JESUS REVEALED THROUGH US - by Susan & Russ Fochler

Last Saturday night the elders of Blazing Fire Church shared what we felt God has been showing us lately in dreams, words, and experiences.   We are each part of Jesus’ bride and there is growing joy and anticipation about what is to come.   It’s about Jesus being revealed through us.  Unified by our love for Him, we are learning to love even those who feel like enemies. We His bride radiate His light and humility to people walking in darkness and pride.  Many, including some of our own loved ones will be freed to see Jesus as He is.  The veil is being lifted!  All are invited into fulfillment and true identity through simply knowing we belong — and not because of anything we do or know.  On the cross, Jesus embraces us in our cruel confusion, going to the very depths with us and then bringing us up into new life with Him. The kingdom of heaven flows with abundant life that never runs out.  It is beyond measure.  You became aware of this flow of His grace when you first said “Yes” to Him.  And now we continue to experience more and more of His fullness for each of us.  He chose you, He wants you, He’s committed to you, He’s pleased with you, He understands you. Please speak these declarations over your life to remind yourself of who you really are! 1.  I am clothed with the presence of my Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 13:14) 2. I am adorned as a beautiful bride in Christ’s righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10) 3. I am a living, prophetic declaration of His presence here on the Earth! 4. As we become more intimate with Him, and recognize our true identity with Him, we will display His glory. (2 Corinthians 3:18) 5. God the Father wants to show us off a His true sons and daughters. Jesus wants to display us as His glorious Bride. (1 Corinthians 4:9) 6. God is restoring us to a place where we truly believe we are His favored ones. We are going from rags to riches in our thinking and actions. (Col. 3:12) 7. We agree that the enemy’s veil be taken down so our loved ones can perceive with the eyes of their hearts, the beauty and attractiveness of Jesus. (2 Corinthians 3:17-4:4) 8. Father I surrender and acknowledge and surrender to the fact that you know what you are doing in my life. (Romans 8:26-28) 9. I love You and You know I love You. 10. Please shape my life along the same lines as the life of Your beloved Son, Jesus. (Romans 8:29-30) You were chosen first by Father God to be His cherished son, His treasured daughter.  In addition you are a beautiful, spotless bride for His Son Jesus.  All we need do is agree with the truth of how much He really does value us and let the current of His love carry us! We encourage you to watch/listen to the service from last Saturday night. Brent begins speaking at about the 1 hour 26 min 29 seconds mark. The earlier parts of the service are also well worth watching. Click for Saturday's Service With Love,  Susan & Russ

Called to Full Disclosure - by Bill Hernandez

Last Saturday at Blazing Fire’s Worship service, Diane Jung, Bill Hernandez and Joel Pollard released powerful prophetic insights for this New Year and lead us in making declarations.  You can listen at the 57 minute mark here. All three talked about an invitation into a place of deeper intimacy with Jesus and here is the latest prophetic word from Bill Hernandez's website www.whisperoflove.org that captures the essence of what he released last Saturday: I believe the Lord is urging us on to go deeper and more honestly with Him in all we are thinking, feeling and doing. As we encounter more of His love He is building a greater confidence in bringing everything to Him without fear of retaliation. In I John 4:18 it says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” By admitting everything to Him, we get insight and understanding from Him if we also stop to listen after opening ourselves to Him. If we are in full disclosure before Him, we can then begin deeper work. The environment of experiencing His love as He has been revealing more and more is building within us self respect. A person with self respect speaks up boldly and has a voice. Many of us have grown up in environments of judgments, ridicule, rejection, abuse and neglect. As a result we may have lost our self confidence. This affects our ability to be open with the Lord subconsciously feeling like He may punish us for opening more and more of the shadows within. He sees our shadows of anger, rage, fear, confusion, self hatred, cynicism, doubts, dark thoughts. He sees it all and sees all the good stuff too. Everything we share with Him is like jewels in His hands because this is about trust and intimacy. There is nothing so dark or broken where His love is not greater. He always has an answer of understanding, support and solutions. He says, “I understand.” He can’t be insulted or dishonored by what we say to Him in disagreeing or being impatient with Him. He always says, “I understand.” Like a parent, He embraces us no matter where we are at, whether we are rational or not. Earthly counselors will encourage full disclosure knowing that without it, progress cannot be made. Often there is so much clutter in our minds, we have to get it out and expel it to reveal deeper things that ultimately leads to change. The Lord is our heavenly psychiatrist who is on call 24/7 and He is free. He is Dr God as it were. It’s time to let Him in deeper and by doing so discovering the depths of His unending love, patience and kindness. Whatever we are feeling and thinking, He is feeling and thinking it right there with us because we are one. In Psalm 139:3 it says, “you are familiar with all my ways.” So He truly understands because not only is He the God of love and compassion, but also the God of Empathy. This means we have a constant companion who is fully knowledgeable of the good, the bad and the shadows. He is accompanying us through it all to help us make good choices and bring victorious, lasting changes. I had an encounter with Him about some dark things in my heart I was hesitant to tell Him about, but because He has provided a loving and accepting environment I felt emboldened. Still a bit fearful I felt I had to take a leap of faith and if I died, I died. I was really battling religiosity in my heart to get beyond being politically correct with God. I had a vision of Esther deciding to come before the king uninvited. Apparently she could’ve been executed for this breach of protocol. She said, “If I die, I die.” The king instead extended his scepter to her because he was pleased with her. God is pleased with us and gives us the right to come before Him as His prince, His princess, His family, His bride. I almost expected that a lightning bolt would destroy me as I confessed before Him. Having opened darker things before Him, He said matter-of-factly that this full disclosure meant the deeper work could now commence and that it was a good start. The ground didn’t open to swallow me whole. I experienced full acceptance, understanding and kindness. I felt like I had just finished a session with the doctor. He is totally vested in our deepest well being and our emotional and mental health. He is drawing us deeper into love encounters so that we can see what the real deal looks like. Disclose away then. Go for it. This partnership with Him will enable us even more so to reach out to the world with His heart for them in a very informed way about what love looks like. This is about the Great Commission.   We love because He first loved us. I John 4:19

Clothed with the Presence of Christ - by Brent Lokker

Some of you may have already watched a YouTube video I just released about a how Holy Spirit recently visited me in a dream, sharing profoundly about the wedding garments we are all wearing--wrapped up in the goodness and light and love of Jesus!  I had originally planned to share this hope-saturated dream with you on New Year’s eve but since we had to cancel our service due to significant flooding, I want to encourage you to watch it now if you haven’t already done so: On our journey, we have to become immersed in what Holy Spirit is revealing about the truth of our identity. We are clothed in Christ! God's Spirit is pouring out, bringing renewal, refreshing, strength, courage, healing and restoration, causing you to bloom and have hope again!   I encourage you to read aloud these scriptures and then make these declarations:   Romans 13:14a (NLT) “Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.”   Isaiah 61:10 (TPT) “I will sing and greatly rejoice in Yahweh! My whole being vibrates with shouts of joy in my God! For he has dressed me with salvation and wrapped me in the robe of his righteousness! I appear like a bridegroom on his wedding day, decked out with a beautiful sash, or like a radiant bride adorned with sparkling jewels.”   Acts 2:17 (TPT) “This is what I will do in the last days —I will pour out my Spirit on everybody and cause your sons and daughters to prophesy…”   John 7:37-39 (Mirror) “On the final day, the crescendo of the eight-day Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus, knowing that he is the completeness of every prophetic picture and promise, cried out with a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let them come and stand face to face with me and drink. In your realizing that I am what the Scriptures are all about, you will discover uniquely for yourself, face to face with me, that you are what I am all about and rivers of living waters will gush out of your innermost being.’ Jesus spoke about the Spirit whom those who would believe that he is the conclusion of Scripture were about to grasp since who Jesus was in all of his majestic splendor was not yet fully acknowledged and thus the Spirit was not yet evident.”   Declarations: (speak these out loud for greater impact) I am clothed with the presence of my Lord Jesus Christ! I am adorned as a bride in his righteousness! I am face to face with my beloved Jesus! Rivers of living waters, Holy Spirit within me, gush out of my innermost being! Father, you have poured out your Spirit on everybody! I am a living, prophetic declaration of your presence here on the earth! The light of Jesus is shining brilliantly through me everywhere I go!

My Heart Is Full by Brent Lokker

“Tonight was truly special, even magical! Thank you for the creative way we sang Christmas carols throughout the nativity movie that made it so meaningful!”   “This was the first time I finally slowed down this Christmas season to reflect on the wonder of our Savior coming to be with us. Thank you!”   “It filled my heart to connect with so many dear friends tonight.”   These were just a few of the many comments I heard after our Blazing Fire Christmas dinner two weeks ago and I wholeheartedly agree!  I left with the beautiful sensation of my heart being filled to overflowing with the genuine love that was flowing and the laughter echoing throughout the room.   Though the food was delicious and the decorations festive, it is the brilliant light inside of each one of you that continually added to the expansive life that filled the room as you arrived! Created in the image of our Father who is love and filled with the light of Christ in us, our hearts come more alive when we are together because love and light must be shared to be experienced in its fulness. It’s a perfect picture of why Jesus came as Emmanuel, “God with us.” Our Father’s intention of being united with us at all costs resulting in the harmonious Trinity making their home right inside of us explains our need for genuine connection with one another. We were made to experience real moments of authentic joy that comes with a kind smile and a warm hug.   This Saturday, December 31st at 6 pm on New Year’s Eve, we’re going to have another opportunity to share life with one another as we gather to linger in the Lord’s sweet presence in an extended time of worship and communion. I want to share with you a profound and highly encouraging dream I had just two nights ago about God’s Spirit pouring out upon us as the bride of Christ. Then several people will share some prophetic insights and lead us in making declarations together in agreement with our heavenly Father, whose very light and life has been deposited deep within us.   To each one of you, Suzanne and I see you as a treasure and we sincerely want to thank you for being a rich blessing in our lives!   With Love,   Brent

YOU are Included in Jesus' Lineage! - by Brent Lokker

Whether you look at Matthew’s genealogy that lists the fathers from Abraham to Jesus or Luke’s genealogy that lists the sons from Jesus all the way back to Adam being the son of God, both are making a crystal-clear point: YOU are included in Christ’s lineage because you are one with Christ!   This means that through Christ, Abraham is your father and therefore God’s promise to bless Abraham and make him a blessing to the nations is fully your promise as well!   “God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say ‘to his children,’ as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says ‘to his child’—and that, of course, means Christ. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.” Galatians 3:16, 29 (NLT)   That’s a promise God can never go back on! You will always be his blessed child. Jesus made sure of it! And you WILL be a blessing to others from all nations. The light of Christ in you guarantees it!   And whatever we may think of the mess Adam got humanity into, Jesus’ act of bringing us into the righteousness of God was far superior in every way:    “Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.”  Romans 5:18 (NLT)   And John puts his final stamp on the genealogy of Jesus conversation by saying,   “In the beginning the Living Expression (Jesus) was already there. And the Living Expression was with God, yet fully God. They were together—face-to-face, in the very beginning. And through his creative inspiration this Living Expression made all things, for nothing has existence apart from him! A fountain of life was in him, for his life is light for all humanity.” John 1:1-4 (TPT)   Being one with Jesus, whose origin is traced back to his sonship with the Father, gives you the clearest possible perspective on your own origin as a son or daughter of your heavenly Father.   And YOU, created by Christ and one with Christ, are now seated with Christ:   Ephesians 2:6 (NLT) “For he [our Father] raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are [right at this moment] united with Christ Jesus.”   Just how blessed are you as a part of Christ’s royal lineage? You have an eternity to answer that!

God Offers Rest - by Todd Benjamin Lout

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely God require of you will be Pleasant and easy to bear.” MATTHEW 11:28 - 30

LIFE IS NOT EASY!  And God never once told us that if we become followers of Christ that everything would become easy. Anyone under that assumption is in for some eye-openers. Our Father, our Good Shepherd, does, however,  promise us that He would take us on a journey with Him as the head, leading us perfectly through this broken world we are still existing in. He has given us the keys to resting in Him, even while we face our crazy day to day. God knows that life has enough to deal with and that things like religion and people pleasing adds much more strife to it all. We have layers of things that humans pile up on top of us. We, ourselves, pile it up as we take on society norms and church life.  In HIs tenderness, our Father offers us a place to offload all of that…..right in Him. He exchanges it for rest, for His peace. Corrie Ten Boom, the Dutch clock maker who was caught hiding Jews in her walls during the Nazi takeover, has shared much about experiencing peace and rest in extremely dire circumstances. She was put in the most terrible concentration camp, yet connected with the Shepherd of her soul and found rest in the middle of chaos. Here’s one of her thousands of genuine quotes: “ If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.” Her story is an inspiring one if you need to read or see something to help pull you out of a rut and into God’s lap. Ultimately we will end up in perfection, itself. that place beyond this realm.  But God will still help us along the way in this Earthly journey.   BIG LOVE, Todd

FATHER GOD'S PLAN: TO BRING US INTO THE HOME OF HIS HEART - by Russ Fochler

The holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and more) has a way of turning our thoughts towards “home”.   As humans, we often feel things more keenly when we’re missing them.  For those who are missing family or close friends, I ask the wonderful Trinity to give you comfort.   And also hope and a foretaste for the Home all of us long for - even if we don’t yet know about it. When Jesus told the story of the Prodigal and His Father (and the Elder Brother), Jesus had all of us in mind.  Leaving, becoming aware of our longing for the Home of our Abba’s Heart, and humbly returning with greater appreciation.  Or perhaps being risk averse and staying put - but missing the fullness of our Abba’s heart because our own heart stayed small and full jealous comparisons. I love these quotes from George MacDonald about our home with Father God:   “This is and has been the Father's work from the beginning—to bring us into the home of his heart, where he shares the glories of life with the Living One, in whom was born life to light men back to the original life.”    “His children are not his real, true sons and daughters until they think like him, feel with him, judge as he judges, are at home with him, and without fear before him because he and they mean the same thing, love the same things, seek the same ends. For this are we created; it is the one end of our being, and includes all other ends whatever.” “None but a child could become a son; the idea is—a spiritual coming of age; only when the child is a man is he really and fully a son.” George MacDonald - Unspoken Sermons Series I., II., and III Last Saturday, I talked about this and then looked into some of the ways we take part in God’s work growing and transforming us from children - to full daughters and sons.   We also considered how Jesus’ obedience to His Father’s plan for our rescue, and healing - was the only way for our rescue, and healing to be fully accomplished.  And how our simple obedience to Jesus’s leadings in our daily lives brings heaven to earth. You can watch the video here. The talk begins around 1:30 And, if you would like to read my notes - including the scriptures, quotes from George MacDonald, etc., Click here for the link to the pdf With Love,                     Pastor Russ Fochler