Blazing Fire's Encouraging Blog

When we come together with food and our stories of God's goodness....oh it's such a beautiful thing!  This last Saturday night was sweet sweet sweet with a very family-like atmosphere. I want to thank you all for bringing great snacks and for your willingness to share testimonies.  One thing that is interesting, and even fun, is to see is how the sharing becomes contagious. By this I'm referring to momentum that takes place when one person steps out. Just hearing the story of the person with the microphone stirs up the hearts in the room. It seems to pry loose, (if you will), what has been waiting to be shared by others. The testimonies, then, keep comin' and encouragement, excitement, life and even bravery fills the air around us.  Thus we have Revelation 19:10: "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Very recently a young man was sharing with me how afraid he was by some current circumstances. It was clear that he was feeling overcome by them and...

     2 Corinthians 5:11-15 in The Passion says, “Since we are those who stand in holy awe of the Lord, we make it our passion to persuade others to turn to him. We know that our lives are transparent before the God who knows us fully, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. Again, we are not taking an opportunity to brag, but giving you information that will enable you to be proud of us, and to answer those who esteem outward appearances while overlooking what is in the heart. If we are out of our minds in a blissful, divine ecstasy, it is for God, but if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. For it is Christ’s love that fuels our passion and holds us tightly, because we are convinced that he has given his life for all of us. This means all died with him, so that those who live should no longer live self-absorbed lives but lives that are poured out for him—the one who died for us and now lives again.”      The fear of the Lo...

I went to bed last night thinking about the concept of seeing treasures in others.  This morning I woke up with a song in my spirit. It's a 1978 song called, "Stained Glass", by Keith Green. Keith was a pioneer in Christian music, back in the 70s and 80s. The lyrics kept moving through my heart.   When I poured my morning coffee and sat down to read my daily devotional, "Catching Whimsy", by Bob Goff, my heart jumped as Bob was talking about us being like stained glass windows, our colorful lights revealing the colors in other people. Coincidence? It sure didn't feel like it!   Soon after, I walked our dog, Tyson, through our Pleasanton neighborhood. I decided to listen to this song during my K9 excursion.  To my absolute amusement I walked through an area where the morning light was shining through various car break lights and neighbor's hanging glass ornaments. Colors were cast onto the sidewalk, making my walk feel like I was in a music video or som...

I can recall what life was like after I first became a Christian, but before I had encountered the Holy Spirit.  God was just an idea to me, not a person to have a relationship with.  I thought I needed to try harder and work, unsuccessfully, to overcome feelings of unworthiness in order to experience His presence.  My soul believed a bunch of lies, and was running the show.  Everything changed after an encounter with the Holy Spirit; literally overnight. I became aware of God’s presence, and knew He wanted to connect with me, as much as I wanted to connect with Him.  I felt more fully alive, invigorated, joyful, hopeful, and, somehow more expansive with potential.  I was awakened to the reality that I was a spiritual being with a direct connection to the spiritual realm.  The world around me suddenly seemed different-like I’d arrived in Oz and was no longer in Kansas.  I can look back and see that what changed was that my spirit-man had arisen an...

What does this mean for us?   We each have God’s radiant life - revealed by Jesus the Messiah living in us, living in our mortal body.   Wow!  What an astounding privilege. And the challenging part?   We are vulnerable.  Jesus sends us out as sheep among wolves.  ““Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as wary as serpents, and as innocent as doves” (Matthew10:16 NASB)  The apostle Paul the puts it this way: “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed”  (2 Cor 4:8-9 NKJV)  While living on earth as a human, Jesus revealed the Kingdom of God through his actions and words.  In John 15, Jesus calls his disciples - and now us to live from the truth we are deeply connected (abiding) with Him.  Jesus is our source of life.  God’s Kingdom is not a matter dietary rules but rather righteousness, shalom,...

As one who struggles at times with being so right-brained, always wanting all my ducks in a row, trying to understand this "call into Healing Ministry" has been a challenge ... so this is how I have reconciled it in my heart.   ACTS 10:38 —  “God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”   That scripture should be a mandate for all of us — God, do it again!  The works Jesus did are to be carried on by us — as HIS designated agents here on earth. God anointed Jesus to heal the sick and set the captives free. He doesn’t have to if Jesus is operating as God, but he’s operating out of His humanity.   “He emptied himself of what it meant to be God”  (Philippians 2:6).  That's really good news for us because if Jesus did everything as God—it’s impressive—but we can't do that. But as a human yielded to God, I can follow his example.   One of...