Blazing Fire's Encouraging Blog

Beginning this Saturday night at Blazing Fire, we’ll begin a series focusing on the models of prayer we find in the New Testament, starting with the Lord’s Prayer taught by Jesus and moving into the prayers of Paul, the Apostle. There’s a fascinating Scripture in 1 John 5:14-15 that says: This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. Naturally, the follow up question to this would be: How can I know the will of God to agree with it? The simple answer is intimacy—time spent connecting with God’s heart. In a marriage, if one partner desires an intimate heart to heart connection but the other does not and has closed off their heart, can there be an intimate heart to heart connection? No, there cannot. God’s desire for heart to heart intimate connection with each of his children will not change. How do we open ourselves up to that kind ...

  Subscribe Past Issues RSS Translate I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each of you who helped make last Saturday’s time of worship, intercession, and sharing from the heart so deeply meaningful. There is something incredibly beautiful about being a family in God’s Kingdom—a family where genuine love, appreciation, and honor flow freely between us. We are continually learning to enjoy God’s presence together, laugh together, cry together, and discover the beauty and freedom of being vulnerable before the Lord and with one another. This kind of community is a precious gift! Thank you, each one of you, for helping create a family atmosphere that is so warm, welcoming, and healing—not only for us, but also for those who peek their heads in and join us from week to week. What a privilege it is to grow in the love of God together! Last Saturday, I shared a prayer by Thomas Merton that I wanted to share with you again here. Thomas Merton (1915–1968) was a remarkable Christian m...

  A few of our Blazing Fire Family teamed up last Saturday night to consider how our study of the Beatitudes has been impacting their lives.  They shared deeply and vulnerably from their hearts how the truth of Jesus’s words have been making a difference for them: Cynthia:       The Beatitudes are such a great picture of what God’s perfect love looks like.  Love that I receive from Him, and then can extend towards other people.  When we experience mercy, meekness, purity of heart and peacemaking we know we have been encountered by Love.       When I am able to acknowledge that I am “poor in spirit”,  i am accepting myself as I am, not having all the answers.  I am willing to be honest about my own need for help, comfort or guidance.  And when I mourn, willing to be real and vulnerable about however I’m feeling and what my heart needs, I am able to receive the tenderness of His love for myself.  And by receiving that k...

Jesus shared the beatitudes with us to illuminate the truth of our being, enlightening our authentic selves by waking us up to the divine nature we share with him. The great mystery of the Gospel is Christ in you! Which then becomes Christ through you to others. The beatitudes were never meant to be a checklist to the blessed life, as in, if you do these things then God will bless you. Rather, Jesus was showing us the way to a flourishing life by seeing that even the difficult aspects of life can be viewed entirely differently if we can see they enrich our lives as essential parts of our spiritual journey. Then, Jesus walked this out before us in real time so we could watch what our lives were to look like. Even more than what he said , he lived the way of love in a beautifully breathtaking way. Jesus was poor in spirit . He acknowledged his continual dependence on and deep need for his heavenly Father. Jesus mourned. He felt deeply, had extreme compassion, and wept real tears, hur...

  Last Saturday (September 12), I shared another remarkable Jamie and Donna Winship story of peacemaking through following Holy Spirit’s leading and risking their lives. Here is a link to the Youtube video of the service My talk starts at about 1 hr 42 min.  But, I encourage you to watch or listen to the whole service.   So much was moving, beautiful, and insightful: Todd’s worship leading, Sarah talking about Rosh Hashanah.   God encouraged us through Susan, Jim, Esther, Gilbert, and Bill.  And Brent blowing of the shofar called us to receive what God is saying and doing in this season. Here are some of the memorable points from Jamie & Donna Winship’s story: - Jamie is told by the group leader they plan to drive him out to the desert, give him a trial with an Islamic cleric, and then execute him.  Jamie concentrates on staying in the present moment and focusing on Holy Spirit’s leading.  He resists going with his imagination into the terror of th...

  “Happy are the peacemakers for they will be called God’s children.”  Matthew 5:9 The Source New Testament This past Saturday night, I had the joy of sharing two stories by Jamie and Donna Winship that beautifully illustrated many things - including peacemaking, suffering persecution for the sake of justice, and experiencing insults and all kinds of evil lies about you as you follow Jesus. (Matthew 5:9-11) You can find the whole service here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyRfuYL9KsM&t=6590s My talk starts at about 1 hr 23 min. Here are what I consider key peacemaking “ingredients”: Jesus is the Prince of Peace.  The “Sar Shalom”.  Jesus is the One whose reign is Shalom: Completeness, safety, soundness, welfare, health, and prosperity.  Jesus orchestrates the establishment of peace in situations of conflict - and He includes us in this beautiful, important work when we obey Him and surrender our fears, offenses and judgments. Focus on forgiving those who ...