SO Thankful for YOU! - November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving, Friends!!

Paul's words from 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 are a perfect expression of how Suzanne and I feel about all of you:

"You need to know, friends, that thanking God over and over for you is not only a pleasure, it's a must! We have to do it. Your faith is growing phenomenally and your love for each other is developing wonderfully. Why, it's only right that we give thanks. We're SO proud of you! You're so steady and determined in your faith despite all the hard times that have come down on you. We tell everyone we meet in the churches all about you." (The Message Bible)

It's actually quite true! Whenever I talk about what God is doing at Blazing Fire, I start talking about the obvious transformation I see happening in you all over the months and years as you have willingly embraced the truth of the Father's deep love for you and the astounding grace that is yours because of the finished work Jesus on the cross!

After 8 wonderful years of this journey called Blazing Fire, our hearts are FILLED with gratitude to the Lord for surrounding us with so many passionate lovers of Jesus! Thanks so much for helping to make the journey so fun and meaningful! We are truly blessed to have so many amazing friends!!

Love,
Brent & Suzanne

P.S. The Lord graciously multiplied food (turkey, mashed potatoes & pie) last Saturday at the Oakland homeless outreach! Karen shared about it at Blazing Fire and another server told us her story of the same phenomenon--more and more food every time they went back to check! How cool is that?!!

The God Who Heals - Nov 20, 2009

Hundreds of years before Jesus came on the scene to walk the earth and display the true heart of His Father who loves and heals his children, there was a man who 'got it' to the core of his being--He knew the depth of God's love and compassion that is displayed in miracles, signs and wonders.

The man's name was King David, and this is what he said about his amazing God:

"Bless the Lord, my soul, never forget all his acts of kindness. He forgives all your offences, cures all your diseases, he redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with faithful love and tenderness; he contents you with good things all your life and renews your youth like an eagle's." (Psalm 103:

God has never changed. Everything David said was true, and Jesus came to demonstrate the true nature of his Father with extravagant acts of love and power. Yet, a battle still lingers, mostly in the confines of our own minds, about the goodness of God. Not wanting us imprisoned with the misconceptions that have been perpetuated by the enemy, God is graciously revealing more and more of the depth of his great love toward us, causing us to see Him for who He really is.

As a result, we are seeing a dramatic increase in how God is powerfully touching and healing people. A few weeks ago, a teenager came to Blazing Fire's worship service in desperate need of deliverance. He was in a very dark place and wanted freedom, but didn't know how to receive it. In the middle of the worship, God gripped this young man's heart, so much so, that for over an hour he was taken by God to a place in the Spirit that was 'other than' where he was standing in the natural. In that place, God was sovereignly and supernaturally setting him free to the point where he became a radically changed person. The most amazing part of the story is that no human being prayed for him! God just did it! Two Saturdays ago, there were well over 50 people healed of ailments, injuries and diseases. Most of you have heard by now of a creative miracle that took place that night as Lee Betancourt (who oversees our outreach to the homeless in Oakland) had the tip of his pinkie finger, that had been chopped off in an industrial accident 35 years before, grow back!! Lee and Daniel (who was praying for him) watched in utter amazement as God not only grew the 1/2" of his finger back out in a matter of seconds, but even fully restored the nail as well!! Come on!!!!!!!!!! That's just absurdly astounding!! A testimony like this will mess with you!! Just who is this God, anyway??? Well, He's so glad you asked because he really wants to show you. And when you see greater and greater displays of his power (and that is absolutely going to happen), just know that he is really displaying the fullness of his love towards you and all of his children.

What David saw and what Jesus demonstrated, is what we are seeing before our very eyes: God is GOOD and He cannot withhold his extravagant love for us!! And that love is showing itself in dramatic ways--He can't help himself!!

Are you ready? Because we are entering into unchartered territory where the outrageous goodness of God is going to surpass our ability to even explain what He's doing. Here we go!!!!!!!!!

A Perpetual Party! Oct 31, 2009

Last Saturday at Blazing Fire Church we had a blow-out party at our Father's house where He shares His full inheritance with us forever! (And can I say that you all know how to party in the Spirit?!!) This was just after having the finest robe of righteousness put over our shoulders, the ring of power and authority to represent our Father put on our finger, and the shoes of sonship and daughtership placed on our feet! We had to celebrate because we BELONG!

At this point in the evening, I forgot the to share with you the significance of killing the fatted calf which was the punchline of the story. As the story is told in Luke 15, they killed the fatted calf that had been prepared for this celebration. The Bible tells us that Jesus, as the sacrificial lamb, was slain before the foundation of the earth for our sins (Rev. 13:8). In other words, Jesus' sacrifice was not in reponse to man's sin, but was prepared ahead of time for us by God, who being completely outside of time, knew of and prepared for our desperate need for a Savior from the very beginning. Wow!

But there did come a time when the fulness of that salvation plan came to pass in our time line of history. And when Jesus died on the cross two thousand years ago, the perpetual celebration party of the Father's unconditional love and acceptance of his wayward children officially began!

Absolutely EVERYONE has been invited to this party! The offer has gone out to each and every child of God to come back home to the Father's house and enjoy His deep pleasure. This is the exceptionally Good News that we must continue to convey to a world who has been lied to by the enemy that God is angry and does not love them or want them. We cannot make people come to the party, but we sure can speak of the goodness of the Father's heart until they come to their senses and make their way back to the One who adores them! And we never have to be apologetic for continually celebrating in the truth of God's passionate love, enduring faithfulness and unending mercy towards us!

If you happened to miss the fun, please re-live it with us on the free podcast that you can find on our home page at www.blazingfire.org.

Also, if you missed some or all of the Holy Spirit conference with Jason Upton, Sean Smith & Dennis Rainier, you can purchase CD's or DVD's of the various sessions by going to: www.revivalcryresources.com.

It's Party Time Tonight! - Oct 24, 2009

Hello Amazing Friends!

When my sons, Derek and Aaron, were growing up, Suzanne and I loved planning parties for them and we loved even more having the parties--watching them laugh as they played with their friends and enjoying their faces light up with the delight of feeling special. And there was something exceptionally fun about watching them open a gift that sent them squealing with joy. An outsider looking in might think that the gift was excessive and over-the-top. But we couldn't help ourselves...and we didn't want to. That's the joy of lavishing love on your children!

Your Father in heaven loves a good party! So much so, that he's the one throwing it! When Jesus told Parables to let people know what his Father was really like, he made it pretty clear that his Dad loved parties. When the lost sheep was found... he threw a party! When a lost coin was found...he threw a party! And when his lost son came home, even after wasting the Father's inheritance, he simply had to throw a party! And not just a quaint little tea party, but an all-out, kill-the-fatted-calf, everybody-get-crazy-fun bash! (Luke 15) What explanation can you give for this kind of excessiveness? The best one I can think of is that God is just really, really happy and he loves to spread the joy around! And just what brings him so much joy that he can't help himself and can't keep it to himself? I believe that deep down inside of you, you already know the answer to that one. YOU do! YOU bring him intense joy! You bring him so much joy that he looks for ways to lavish his love on you. And he looks for gifts to give you that are over-the-top and excessive. Not because he has to but because he wants to. That's what love does!

YOU are the one he must have! One glance from YOU turns his heart inside out! The one He is lovesick for is YOU! And since the price has been paid for in full by Jesus on the cross to have you as His very own forever, he chooses to throw a perpetual party!

During tonight's worship service at Blazing Fire, Saturday, October 24th, we're going to enjoy the Father's Party together!! I'm going to preach from the story of the excessively lavish love of the Father from the parable that Jesus told in Luke 15. And at the end, we're going to celebrate! Not just a little, "wa hoo," mind you. But a "WAAAAA HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" party! The exceptionally Good News is worth getting really, really happy about! And why wouldn't you? You're made in the image of your Father who happens to love throwing parties. And even better than that, you are the object of his great affection!

So, bring your shofars and tambourines and even a party hat if you want to. It's time for the younger sons & daughters to come back home and it's time for the elder sons and daughters to stop working for what is already theirs, so that we can all thoroughly enjoy our Father who absolutely adores all of his children!

A Rising Up Is Happening! - Oct 9, 2009

Hello Amazing Friends!

I want to share with you some revelation that Blazing Fire's Leona Mendiola (worshipwaryor@yahoo.com) received from the Lord at Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) just a few weeks ago. As you read it, where there is agreement within your spirit, be sure to declare it out loud!

For the United States, there will be a great calling back--a calling back to morality and purity. A great justice will arise from the earth and many will be awakened. Do not become complacent but stand for justice--stand for truth. There will be a great divide as my spirit sweeps upon the earth. There will be a division of the sheep and of the goats and those who are lukewarm will experience an inner revival. My kingdom will grow in power, purity, favor, and success. As the world continues to crumble I am establishing a greater level of the seven mountains of society this year, for my Kingdom will be known across the earth as a Kingdom arising in great strength. My people will walk in divine health, favor, success, and creativity as this world is being shaken. Even as it was upon the children of Israel as they prospered in the midst of darkness, so too my church will be lit with the light of Goshen. It will cause such a stirring that people will say, "Truly God is with them!''

The Lord says to you, "By my light you will walk through darkness unharmed covered by a supernatural cloud of glory and fire of love! I am releasing in you creativity, prosperity, and a rising up. Follow my voice and I will release the way into your hearing through a dream in the night--through a whisper. Stay near to me and I will release the secrets, and financial wisdom--the hidden things unknown by man but by my Spirit I shall reveal them. Come to the waters and drink- you who have no money come and buy honey, milk and wine from my Kingdom. Freely, I will give to you all things and surely I will take care of my love and my bride. Follow in the footsteps of the flock, and feed beside the shepherd's tent--there you will find me."

This year will be known as the presence of God!

"Not only an awareness of the angels--as my people have been infatuated with the angels--but a season of my presence, a season of rest and a season of the presence of God. As Moses knew the revelation and the secret to walking with me--he knew that he would go forward victoriously--so, too, you will know the power of my presence and stand in the confidence of me as your source of victory and deliverance! As I go before you clearing out the land I have given you, I will cause you to walk in the power of truth and darkness will loose its hold."

"This year, I will open the hearts of those who have been hard hearted. I am unlocking the gate. Purity and restoration are on my heart this year! There will be a filtration system in the spirit and a straining out of all contaminants. They will see the filth that the enemy has given to them for what it is--polluting their water--and there will be a refusal to drink of the polluted waters. A choice again will be offered--Choose now this day who you will serve. I do this for those who are ignorant they are drinking pollution. Today, I offer them a fresh glass of water!"

"Do not be afraid of the enemy! Stand in my favor because it testifies that there is a God in heaven, a father who loves you and cares for you in all things. Stand out! Don't shrink back, for this is the message of my Kingdom. Stand out and beam--knowing you are loved!"

"And I am calling the youth into an even deeper intimacy with me. They will find me in the secret places and I will begin to disciple them in the deeper things. They will go forth in prophecy and healing. They will be leaders in an even greater way."

Pray for boldness for these young ones. They are humble and still need to be broken away from the 'old mindset' and brought into a place of equality with 'adults.' What I saw was a powerful wave that is coming upon the youth, but they don't yet know their ability to come along side in powerful leadership positions--like Jeremiah when he said, ''Oh, but I'm just a youth.'' God is breaking that and bringing them up into their positions in the fullness of where they are supposed to be.

I see people of all ages coming into greater wholeness within themselves and into a rest with who they are. I see them coming to the true revelation of who they are suppose to be inside. I heard the scripture when, in the midst of corruption, Elijah cried out, "I'm the only one left!' and the Lord responded, "I have 7000 prophets hidden away who have not bowed their knee to Baal." And I saw that with homeschooled children--that they were some of the ones being hidden away for a time being prepared by God for something great--a double portion. The Elisha generation is in the rising! Children who aren't defiled by immorality. And I saw that God always hid away a remnant when he was about to do something great. He's always preserved something when a breakthrough was imminent. This goes beyond just homeschoolers--but an Elisha double-portion, hidden generation is arising!

Finally, I saw Blazing Fire soaring and branching out--spreading out through other people in other cities. What I saw in this was an even greater way that people are carrying the distinctives of Blazing Fire and impacting their cities and starting things there.

Leona

Drink In the Fall Feasts! - October 2, 2009

Hello Amazing Friends!

First of all, a reminder that Paul Manwaring of the Bethel pastoral staff in Redding, will be with us this Saturday evening at Blazing Fire Church!! Paul is an amazing man of God with brilliant insight for the emerging new wineskins that the Lord is revealing to His Church. If you cannot come, it will be available to listen to for free on podcast sometime next week (www.blazingfire.org).

Now, I want to share with you a quick overview of the three Jewish Fall Festivals, along with some of the significance for us who live in the glorious New Covenant of Grace!

There is a reason God has put certain traditions in place for His children—it’s because we tend to forget. We are in the midst of three very important feasts that God instituted for the Israelites centuries ago that are wonderful reminders for us today.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which this year began at sundown on Sept. 18^th, the beginning of “10 days of Awe” which is a time for repentance. Repentance is not saying to God, ‘I am a worm,’ but it is coming into complete agreement with who you are as a Son or Daughter of God who has been paid for by the blood of Jesus. It is a time to turn our backs on the lies that keep us in chains and remember our freedom in Christ to bring his light and life to a world who desperately needs to know the Good News!

That 10 days ends with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This year, that happened at sundown on September 26th. It was on this one day of the year that the high priest would enter the Holy of holies to present a blood sacrifice to alleviate people of the guilt they had from their sin. This is the reminder that Jesus has absolutely done everything to make us right with God. Hebrews 10:11-14 reminds us that, “Every priest stands at his duties every day, offering over and over again the same sacrifices which are quite incapable of taking away sins. Jesus, on the other hand, has offered one single sacrifice for sins, and then taken his seat forever, at the right hand of God, where he is now waiting until his enemies are made his footstool. By virtue of that one single offering, he has achieved the eternal perfection of all who are sanctified!” That would be you and me! Everyone who has said yes to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus is perfectly cleansed from all unrighteousness!! There is not one thing that we can do to add to his finished work on the cross. We are not at odds with God in any way!! Waaaa Hoooooo!

And now, the third Fall Feast is approaching—Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles—which this year falls on Oct. 3rd, this Saturday. It is a joyful celebration of the harvest--the perfect provision of God--and it is a reminder that Jesus is God's perfect provision as Savior of all nations! It was on this festival that Jesus cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7:37 & 38)

This is a reminder to you to drink and drink and drink of the goodness of God! And after you have done that…drink some more!!

Wedding Bells Are Ringing! - September 18, 2009

Tomorrow, Saturday, September 19th, Lonnie Ellis, an Elder of Blazing Fire, and Angela Elias are getting married during our worship service! The service begins at 6:00 pm. We have enjoyed a wedding during our worship service one other time before and it was positively "off-the-hook!" We are anticipating an extra large crowd, so I encourage you to come a bit early to get a seat. We will begin with the same passionate worship time that you are used to experiencing at Blazing Fire and at the conclusion of that time, Angela will come down the aisle to meet her waiting groom!

There is, of course, another Groom who is waiting as well! He has his gaze fixed attentively on his bride--a gaze marked by expressive pleasure, delightful joy, and steadfast love! This was the Groom who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross, thinking nothing of the shame (Heb. 12:2). You were absolutely the joy that was set before Jesus! He had to have you as his very own for all of eternity and he willingly chose to lay down his life to set you free to become his perfect match that you were meant to be. He not only sacrificed himself to be sure that sin could not take you down, but he also continuosly sings his truth over you to be sure that your beauty increases from glory to glory!

The Message Bible translates part of Ephesians 5 like this: "Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness!" That's you and me, beloved! This is what Jesus does for us without fail because He WILL have a radiant, beautiful bride at his side, and His strong love will faithfully and perfectly bring us down the isle where he will capture his prize to be his forever!

Here is a foretaste of what is coming: "Then I heard the sound of massed choirs, the sound of a mighty ctaract, the sound of strong thunder: 'Hallelujah! The Master reigns, our God, the Sovereign-Strong! Let us celebrate, let us rejoice, let us give him the glory! The Marriage of the Lamb has come, his Wife has made herself ready. She was given a bridal gown of bright and shining linen. The linen is the righteousness of the saints.'"

Can you hear the wedding bells ringing? They are louder than they have ever been and you are looking more beautiful to Jesus than ever before! Keep your eye on the Prize just as he is doing with you!