The Good Journey We're On

We are on a journey. It’s a good one!   Sometimes we’re aware of that and often times we aren’t. Our awareness or lack thereof doesn’t change that each of us is on a beautiful journey with Papa God.   We were created in the heart of our Father long before we were born, secure in His heart at this very moment, and safely in His heart for eternity! This can never change.   Our Father loves us and tenderly cares for us in every moment, even through the moments and seasons of our worry, anxiety, regret, anger, addictions, self-induced pressure, temper tantrums, self-punishment (and the list goes on).   All of this negativity is the toxic fruit of eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—the forbidden one that Adam ate from. This is the “independent, fleshly, do-it-yourself yet you-are-never-enough, leading to hopelessness and despair” tree. Does that description hit too close to home? Don’t worry, it’s a problem that every person on the earth shares.   Our Father already knows that and has provided a way for us to ascend with Him and leave the destructive perceptions behind on your journey. Don’t worry or fret that it’s taking a while. God already knows that too.   Our Father gives us fruit to eat from the tree of Life—Jesus himself—the Risen Christ in us! The Overcomer who is one with us! Our hope and certainty of glory! Eating from this tree is the Spirit-filled and Spirit-directed life which is simply Jesus in us and leads us into the sheer joy of belonging solely to the Lover of our Souls!   God orchestrates our lives in such a way that even moments of crisis bring us to a place of surrender, wanting His life in us instead of trying to be the director of our own play. This is the part where, in humility, you ask Holy Spirit to show you, moment by moment, when you are eating of destructive thought patterns and to teach you how to choose life instead. This is the part of your journey where you learn to trust, moment by moment, that you have everything you need from your very dear Father, and you willingly choose to submit yourself to His good and perfect will for your life.   And the outcome? You traverse more and more on the part of the journey called rest—an ongoing place where you cease from striving and know that God is.   God is here. God is enough. God is for you. Always!   Proverbs 4:18 (TPT) “The lovers of God walk on the highway of light, and their way shines brighter and brighter until they bring forth the perfect day.” --- Galatians 5:16 (Mirror Bible) “Engage your spirit to be the dominant influence in your daily walk and see how it defeats the cravings of flesh.” --- Psalm 46:10 (NIV) “Be still and know that I am God”    On the Good Journey With You,                                                   Brent

Let Hope Hold You

I was recently reflecting on different things happening in the world right now. In that same moment, the Holy Spirit spoke these words to my heart, “let Hope hold you”. As I heard these words, I was reminded that there is no one or anything that can hold us and protect us, like Jesus can. He is longing and will always be available and willing to hold us, embrace us and continue to show us the reality of who we are and who He sees us as — His sons and daughters. Regardless of where you’re at on your journey in life, Hope wants to hold you like never before. Holy Spirit, we give you access and permission to go deeper in us, to the places where You are longing to encounter, experience and embrace of us in.  May your heart and soul be deeply encouraged as you read the following passage of scripture taken from Psalm 91:1-4; 9-16 TPT. “When you sit enthroned under the shadow of Shaddai, you are hidden in the strength of God Most High. He’s the hope that holds me and the Stronghold to shelter me, the only God for me, and my great confidence. He will rescue you from every hidden trap of the enemy, and he will protect you from false accusation and any deadly curse. His massive arms are wrapped around you, protecting you. You can run under his covering of majesty and hide. His arms of faithfulness are a shield keeping you from harm. When we live our lives within the shadow of God Most High, our secret hiding place, we will always be shielded from harm. How then could evil prevail against us or disease infect us? God sends angels with special orders to protect you wherever you go, defending you from all harm. If you walk into a trap, they’ll be there for you and keep you from stumbling. You’ll even walk unharmed among the fiercest powers of darkness, trampling every one of them beneath your feet! For here is what the Lord has spoken to me: “Because you have delighted in me as my great lover, I will greatly protect you. I will set you in a high place, safe and secure before my face. I will answer your cry for help every time you pray, and you will find and feel my presence even in your time of pressure and trouble. I will be your glorious hero and give you a feast. You will be satisfied with a full life and with all that I do for you. For you will enjoy the fullness of my salvation!”                                                                                      With Love,                                                                                                       Pastor Joel

Learning To Love Well

Todd and I celebrated our 28th anniversary last Saturday, which was also Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It’s a time of renewal, reflection and repentance. I decided to spend time with God last week reflecting on areas that I’ve grown and other areas that I’m continually walking out in my life and in my marriage. More and more, Jesus reminds me that His plan for our lives is simply learning to love. (Although it’s not always simple or easy haha!) For so many of us, God has been highlighting areas in our hearts that He wants to heal.  I really appreciate what Graham Cooke says about this, “When God looks at you, He doesn’t see what’s broken. He only sees what’s missing from your relationship with Him and He is totally committed to giving you that encounter.” He wants you to experience Him in every area your heart needs more truth. When there's pressure put o our relationships, it often reveals those "hidden fault lines."It’s the grace and mercy of Jesus to show us those areas before there’s an earthquake in our lives.  I wanted to share a few things God has shown me as I’ve been on the journey of learning to love well. These things often come up with couples when Todd and I do premarital counseling but they also apply in all of our relationships.  * If you search for your “better half” instead of a wholehearted spouse, you will expect that person to fill a void they were never meant (or able) to fill. Only God can do that. We are all at our best when we can fully show up in relationship, not half way or half hearted.  * Laying down your life for someone else isn’t popular in a world where self sufficiency tells us we need it to survive, but it’s the most beautiful way to live.  * The more we value self awareness and take responsibility for areas we need to grow, the less we’ll project our own wounds onto those we’re in relationship with.  * Love is so much more than a good feeling. It’s clinging to what’s true when our changing emotions try to take the driver’s seat.  * Listening to understand those who think and see the world differently than we do, expands our capacity to empathize.  * Marriage (and relationships) can be messy. But God is never put off by our mess. In fact, you’ll find Him right in the middle of it!   “Let the inner movement of your heart always be to love one another, and never play the role of an actor wearing a mask. Despise evil and embrace everything that is good and virtuous. Be devoted to tenderly loving your fellow believers as members of one family. Try to outdo yourselves in respect and honor of one another.” Romans 12:9-10 (TPT) How we view ourselves directly affects how we interact in our relationships so I pray that you would see yourself rightly: Loved, Highly Valued, Whole. We can only love with the love Jesus has given to us first so I also pray you will receive that in all its fullness!                                                                                            Love, Karena

The Tenderness of God's Timing

In these times that feel so uncertain, where any sense of normalcy has long since departed, our only safe place is to rest in the assurance of God’s ability and desire to care for us and lead us step by step, moment by moment into the places of His choosing. We’re going somewhere good—that’s our Father’s promise—it’s just that we can’t fully see it yet.   A few days ago, God gave Pastor Susan Fochler a vision of an hourglass that had just been turned over. She saw grains of sand dropping through the hourglass one at a time. God was highlighting each grain of sand and emphasizing His purpose and glory contained in each moment.   She got the sense through this vision that God is teaching us how to walk with Him in the moment, just as Jesus did when he was walking on the earth, beautifully in tune and perfectly in step with what His Father was doing. And in that dance with his Father, incredible things happened—the Kingdom of heaven burst forth—because of the flow of the Father’s heart through Jesus, moment by moment. The same is true for us when we are present in the moment with the Lord—an anointing flows, allowing His life to flow through us.   With the free will we’ve been given, we have a choice in this season and in this very moment to trust God, listen to His voice, and believe how good He really is.  There are a lot of things we don’t know about our tomorrows, but this we can choose: “God, I trust you with my heart in this moment.”   And in this moment, somehow God is orchestrating something beautiful that will draw a great harvest of his children back to His heart!   Tomorrow (Sept. 19), we’re going to gather as a family together and celebrate a brand New Year on the calendar God gave to His people thousands of years ago. It’s called Rosh Hashanah, which literally means, head of the year.  All around the world, this holiday will be marked by the blowing of the shofar which is like a waking up to the Lord’s purposes for the time we are in! Please come join us as part of the family of God living in this moment together.   "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts!" (Hebrews 4:7)   It may not always feel like it, but time is the gift we have been given right now. Be mindful and tuned into what the anointing is for this season, this time. There will be a supernatural grace to accomplish it in this now time. Today may we hear his voice, keep our hearts forever soft and enter that promised land into rest and that everything we do would flow out of that place of rest!   My prayer for each one of us, friends, is that we would be convinced of the tenderheartedness of our very dear Father who only has good plans for us as His cherished children! With Love in My Heart For Each One of You, Pastor Brent

A Party Like No Other

A Party Like No Other I felt like the Lord impressed upon me that the coming move of His Spirit was going to be a party like no other. This was going to be something new and fresh. It was not the party of shaking and baking, swooning, and laughing even though some of this would happen, but this new party was about effective doing or effective ministry. The party is going to be about miracles, healings, profound understanding, generosity, enthusiastic and eager helps. These things will be commonplace. Expectation and absolute assurance of answered prayers will be fulfilled quickly or on the spot. There will be a high level awareness that the Kingdom has come to Earth as it is in heaven. There will be no hype, speculation or nonsense because the real will have come. There will be no wishing or hoping because when we pray, it will be done. So this will be a different kind of party. It will be a party that brings deep lasting satisfaction and joy. It will be dreams come true to see the lost saved, the sick healed, justice in the land and darkness easily dispersed. It will be a world where we don’t dream of miracles because they will happen again and again as an everyday thing in our lives and the lives in the world. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:12-14

Wed To Jesus

Many of you witnessed the joy of Sierra (formerly Lout) marrying Elijah Breon last Saturday. If you missed that tender ceremony, watch it here:

Sierra & Elijah's Wedding

As Elijah started to become interested in Sierra (they had already been friends previously), he talked with God about her and God asked, “Is this the one you want?” Clearly his answer was yes and thus the journey to their married life together took its first step.   I picture the Father with Jesus before time on the earth began, asking Jesus the same question as they looked together upon us, his future bride. “Son, is this the one you want?” Father asks. With love in his heart, Jesus responds, “Yes, Father, she’s beautiful! I want her!” After a weighty pause, Father continues “It will cost us everything.” Through tears, Jesus whispers, “I know, Papa. She’s so worth it!”   As is typical with many courtships, Elijah was the one pursuing Sierra initially—not that she didn’t notice him, but she wasn’t quite ready for a relationship at first. Her heart needed some convincing along the way.   Jesus, our Groom and Good Shepherd, chases after us with his love and tender mercies every day of our lives (Psalm 23:6). Our eager response, or lack thereof, will never alter his choice to continually pursue us with his good and kind heart. Jesus knows our frail hearts need convincing and he’s all to happy to show us his devotion as we can hear in these words from Jesus to you from the Song of Songs: You are so beautiful—you are beauty itself to me! Your eyes glisten with love, like gentle doves behind your veil. What devotion I see each time I gaze upon you. When I look at you, I see your inner strength, so stately and strong.(4:1,4) Jesus sees in you what you don’t see in yourself! Now you are ready, my bride, to come with me as we climb the highest peaks together. Come with me through the archway of trust…for you reach into my heart. (4:8-9)   This is the invitation to do all of life together, forging a deep trust that sometimes has to wind its way through self-awareness that he will bring to you.   What a perfect partner to me now that I have you. I can’t resist the passion of these eyes that I adore. Held captive by your love, I am truly overcome! I could have chosen any, but only one is my beloved dove— unrivaled in beauty, without equal, beyond compare, the perfect one, the only one for me. (4:12; 6:5,8-9)   Wow! How it is that we are, and always have been, his choice?! And just as Sierra opened up her heart to Elijah over time, the more we encounter the genuine love and kindness of Jesus, the more our hearts open up to see and believe, He is the One we’ve always wanted!   We respond to Jesus just as the Shulamite Bride did in the Song of Songs: You have reached into me to unlock my heart. How my soul melted when you spoke to me!  You alone are my beloved. You shine in dazzling splendor yet you are still so approachable—without equal as you stand above all others. If you ask me why I love you so, it’s because there is none like you to me. Everything about you fills me with a pure desire! And now you are my beloved—my friend forever. Now I know that I am filled with my beloved and all your desires are fulfilled in me. (5:4,10,16; 7:10)   When we only know about Jesus, we’ll get caught up in religion’s snare, but falling in love with Jesus is another world altogether!   This would be a great time to exchange your vows of love and devotion to Jesus!      Jesus: Fasten me upon your heart as a seal of fire forevermore.  My love is stronger than the chains of death and the grave, all-consuming as the very flashes of fire from the burning heart of God. (8:6)      You: As for my own vineyard of love, (which are the deepest places of your heart) I give it all to you forever, my beloved, one with me in my garden. (8:12-13)      Jesus: Arise, my darling! We will dance in the high place of the sky. Forever we shall be united as one! (8:14)   May I encourage you to take time right now with the Lover of your Soul, Jesus?   With Love,                  Brent

Prince of Peace > Social Media

That's a "Greater Than" sign, in case you didn't know.  It's there because we so often forget that Jesus embodies peace and He's the Prince of our inner kingdom. We get on the internet and BOOM!, a bombardment of stressful information, conversations, advertisements and so on, come rushing at us.  Social media seems to be one of the largest thieves of peace out there.  It's a great tool, but in order to keep our core values intact, we really have got to let the Prince be involved.  Most likely that would change a lot of things and help us to go to bed much more clear at night. Ya know?  Here's a great passage to help us out:

When we take in hours of what the world is dishing out, or what other brothers and sisters are getting from the world, it infiltrates our spirit. Really, it creeps in and takes over in time.  Thus, we are allowing an eviction notice to be placed on the castle of our hearts; "Thanks for being the Prince of Peace and all, but I would rather let the trolls in and take charge for now." Of course none of us would thoughtfully do this, but it's imperative that we have a constant position of welcoming the Prince of Peace to rule in our heart's kingdom. Without this intentionality, and with ample screen time, we get pretty .... un-peaceful.  God forbid we have a large imbalance of social media and time with the Prince.  We can eventually become trolls. Oh yes it's true.  We don't want to become that. What is a troll? In today's internet jargon it's someone who lurks about behind the screen, looking for something to disagree with or be offended by.  Here's a truthful quote by Christian Hip-Hop artist, KB, describing internet trolling:

Ewwwww! We don't want to become trolls.  Embarrassingly, I must admit that there have been times when I was hiding under that bridge, waiting to pounce. Several time it was silently in my heart. Still, I was being an ugly troll and my heart knew it. However, even if we have done this, there is a grace-filled Prince calling us back to the place of peace all the time.  We can turn right around, walk away from the swamp and let the Prince of Peace, our Jesus, lead us into the Father's heart for our lives. And trust me, His plan is a whooooole lot better than the mayhem that is our current media situation.  Friends, as elections are on the horizon, let's let the Prince of Peace have the floor, not the controversy. This time around we can stay in a place of peace no matter what's going on out there.  Then we'll know exactly how He would have us vote, how He would have us relate to people and most importantly, how He would have us pray.  God bless us all as we remember His place in all this.                                                                                  Love, Todd