It's What I Cannot Live Without!

What would I do without this school? That is an easy question because this school has made into who I am right now! The presence of God is so thick throughout classes and the mouths of our greatly loved pastors and teachers! More and more of you God!!! COME ON!

From a little over a year ago I had no idea what God had in store for me! I am now able to heal people, I am able to bless people, I am able to help people, I am financially secure, I am healthy, I am forgiven, and I am blessed! Only these things can happen through Jesus! The Father sent His son to die for us because He saw something so valuable in us worth dying for!

Heaven is open over us and it is now not just an option to reach up and grab healing, or any other resource, but it is a lifestyle that I commit to live up to! I declare this to be a contagious lifestyle!

Thank you Father in Heaven for bringing your kingdom down and making us princes and princesses!

-Jon Stotts 2nd year Firebrand

What If the Church Fell in Love?

What if the church fell in love? How would we change? What if we removed all of our shaming bumpers stickers about what we perceive as cultural ills and channeled all of that noise into real, supernatural effort to love? How would our message change if Heaven’s Love became our love?

Would we stop threatening the world with catastrophe? Would Jesus’ Word from John 3:16 through 18 sound different to us if we, the church actually fell in love? How would our message change if Kingdom Love became our love?

Would we be far less interested in end times theories that ramp up the pressure of getting ourselves motivated to serve God? Would authentic, passionate love of and for God be enough to ignite our labors? Would wildly loving Christians be far more interesting signs of the times than earthquakes and wars? Would sacrificial love born out of God’s bountiful heart into the lives of Christians be much more intriguing than who the next candidate is for “Anti-Christ of the Year”?

Do we know what spirit we are of when we are in any way pleased or interested in bad things happening to bad people? If hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, diseases and calamities fit into our definition of how unhappy God is have we truly calculated the damage we do to the character of the Father and the true love of Jesus Christ? Have we read Luke 9:51-56 with Christ’s core value of radical love burning in our minds?

Does our definition of love require God to be angry and unsatisfied? What role does fear and punishment play in our revelation of God, especially in the face of Jesus, who told us that seeing Him is seeing the Father? Does our definition of love drain the Gospel of real power? Does our definition of love weaken and possibly neutralize the very Word of God which we adamantly require the world to believe? Are we experts in theology and novices in love?

What would happen if the church fell in love?

I’m just asking questions.

Happy Thanksgiving FBSM!!!!

I just wanted to let you all know how truly thankful I am that you have chosen to submit your lives to FBSM. Though the year has proved difficult for many of you, I want to take a moment to remind you all that you are truly in the right place at the right time. 10 years from now I can assure you that you will look back on these days and thank God for all that you were a part of. I would love to hear what your vision is for the future of FBSM, and ask that you post it as a prophetic word for those who would follow in you footsteps. As you all go into this next year, my word over us is love. A love that daily draws us to do things that take even greater risk. I know that many of you are no strangers to risk lately, but I feel that you are heading into a season of health and prosperity of soul that surpasses merely money, or physical needs. You are amazing. Know that you are loved and how thankful I am for who you are.

To all in firebrand!!!

The other day in pastors prayer at church I was taken by an image that flashed in my mind. The image was leaders from living word constructing a mast. Like for a mighty ship. The mast was enormous, covering what had to be acres. There were timbers laying in stacks to hold the large mast as it lay on the ground being constucted. I was then taken in a moment to what was apparently the raising of the mast. This it took many more people, probably hundreds maybe even a thousand and all were grabbing, gripping, pulling ropes attached to this great mast.

In what seemed like days the mast was finally raised and was ready to be given a sail. Remember this is all happening in brief moment during pastors prayer. I remember looking up the length of the mast and not being able to see the top. It was higher than the clouds. As the sail was attached it made a loud crack as the wind caught it. We all stood with a great sense of accomplishment, urgency, and fear as we watched. It became quickly apparent that something would have to be done to steer this sail, yet none of us knew where we were headed. As the vision continued I was taken to heights far above the sail to see that the sail had literally caused the earth to move on a different axis. All at once I was gleefully terrified! Seeing that the effects of our labor had the ability to change the world, and create momentum that would effect everyone on the planet.

During this vision I heard 3 words totally unknown to me at the time. First was the word "matveh" which later I learned from Stongs concordance means, "that which is spun/yarn/fabric" Second was the word "hadesh" which I am still researching but have found that it is about a piece of poetry, artistic worship. Third was the word "lamech" is actually a name. The name of Noah's father (Gen. 5:31) He was seventh in decent from Seth. The name means, "man of prayer; powerful; youth; strong young man; conqueror; one who overthrows; destroyer; the strikerdown." Similarly this man wrote a song that is an antediluvian poem called, "Lamech's sword song." I think that God may have been trying to tell us of his urgency in establishing kingdom direction and knitting us together like a sail to direct the wind of change that is coming through artistic expression and worship.

Fall Registration for FBSM

It's time to put out the word that our fall trimester starts a new year of Firebrand School. We have had such a good time in our first year! Everyone is learning....including the staff! Help us get out the word to any and all prospective students!!

I also want to take this opportunity to list the core values of our spiritual covering, Bethel Church Redding California, which also FBSM's heart-beat:
1. God is in a good mood. It's time to RE-present God to the world.
2. All things are possible. The supernatural should be natural.
3. Humans are significant and matter in all of God's plans.
4. The work of Christ is finished and complete. No promise of the Bible is off the table and awaiting another day.

Additionally, the following ten qualities are values of our life together with Bethel and their Global Legacy church network. Where revival is, these qualities will be evident:
1. God is known as only good.
2. An apostolic government is caring for the church.
3. Joy and hope abound!
4. Risk and faith abound!
5. A culture of honor is in place. It is deep and wide, from side to side, top to bottom and bottom to top.
6. Generosity is common.
7. A prophetic culture places a high value on the gift and gifts of the Spirit.
8. Worship and the Presence of God are viewed as precious and primary. (Worship is the response to the treasure of God's Presence)
9. The release of the supernatural is both natural and sought after.
10. A culture of grace empowers ALL and calls to account ALL.

Our God Reigns!
Pastor Randy Dean

In Love With FBSM!!!

I just want to welcome you all back to Firebrand School of Ministry Spring Semester! I look forward to seeing all that God will do over this next semester. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the spiritual health grow and develop in each of us as individuals, as well as watching the corporate body. Finally, I would like to thank you all for your many prayers for supernatural healing and provision for my family and I through my recent neck injury. "Open Windows of Heaven in 2009" (PRD) Be Blessed, Live Blessed, Share the Blessing!

Pastor Darren

the enemy of your soul

The enemy of your soul wants to rob, kill and destroy you. The devil hates you. What he has come to rob, kill and destroy is your future, purpose and destiny. The devil does not care if you have every thing or nothing. He doesn't care if you are rich, and live in a mansion, with a pool, three cars, a yacht, a summer home and all the fixins. He doesn't care if you live in a shack, if you have even one car or any luxuries or even necessities. The devil does not care if you are crippled, or not. If you are sick or well. He doesn't care if you are a nice person, or not. He plain does not care about the relationships of the people around you. He is not about robbing the things that you have. (although he will, if that is what it takes.) He doesn't want your stuff. He doesn't really care if you do or do not have stuff. His real and only goal is to cause you to doubt the promises of God. To not believe what God has said. Just as the serpent said to Eve in the garden of Eden, "God didn't really say......" Now you fill in the blank....... "God didn't really say that this sickness would be healed...." "God didn't really say that you would lead your people out of this hellish excistance they are in." The enemy of your soul wants to rob, kill and destroy the very word that God has spoken to you. Now, how he does that comes in sly ways that look like an accident.... or in his lies and deception, makes things look like this is God's will for your life or the people around you. He can create nothing. His power is in deception, lies, robbing, killing, and destroying. Whether he uses outside things in your life to cause you to question or the antichrist spirit is whispering in your ear, "God didn't really say that, did he?" He is wanting the same outcome. To rob, kill and destroy your destiny in and for the one true God that does say "yes I am the way, the truth and the life!" Jesus is saying don't look back just come and follow me and I will show you great and mighty things. You will heal the sick. Signs and wonders will follow you everywhere you go. You will lead your people out of Egypt. You will have life and LIFE in abundance. You will do greater things than I.
Stand against the enemy of your soul. Stand in what God says. When you have done all else, just stand. You do not stand alone. We stand together. Do no do this on your own strength. Don't just hang on to the rope dangling in mid air. Wrap the rope around you and let the rope hang onto you. Don't just hang on to the promises of God in your own mind and reason. Wrap God's promises around you and swing free.........