Reflections from a Mom About the Goodness of God's Heart by Karis Guillot - Overseer

Matthew and I are in the midst of moving (don’t worry, our move is local!) and at the same time, our daughter Aria is in a season of choosing/wanting to be in my arms or on my lap all the time right now. I’m not complaining, but it does make packing a little challenging. Two reasons for this: 1. She is on me like a baby Koala/Kangaroo and I have short arms. 2. She is very helpful, so what I put in the box she likes to help me by taking it out. Our solution to have Aria strapped onto my back was perfect. Everyone was happy! Aria’s clinginess got me thinking about our relationship with God… Do I hold on to Papa God like that no matter what? Good times, bad times, cuddle times, hang out times, eating times, sleepy times, reading times, playing times, happy times, sad times, when she fell and hurt herself times, when she can't figure out a problem times (right now that's how to screw a cap back on a  bottle). Do we cling to Papa at all times? She is fully independent and is able to play and move around on her own and do what she wants (which means a lot of elbows and knees digging into all my pressure points!) but Papa God doesn't have that concern. So, do I choose to be fully my own person while still leaning wholly on Jesus? She makes her own choices on which toys to play with, which books to read---she just likes to do it on top of me. Is that how I approach God? Or do I throw temper tantrums and get upset at him when things don't go according to how I think it should go? When Aria gets upset, she immediately hands me the problem item (can't get sticks out of a bottle or can't get the cap on the bottle) and asks for help. She knows that when she says "please" she gets what she is asking for--most of the time. “No child, you cannot have candy at 11pm.” So, she looks at me with those big trusting eyes, hands me her problem (or alternately she shares with me her joy like toys) and says "please" and knows that I'll help her solve whatever issue it is. She is confident that I will not withhold any good thing from her. If, I, a human am willing to do that for my daughter, how much more so the Almighty—King of Kings—El Shaddai—Prince of Peace—Jehovah Jireh, who delights over us? I pray that we would all have a deeper childlike faith of trusting Papa and coming to Him knowing that He can handle and will solve our issue—happy or sad—according to His riches and glory. How he desires to have us come to him. With Love, Karis

Last Saturday at Blazing Fire, we continued on in the exciting book of Acts and talked about healing as part of our inheritance as followers of Jesus, filled with His Spirit. I was thrilled that something like 30 of you got up to share healing testimonies or words of knowledge for healing at some point during the service. Not only were several people instantly healed when we all prayed for each other, but many more experienced their healing when prayed for by the prayer teams at the end of the service. God loves healing his kids! You can hear the message from Acts 3, along with all the testimonies right here: Activating the Gift of Healing!

Saved Into God's Family by Pastor Brent Lokker

When we say that God sent Jesus to the earth to die for us to save us from sin, there is truth in that statement, but it’s vastly incomplete.  There are much deeper reasons Jesus sacrificed His life for us. Ever since Adam & Eve, sin brought into our world the illusion of separation, or more accurately, our disillusion of separation from God. Remember that after sin entered into the equation, Adam tried to hide from God for the first time, as if that were a possibility. Jesus came to crush sin's distortion and shatter the disillusion of separation so that we would embrace the One who made us and loves us wholeheartedly, our extravagantly kind and approachable Father. And there's more… Jesus came to personally extend an invitation into God’s expanding family across the earth and spanning the generations! So, we weren’t just saved from our sins, but we were saved to enjoy our Father and to belong to His family of loved, cherished children who then share his heart and release his love. The deep desire to belong was placed in our hearts by God so He could fulfill it! This past Saturday in our continuing exploration of the Book of Acts, we looked at our Father’s intent for True Community (you can listen to the podcast here).  There was constant love and encouragement and generosity flowing from one to another! This is God's idea of family. We’re all aware, sometimes painfully so, that God’s family doesn’t always get relationships right. This is because we’re all still on a journey of believing we’re worthy of God’s love as His sons and daughters so we tap into the only source of love there is, we’re completely forgiven so shame can’t condemn us and sabotage our relationships with others, and we’re filled with His Spirit to have full access to God’s grace and mercy and forgiveness for one another. In other words, like almost everything in life, it’s a process. God shows us, even in the midst of our sometimes dysfunctional relationships, what love looks like. When we don’t get it quite right, He will show us areas of our own hearts that need tending to. And the times we do get it right (with ever increasing frequency) family is a precious—and dare I say miraculous—gift from God! Suzanne and I so appreciate being part of God’s ever-expanding family with all of you! It’s already been an amazing journey and the journey continues… With Love, Brent

Last Saturday at Blazing Fire, I read parts of an uplifting and empowering prophetic word by Danielle Dixon, Your Pressure is Producing a Strong Harvest  and then we made these declarations together: I have a harvest! I am receiving God’s blessing now! I am a reaper. I am a harvester. I am in a season of harvest! I speak to my land: Bring forth increase! I release the harvesting angels into my harvest! Lord, I thank you for my harvest! If this intrigues you, read the prophetic word here

Jesus is the Model of all Fulfilled Prophecy by Joel Pollard - Overseer

Acts 2:17 in The Passion Translation declares, “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, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will experience dreams from God.” Prophecy is all about encouraging, building up and the release of freedom       (1 Cor. 14:4). The same Holy Spirit who spoke to the prophets in the Early Church and who even revealed to the prophets in the Old Testament is the same Holy Spirit who continues to speak to us today. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Being yourself and having self-confidence is an important truth to flow in as sons and daughters when we minister. In alignment to “being ourselves”, we are an original created by Father God. He doesn’t create copies, He creates originals. When staying true to how He created us, we are able to discover ourselves on the journey with Holy Spirit, for it is the Holy Spirit whom reveals all truth, according to John 16:13. The foundation of prophetic ministry is based in The Father’s Love. When we prophesy to people, we get to call His children into their true identity in Christ. We also get to bring the lost into a relationship with Jesus. This is what is called, “calling out the treasures in people”. The most accurate prophetic voice is Jesus for “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 19:10).  Jesus is the model of all fulfilled prophecy. What is that prophecy? The law has been fulfilled in Him. We went from prophecy of judgment in the Old Covenant to prophesying out of grace in the New Covenant. What is grace? Who is grace? JESUS!! Who are we? We are His temple. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. There is an ongoing dispensation of grace through you and I through the power of the Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who continues to reveal who Jesus is to us”. It’s from glory to glory He’s changing us (2 Cor. 3:18) and it’s all about being wholehearted sons and daughters of God, becoming the future version of how God already sees us. It is my prayer that we continue to give permission and full access to Holy Spirit to speak to us and through us, to step out and take risks of releasing the heart of a Father who is passionately in love with His kids. (You can hear Joel's message "Prophetic Ministry that Flows out of Acts 2:17" from last Saturday at Blazing Fire, here)

Parable of the Impatient Gardener by Bill Hernandez - Prophetic Overseer

Once upon a time there was a boy who with great enthusiasm plowed a field with perfect rows and spread seeds among the rows and watered them. He knew it would be glorious when the garden came fully alive. He then waited and waited daily watering the field and watching for the results of his labor. Day in and day out he watched and waited as the sun rose and set, as the rains came, the winds came, the cold came and the seasons changed. He waited through good and bad weather and nothing happened. The field just looked like the day he first plowed it. Slowly, but surely, he became impatient, frustrated, disappointed and angry because his garden was doing nothing at all. He became bitter and upset believing that none of the seeds he had planted were viable and in fact dead. All his work was for nothing it seemed. There was nothing to look forward to anymore and so he spent his days crest fallen. His hope had not died and his faith had not really died either. He was heartbroken feeling betrayed by his efforts which where in vain. One day he noticed a tiny seedling appear in his garden, but because he was heartbroken and bitter he only believed that what he saw was a weed. It grew more leaves as it got bigger, but also throughout the field seedlings were springing up. He could only believe through his broken heart that those too were just weeds until there were so many of them that he began to believe that some indeed were the flowers that he had planted. He saw a mixture of weeds and flowers because he couldn’t believe otherwise. He was still feeling pain, but not as much. The plants began to show buds and as more buds appeared, his heart began to feel lighter, happier, confident and his days were less dark as more and more buds appeared. Finally all the buds opened and the entire field was filled with glorious, fragrant flowers. All the pain in his heart had disappeared and the dark and gloomy days were just like a nightmare that had passed because there was so much joy. His hard work had indeed paid off and it truly was never in vain. A great harvest awaits us and the seedlings are slowly appearing as the Lord shows us a taste here and there of the great wave of His Spirit sweeping over the land. I believe it’s important to not let discouragement and frustration take root in our hearts during this time of tarrying. I believe this is not the time to make drastic decisions that can alter the course of our lives because it may be motivated by pain. The seedlings are coming alive each day and we will be in a time of so much joy over the harvest that any darkness we are in now will have faded like a forgotten dream of sorrows. The work you have done in people’s lives, in the community, in church, in relationships, in ministry will bear so much fruit. It will be like a fruit tree laden with so much fruit that the branches will be nearly breaking and that is the time to harvest … and to party. So don’t give up. Hoped deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 whisperoflove.org

Return, Repent and be Baptized by Pastor Karena Lout

As elders, we felt God leading us to make our way through the book of Acts on most Sat. nights. It’s been really good as we’re experiencing all Holy Spirit intended us to receive as believers. This past Saturday, I focused on Acts 2:36-41. Peter addresses the crowd, letting them know that Jesus, whom was crucified, was indeed their Messiah. The Israelites were crushed when they heard this. Their pain required a response. So Peter tells them to repent, return to God and be baptized and then they would receive the promised Holy Spirit. REPENTANCE In Matthew 3, John the Baptist’s message mirrored Peter’s, as he announced Jesus’ coming, “Repent, clear the way and prepare your hearts for His coming.” Repentance is simply changing direction. It’s acknowledging that Jesus’ ways are higher than ours. It’s returning to the high place (penthouse) and remembering who you really are as God’s son or daughter. Repentance is surrender and the humility to be led and to follow. It’s not a one-time ritual we do when we say yes to Jesus. It’s something we can embrace daily.  I’ve found in my own life, where I can tend to be self sufficient, there’s so much value in returning to Jesus and inviting Him to change my course of direction. BAPTISM Peter then tells the crowd to be baptized. He used language the Jews would’ve understood because they were familiar with ritual cleansing. But the baptism that Jesus modeled would forever break the power of sin and death over their lives. Baptism is complete identification with Jesus. It’s immersion into the reality of the Trinity. It’s a prophetic act and the highest agreement with what Jesus did on the cross for us. It’s entrance into our new life ruled by the Spirit of God. It symbolizes a turning away from self-reliance and declaring our need for Him.  It’s death to our old sin nature and life to our new.   “Going under the water was a burial of your old life; coming up out of it was a resurrection. God raising you from the dead as He did Christ. When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive-right along with Christ! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s cross.” Colossians 2:12-14 (The Message) MY STORY I was 18 years old when I was baptized. I just received Jesus into my life and wanted everything He had for me. I came out of a very abusive relationship for the past 4 years and my heart was finally beginning to feel free again. Todd’s Dad was my pastor at the time so he baptized me. Because of some things that happened to me, I felt dirty and worthless. But it wasn’t until I was baptized and realized what Jesus did on the cross for me that I discovered my name actually means “pure one.” I remember coming up out of the water and feeling like a new person. That’s what Jesus does. He restores you to your original design, washed, cleansed and made whole again. 3,000 WERE ADDED  Acts 2: 41 “Those who believed what Peter said were baptized, and about 3,000 were added to the church. “ The power of the Holy Spirit drew them in. Jesus extends this invitation to ALL. His message is all-inclusive. It’s the kindness of Jesus that leads us to repentance. Last Sat. night, we spent some time praying for loved ones (and for the whole world!) to know the extravagant love of God. I’ve been agreeing with each one of your prayers all week. I pray that Jesus would encounter them and draw them in like only He can. He’s so faithful!                                                                   Love, Karena

The Power of Jesus to Transform by Pastor Brent Lokker

Jesus gave his life for me long before I had any awareness of his indescribable gift. I was a portion of the joy set before him when he endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2). I gave my life to Jesus when I was 12 years old. I didn’t yet know the joys I would experience by being his but I did know my decision was significant. A camp counselor led me in a prayer of accepting Jesus’ sacrificial gift of forgiveness and at that moment I felt a wave of warmth around the area of my heart and tears welled up in my eyes because of something wonderful that had taken place. To this day, I don’t remember the counselor’s name, but I can picture his short, muscular, stocky frame and his distinctly red hair. I have thanked God for him on many occasions knowing that his choice to lead me into a deep friendship with Jesus as my Savior and my Lord dramatically changed the course and the quality of my life forever. There will be a day on the other side of this earthly life when I will meet this man again and express my deep gratitude for the transaction that took place that day—Jesus taking from me my old sin nature (Col 2:11) I had inherited from Adam and brining to life his glorious Spirit within me in its place. I know the Bible says there will be no more tears in heaven but whatever the equivalent of joyful tears is in heaven is going to take place that day. Though I’ve had many moments along the way when I’ve temporarily forgotten this transaction, Jesus never has! He was not only my Savior in a moment when I was 12 years old, but He’s been the Savior I’ve needed every single day of my life! I think if we all could reflect on how much more destructive and empty our lives would have been without Jesus and remember the umpteen times he has restored us to life-giving repentance through his kindness (Romans 2) so we would enjoy more and more of his peace and freedom, we would more readily step out to be that unnamed, red-headed man to another who’s life will be changed forever by being introduced to their Savior Jesus. Ask God for his eyes to see those around you who need Jesus. Share your own story of how being loved and forgiven by him has transformed you. Yes, we are all still in process, but your story is more powerful than you know.  Honestly, we’ve often made evangelism a weird, uncomfortable thing because we’ve been thinking we have to say the right thing to get someone to pray a certain prayer. The simple truth is we are inviting people to encounter the forgiving, life-restoring Jesus—to have a deep friendship that will dramatically change the course and the quality of their lives forever!                                                                With Love, Pastor Brent

In last Saturday’s message, Resurrection Celebration, Pastor Brent demonstrates the reality of Jesus’ resurrection through the testimony of scripture and you will hear Marilyn Ga’s gripping testimony of how Jesus completely rescued and restored her by that same dunamis power.

Click to listen to Resurrection Celebration

Passion Week / And the Promised Holy Spirit by Pastor Russ Fochler

"Let me make this clear: A single grain of wheat will never be more than a single grain of wheat unless it drops into the ground and dies. Because then it sprouts and produces a great harvest of wheat—all because one grain died." John 12:24 TPT

In last week's email, I encouraged us to walk with Jesus through this week of His life (Palm Sunday through His Resurrection).  With Holy Spirit' help may we behold Jesus' passionfor our freedom and friendship: The way He established the great path from our darkened suspicions and destructive independence back into the arms of our true Father, the one true God.  Jesus became this path by suffering with us and taking upon Himself our sin and death.  Join us this Saturday night at 6:00 PM as we enter together into the awe and joy of Jesus' victory for us over Death and Sheol. During the elder retreat last January, we received God's leading to engage more intentionally with Holy Spirit this  coming year.  Going through the Book of Acts is part of this.  Last year we focussed upon Jesus as our King.  This included experiencing Jesus inside of us and beginning to explore what it means to be Jesus' ekklesia - His legislative assembly on the earth.  Now, as we go through Acts, we're looking to Holy Spirit to reveal and impart more to us about being Jesus' Ekklesia (Matthew 16:15-19).  In the current season, we're walking through one of the most remarkable chapters in the Bible: Acts Chapter 2.  The Holy Spirit came in a very dramatic way and then moved through an impromptu speech by Peter to reveal Jesus to the crowd who gathered.   Last Saturday, I made this observation: "The keys to Heaven’s Realm come through our relational access to the mind of Jesus about the situations and people Father God desires to help.  This relational access is empowered by Holy Spirit being in us and upon us!    We experience prophetic words, visions, dreams, and “knowings” through Holy Spirit. We participate in Jesus’ Ekklesia as we agree and declare Father God’s will to be done on earth as He desires in Heaven.  This includes what we agree to be “tied up” and what we agree to be released. You can listen to my talk last Saturday from Acts 2 here and look at the slides here.    Love,         Russ