat! If we ask, He will surely come. This last weekend, we asked for the Holy Spirit to come several times and He did. We got blasted and blissed. Joy, fun and revived inspiration fell upon us just for the asking. Tears of joy fell and laughter erupted in waves. You can listen to the podcast here: http://blazingfire.org/podcasts   The Lord showed me this illustration of a relationship between a man and a woman. He showed me that the woman needs to know that she is indeed desired, wanted, loved and that if she experiences that she will open her heart and life to her lover. The Lord showed me that He wants us to demonstrate the same devotion and desire for His Presence, His Holy Spirit, and He will fall upon us. Earnestly declare your love for His Presence. Lift your hands and voices in adoration. He stands at the door and knocks.   Make this your daily call now - "Come Holy Spirit!" A new dawn is upon us if we want it. I believe this is a now word.   “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” - Luke 11:9-13   Blessings and Blissings! It's time to party! Bill Hernandez

Letting Go of the Old to Embrace the New by Pastor Brent Lokker

I had a dream last night and the gist of it was this: Jesus is more than able to help us rebuild anything that needs rebuilding but there’s still a lot of old stuff from the past (regrets, old mind sets, old ways of doing things, offense, unforgiveness, disappointments, etc.) that must go. In the dream it was quite evident that even though Jesus is restoring things in your life, you may not enjoy the full benefit of it if it’s still covered up in the clutter of things that you must let go of.  Ask Him to show you what that is and ask for His help to clear it away. He’s more than willing!    Then this morning I saw this prophetic word from Charles Shamp called, "A Year of New Beginnings! It's Never Been Seen Before!" and my spirit leapt as I read it. Here’s the word:

I heard the Lord say, "You have seen it. You have heard it before. You have spoken it. You have even imagined it in your mind—My plan for outpouring in the earth. But what I'm about to do for My people has no historical reference point.   "That's right. It's new, fresh, original and tailor-made for this time! It has never been seen before or manufactured in the past. No. I reserved the best for last. Some have said, 'We will set a specific place and hour to produce a move of the Father.'   "But what is about to come will catch and spread like wildfire. What is to come will not be confined to a specific place. That's right. It will cross countries, jump oceans and leap over denominational walls. I will visit in a new and fresh way.   "My Spirit will drop and distill like a shower of rain. My lightnings will strike to restore, revive and renew. Every form of dryness will come to an end as I saturate you. The reign of terror, turmoil and tragedy will have to come to an end... for the glory of Heaven that I will send.   "I will open the windows of Heaven and showers of blessings will overtake your homes.   "This is a year of open opportunities, open doors and open heavens! Don't look to the past to predict what is about to come; those days are gone for good. What happened then could never produce what I have in My mind in the now.   "I will stretch out My mighty hand and open your eyes to see that I am putting an end to your lack, rejection, dissatisfaction, disappointment and demonic harassments. Your failure, sickness and shame will be washed away by the power of My Son's name. Every generational curse disturbing you will be scattered and destroyed.   "The days of pain, sorrow, weeping, stagnation, devastation and struggling will come to an end.   "This year will be a time of supernatural shock and awe as I passionately pour out My Spirit and divinely fill your cup to overflow with blessings that can't be numbered, named or contained!"

I say, Amen and Amen!  Let your spirit soar with hope that these are days we’ve been expecting for a long, long time!   With Love,                 Pastor Brent