This message on the topic of honor has been in my mind for some time. I realize it is a delicate topic, and one that probably will not raise a lot of hallelujahs. But I believe it is a relevant and timely message for all of us today. As with all my messages, it truly is my prayer that I can encourage and be a blessing as we walk out our faith together. That said, I was blessed this past weekend to hear a message from Pastor Galen Woodward who was the guest speaker at Evangel in Bismarck ND. He spoke on this topic of honor, and it encouraged me to do the same.

The Bible contains over 350 verses pertaining to honor and has many examples where the topic of showing honor takes center stage. As with many of God’s principles, He created a cause-and-effect principle—whereby, if you follow this principle, it is reciprocated with His blessing. Notice that I did not use the word RULE, but that it is a PRINCIPLE to follow. Christianity is about a loving personal relationship with Christ, not about rule-following. If the mission of life is to follow rules and laws and maintain a legalistic status quo, then we will become just like the Pharisees of the Bible, which are the very ones Jesus came against. So, as we follow the principle of honoring others, we should understand that God established this principle, and it’s very clearly in His Word so that we can learn to apply it. His blessing is connected to it. Hence, honor becomes a very powerful thing.

Probably one of the best examples of honor is in the life of David and his relationship with King Saul. As described in the book of Samuel, David distinguished himself as a musician and warrior, which gained him the attention of King Saul. Saul, being stressed and tormented, called upon David regularly to play his harp, to which the King found great comfort. David was also an anointed leader, and soon the king became jealous of David. That jealousy led to intense rage with the king chasing David all over Israel trying to kill him. By this time David had established his own army, and he had several opportunities to kill the king, but did not. On one occasion, King Saul entered into a cave where he was cornered by David and his men. David had once again had the open opportunity to kill the king, as many had urged him to do. But instead, David said “I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.” 1 Sam 24:10. However, King Saul’s life still came to an end, as he fell upon his own sword, rather than to face the embarrassment of being captured.

Years later, David—who is now King David, learned of a man named Mephibosheth, who was the grandson of King Saul. He was crippled and living in exclusion because the culture of that time dictated to not recognize those who had disabilities as being tied to authority figures. King David however, upon learning of his condition summoned for Mephibosheth to be brought before him. Mephibosheth likely trembled with fear as he bowed down in humility before the king and former enemy of his grandfather. But David instead, choose to honor Mephibosheth. He gave him all of Saul’s inheritance and instilled him to be a permanent guest at David’s table. Why? Again, David clearly understood the principle of honor. David also understood that in his own journey, King Saul (evil as he was) was all part of God’s plan.

Daniel 2:21 says, “God changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.”

As well, Romans 13:1 says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”

Another prime example of honor is found in 1 Peter 2:13-17, where it says, 13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution,[a] whether it be to the emperor[b] as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants[c] of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

These verses are sure to raise an eyebrow or two, am I right? Let’s remember that this is still God’s divinely inspired word meant for us to apply to our lives. Yes, there are many things in the Bible that we don’t readily understand, but we must also realize that we all have a propensity to talk around some of God’s principles in order to somehow justify or to make allowances for our own divergent thoughts and actions. I believe we have to take these words literally and humbly apply them to our lives.

How many of you have bosses/leaders at work, at school, or government agencies etc., that you do not always agree with? Perhaps they are even ungodly and their liberal ways cross grain with your moral values. You don’t have to agree with them, but God still says to honor them. Additionally, verse 17 clearly specifies to honor the emperor. The emperor—really? That would translate to the king or the president, correct? Yes, that’s right—him too. “But he is not in line with ANY of my values,” one might say. Nor is his political party for that matter. Some would say he is outright evil, or that he is not even legally the president, since they believe there was fraud involved in the election process. But still, would God not be aware of that? Was God somehow caught off Guard? Regardless of how the president got there, he is still signing documents and making decisions that the office or title allows him to. Again, God is not surprised by any of it. The point is, any way you slice up the argument, God still says to honor them.

The Roman emperor in Jesus’ day was Nero. He is known as one of history’s greatest criminals. He was evil in every sense of the word—likely possessed with evil spirits. He was known to rape, torture (in unspeakable gruesome ways) Christians and even his own family members. He even tortured and killed the apostle Paul and the disciple Peter. Paul was beheaded and Peter was crucified upside down. And yet it was Peter who actually penned the inspired words “Honor the emperor.”

We live in a day and age where it seems OK to join in the chants such as “Let’s go Brandon.” It’s heard in stadiums across the country. Do we laugh or snicker knowing what the slogan is actually saying? Why would this even be considered to be acceptable, especially from a Christian perspective? Is not being Christ-like somehow excusable in the name of politics? I think not. The same goes for the ridiculing and demeaning things that are forwarded through various social media platforms. Is this showing honor?

Full discloser here, I’m just not a political person. The very nature of politics seems very divisive to me. Oh, I vote and am as conservative as can be. But the finger pointing, name calling, and bashing, just doesn’t promote a healthy thought-life for me. It’s actually toxic in many cases. All forms of media feed upon trash talk and division. I am far from figuring out all the mysteries of God, but I do diligently seek Him. Therefore, I want to pay particular attention to the life of Christ and the words he spoke. Jesus is our ultimate example. When the disciples asked what the greatest commandments were Jesus stated, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” The he added, “And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.” (Matt 22:37-40) In other words, Jesus is saying, base your life upon loving God and loving people. Everything else should come into alignment with these two things. Neither of these is possible without honor.

There are so many things going on in our world, our nation, our cities, our schools, our neighborhoods, and in our families right now that absolutely need the blessing of God’s divine intervention. We (Christians, The Church) have the responsibility to pray—to intercede on their behalf. This is by God’s design; He has always used His people. Honor is key, but we cannot expect God’s blessing if there is a double standard. The Bible says, Out of the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. These things, my brothers, should not be this way [for we have a moral obligation to speak in a manner that reflects our fear of God and profound respect for His precepts]. James 3:10 (AMP)

I am so excited to see amazing answers to prayer as we apply the principle of honor in our lives. I look forward to seeing the testimonies in my own life and family and look forward to hearing from you as well. Without a doubt—God is good—all the time.  All the time—God is good!

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

I’m sure everyone has lost something at one point or time in their life. It can be very frustrating, especially when the lost item has significant value like car keys, or a purse or wallet. Or perhaps the lost item had considerable sentimental value. Whatever the case may be, one cannot stop thinking and re-thinking about where and how the item was lost. It consumes your thoughts until either you find it, or you finally relinquish your loss and suffer the consequences.

Recently Tracy’s sister Teri Jo and her husband Rick, who pastor a wonderful church in Cheyenne Wyoming, had traveled to our house in Minnesota for a visit. Tracy and Teri’s sisterly relationship is very close as they share many commonalities. One of which is clothing. Even though they live in different parts of the country, they talk or text almost daily and most often aware of what the other is wearing. In fact, they know what clothing items are in each other’s closets—mostly due to the fact that their closets contain many of the same items. Seriously, I’m not kidding!

One of their favorite places to shop is a popular women’s boutique called Rachel’s Closet, which just happens to be just a few miles from our house. Of course, Teri most often has to shop on-line, so when she comes to visit, you can bet that a visit to Rachel’s is a main event. So, off the two sisters and their mom Jan, who is also a stylish pretty lady, went out for a special lunch followed by a coveted trip to Rachel’s Closet.

After completing their purchases at Rachel’s, Tracy opened the rear hatch of our newly acquired vehicle, and the ladies placed their bags in the back. As you can imagine, they were having a wonderful time—smiling, giggling, and happy. They turned onto the main highway heading for home. Mom Jan was sitting in the back seat and started to wonder why her hair was blowing around so much, it didn’t look like anyone’s windows were down. Hmm! Tracy, who is typically a very safe and smart driver (I may have had to add that into the story if I know what’s good for me—ha ha!), all of a sudden noticed that they had been driving down the busy highway with the back hatch completely open. (Who should have closed the hatch…nobody knows) 😊  She quickly pulled onto the next approach and went to the back of the vehicle where she discovered…yes, you guessed it, one of the bags from Rachel’s was missing. It was Teri’s bag, and it obviously had fallen out as they were driving.

The ladies drove back to the boutique stopping in to check if anyone had by chance turned in Teri’s lost goods. Unfortunately, no one had found them, so Teri left them her phone number, and the three ladies then retraced their path slowly down the highway, eyes peeled for a Rachel’s Closet bag along the roadside. They returned to our house, sad, bewildered, and empty handed. But… they did have a very intriguing story for us guys 😊

Their story unfolded. For us guys especially, it seemed very comical. And we were all (ladies as well) having a good time with it and yet shared in the sadness of Teri’s lost items ☹. Of course, we were trying to help by tracing through their steps, but it was really quite humorous. We eventually determined that we would all go back and trace through their path together thinking that maybe the bag had blowen into the ditch. We prayed and headed out for Rachel’s, starting in the parking lot, and then traveled slowly down the shoulder of Highway 65…windows down, hazard lights flashing, while Tracy and Teri walked side by side for nearly two miles through the ditches. Still nothing!

The next couple of meals we shared, we continued to ask the Lord that the lost items would somehow be found. The following day the ladies were out together again, and Teri received a phone call from a Minnesota number. Wouldn’t you know, it was Rachel’s Closet, and they had her bag of clothes. As you can imagine, they were elated! They quickly returned to Rachel’s. As it turned out, some man had saw the bag along side of the road, stopped and picked it up, and brought it into Rachel’s the following day. What a fun story, huh? And, we all were once again reminded of how the power of Gods love reaches into every area of our lives.

This is kind of a fun little story. But I must say that I cannot tell you the number of times that either Tracy or I have personally lost something and exhausted all our own efforts in trying to find it, and then finally pray about it, and all of a sudden, we find it! (why did we wait to pray ??). Seriously, this has happened so many times, and I have heard many similar stories from others. I sincerely believe that God takes pleasure in intervening and helping us find that which is lost. I believe He wants to show us that He cares about even the little things (and often what others might think are insignificant) in our lives. God is intricately acquainted with all of the details of our lives. He knows it all, nothing is hidden from Him. Hebrews 4:13 says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.”

Perhaps today you may be thinking that God doesn’t care about you or the details your life. Maybe you feel alone and that your problems or issues in life are too far from God’s reach or concern. Maybe you feel as though you have made a mess of things yourself and you must find your own way out. Friend, in all these situations and more, I can assure you that God knows the very tiniest of details in your life right now, and He is ready and willing to intervene. He loves you and wants to bless you.

The Bible says that God knit each one of us together while we were yet in our mother’s womb (see Psalm 139:13-16). And Romans 8:28 says “And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”  Furthermore, Romans 8:38-39 tells us, For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

There was a time in my life when I realized that I was spiritually lost. I remember it like it was yesterday. I felt the presence of God tugging at my heart so strongly and I invited Him to be my Lord. Pure and simple, the very best decision I have ever made in my life. You see, I used to think Christians were weak, and often hypocritical people who just needed a crutch to lean on. I was too proud to think I needed the same, and I certainly didn’t want to follow any religious rules. I was so wrong. The enemy of my soul, the master of pride, had me hood winked. But I opened the door of my heart to Jesus that day, and I have never looked back. I found out that religion and its rules were actually in opposition to what Jesus taught, and that they only brought bondage and guilt. But in Jesus, I was actually free to be me.

Soon I began to understand that there is freedom and liberty in Christ and that He wanted to be involved in every area of my life. Additionally, I learned that God wants our lives to be happy and full of joy. While somehow, I had previously thought that holiness was adherence to a religious set of rules. I thought that I would have to give up fun and independency in life. But actually, only the opposite is true. Jesus said He came so we might have joy in our lives and have it in abundance (see John 10:10, 16:24, 17:13). He wants our joy to be full! There is nothing…nothing more exciting and fulfilling than life with Jesus Christ as your best friend. Let me assure you that you can live a life that is pleasing to God and thoroughly enjoy your life at the same time. Many people have missed it by thinking their spiritual lives should be somehow separate from the rest of their lives. This is such a tragedy!  I believe we glorify God the most when we are the happiest in Him. Psalm 37:10 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Pure and simple, God loves you and He wants you to know Him as a loving father who desires to bless your life.

If there is anything said in this message today that is somehow resonating in your heart, I believe God is speaking to you. God already knows all about you, and He truly wants to be your Lord and true source of your joy and peace. He doesn’t budge His way in, it’s up to you to invite Him. If you have not asked Jesus to be the Lord of your life, I encourage you to invite Him in today. Jesus said, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person (restore him), and they with me.” Rev 3:20

Do you need help today! Maybe you have a physical need or are struggling in a relationship. Perhaps it’s a financial need, or a situation where you need direction or guidance in your life. Whatever your need is, Jesus truly wants to help! He cares about the tiniest of details in your life. Whether it’s a lost purchase from Rachel’s Closet (come on…some guy just happens to see a paper bag stop along side of a busy highway, stops and picks it up, and then decides to bring it to the boutique the following day??) or whether it is your specific need at this very moment. God cares about everything in our lives, no matter who you are. He just wants you to be committed to Him. He is no respecter of persons. You can trust Him!  Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you.” Also, Prov 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

The primary reason for this website and these messages is to encourage and help you and others that you may know. Jesus said, “For where two or more are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Matt 18:20). We would love to hear and pray specifically for you 😊. seeyouintheriver.com/contact/ 

Tracy and I just returned from a local theater where we watched The Jesus Revolution. If you haven’t seen it, or even heard of it, I would highly recommend it. It’s a true story of a time in the late 60’s and early 70’s where God transformed the lives of many thousands of public outcasts, commonly referred to as “hippies.” There was a huge generation gap in our country at the time, and it was affecting all walks of life, including the church. It’s funny how God works sometimes, particularly when it comes to His timing, as I actually blogged about this hippie move of God a few months ago (see All You Need Is Love) before I had even realized they were making a movie about it. Time magazine actually dubbed the name The Jesus Revolution as it made the cover story in 1971. This movement was—and continues to be—very relevant today. Yes, the names and dress styles may have changed, but the hearts of people who are looking for love and acceptance, are still very much the same.

Whether it’s a revolution, revival, outpouring, or awakening—what exactly is it, and why is it important? Meriam Webster defines revival as: an act or instance of reviving; a period of renewed religious interest often accompanied by highly emotional evangelistic meeting or series of meetings. That’s a basic explanation. But if I could put it into my own words, I would simply say it is a sovereign move of God. Why is it important? The Bible is jam packed with sovereign moves of God where He pours His presence out on people. Outpourings are very significant in church history (there is more detail on some significant outpourings in chapter 4 of my book, The River). But in a nutshell, almost every Christian church denomination known today has roots in a significant move of God. Why…why does God do it that way? I think He sees that we need it. We need to be revived from time to time because sadly, we get complacent. We have short term memories, and we forget about the goodness of God. Instead, we get “me focused,” and forget about loving others into God’s family the way that He intended for us to do. Let us not forget that God’s ultimate desire is that everyone would choose to know and experience His love.

There are pockets of God’s outpourings happening in escalated ways all over our country right now. Once again, as was during the Jesus Revolution, most of these shakings are central to the college age generation. These are the young soon to be moms and dads, the next professional workforce, public officials, pastors, teachers, and entrepreneurs. Many from this generation are non-churched or have left their family church roots for various reasons (that’s a whole other side topic and a rock or boulder that I love to turn over). But praise God, there is a stirring in the land and people are getting hungry for God.

Perhaps you have heard what has recently happened at Asbury College in Kentucky, where out of sincere hunger students started to linger in prayer and worship as they sought for more of God. For weeks, all other daily classes and activities were cancelled. The campus chapel soon could not contain everyone, and other building were opened-up. Why? Humility, repentance, and hunger for more of God. That same hunger has spread into the community and has expanded into other colleges across our country. God is stirring, He is shaking, He is calling people to draw near to Him.

Speaking about hunger: In 1993 I remember our pastor at the time, John Kilpatrick explain how he walked into the large recently built sanctuary as he was accustomed to do each Saturday night before services on Sunday. The church had seen some significant growth since his tenure. He had a good staff, and it was a healthy church. But still, on that night, he walked around praying in the dark, feeling empty and desperate for more, and he was concerned that the church (the body of Christ) was growing empty as well. He then did something so significant. He laid his church keys on the alter and cried out in desperation, “God, there’s gotta be more…there has got to be more!”

That hunger soon led to intense prayer services every Sunday night. For a year and a half, we prayed…not for a revival necessarily to come to our church, but we worshipped, took communion, and learned about intercession and then we prayed—diligently interceding—for schools, families, government leaders, churches, missions, etc. These prayers services were powerful. I personally learned and grew spiritually so much during that time. Then on Father’s Day of 1995, The Holy Spirit came in like a flood. That led to amazing Holy Spirit filled meetings night after night. It is estimated that 2.5 million people visited the revival in the following 5 years, with nearly 200,000 people giving their hearts to God. Others revived, set free from addictions, religion, and complacency. Pastors and leaders from all over the world attended, leaving refreshed and renewed, while bringing the hunger back to their own churches.

I have studied church history. I am intrigued with revivals, awakenings and the like. I can tell you that every genuine movement stems from sincere hunger for more of God. Friends, you can never go wrong by being hungry for more of God. That’s His desire for you. He longs for intimacy with you. Some say revivals are messy and people act out of flesh. I will agree to some degree. People are not perfect. But never should that be an excuse to not hunger for God and what He can do. Many…many will live with revival in their hearts—forever changed—as they continue to live hungry for more of God.

I want to challenge you today. Are you hungry for more of God? Listen, I know how tempting it is to fall into complacency…the business of life is often a struggle to handle. Work/life/balance is a common term and a valid concern even in the corporate world today. Finding margin and prioritizing things in life needs to happen. But where is your relationship right now with Jesus? You may realize that whatever relationship you have—whether personal or professional—will only grow and be healthy when you put time and effort into that relationship. And when you don’t, that relationship will suffer. It’s the simple truth.

Maybe your thinking, “Yeah, I’m a Christian…I believe in Jesus, I just have a lot going on in my life.” Let me ask you, how does that work with your other relationships? God yearns to spend time with you. He is always available for you, are you for Him? He longs for ways and opportunities to speak, lead and guide you in life. He is jealous for you. And please understand, I’m not suggesting that you jump into being involved in church activities. Although I believe serving and being connected to a local fellowship is vital, that’s just not at all what I’m talking about. If volunteering at a church is how you identify your relationship with Christ, you have been hoodwinked. A similar analogy would be to expect my wife to be fulfilled and pleased by what I put into our relationship, when all I ever did was give her gifts and acts of service. Healthy relationships require intentional effort. Spending time together, listening, talking, and sharing. God desperately wants to have that relationship with you.

OK, one last plug for the movie The Jesus Revolution. It’s in theaters now, and streaming will be available. Here is a link to the trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vmHFvnjPDw   I also want to encourage you in this way…You know, I know a lot of people (my self-included) are hungry for revival. I believe the Bible is very clear that there will one day be an incredibly powerful move of God like none of us has ever seen or heard of before. Here’s the deal though, don’t wait for the big one or any type of encounter to happen before you decide to jump in. Jump in NOW! Why not? To have a personal revival, you may need to go back to the basics in your walk with Christ. And if you never have…invite Him into your heart today. I promise you; it will be the best decision you will ever make.

Blessings to you as you hunger today.

Blessed by The Best,

Mark

BTW: Feedback is always welcomed. What are your thoughts?

Most people around the world have heard the popular song first recorded by The Beatles in 1967 called All You Need is Love. This single topped sales charts in Britain, the United States and many other countries, and continues to be popular today. It was a time of “flower power” where a movement of free love, anti-war, and antiviolence, swept across the country and much of the world. Symbolism was embraced by dressing in clothing with vibrant colors, and lots and lots of flowers. On July 7, 1967, Time Magazine’s cover story termed it as the Hippie Movement, and the Beatles hit single became the anthem of this movement.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a concurrent evangelical Christian movement termed The Jesus People Movement was birthed. It started in the West Coast of the US and spread throughout North America, Europe, and Central America. Their cultural style looked the same as the average hippie of the day, however these people were most often referred to as Jesus people or in many cases, Jesus freaks.

The Jesus People Movement literally exploded across the United Sates. During this revival thousands upon thousands of young people gathered in halls, theaters, streets, and beaches. The movement was known for sincere repentance of immoral living, drugs, and radical politics. It was truly a conversion and cleansing wave which hit an entire class of our society. Sadly, they were often shunned from many established churches due to their hippie—un-church like—appearance. Although, two new church groups came out of this movement: Calvary Chapel, and the Vineyard Church. In 1972, as many as 80,000 young Jesus freaks attended Explo ’72 where they heard leaders Bill Bright and Billy Graham speak. Many discovered meaningful non-traditional avenues of Christian worship and experienced the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

When John Lennon wrote All You Need is Love he is quoted as saying that he clearly wanted to bring a song that would be understood by people of all nations to promote peace. He also stated that the song was simple and easy to understand. Love, love, love…love is all you need. But is it really that simple? Actually, I believe that it is that simple. The only question is, what is love?

To truly answer that question, I believe we have to go to the source of all love. And let’s be clear, this love is not the same as if I said, “I love apple pie.” The Bible clearly states that not only does all love come from God (see 1 John 4:7,8), but that love is actually “who” God is (see 1 John 4:16). Isn’t that amazing? In contrast, imagine for a moment what the world would be like if there was no existence of love or the capacitance to love? One can’t even imagine the darkness, evil, hate, and despair. Yet, God, who is Love, gives us all the ability to choose—to make our own choices in life. The very ability to choose to love God and others with His love comes from God Himself. Do you understand that? You could not have the capacity to love if it were not given to you by God, yet God does not demand that we love Him. No, it is our choice. Otherwise, it would be of no value. Yet, He offers the gift of His love through His son Jesus to everyone who will ask. Hands down, the best gift ever!

But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us. Romans 5:8 (AMPC)

One of the most beautiful things the Bible says is that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He did not wait for us to deserve His love; He loves us unconditionally. To be honest, that’s hard for many of us to comprehend because we are so accustomed to having to earn and deserve everything in life. God is rich in mercy, and in order to satisfy the great, wonderful, and intense love with which He loves us, He poured His life out for us freely (see Eph. 2:4). That is revolutionary love! Real, revolutionary love must give itself, for it can never be satisfied to do anything less.

It is God’s unconditional love that draws us to Him, and it is our unconditional love toward others in His name that will draw others to Him. He wants us to be conduits of His love and love people in His place. This is God’s plan—His design—It’s how He works.

Have you ever done something for someone where you truly sacrificed a lot of time, energy, and perhaps even hard-earned money, and when you were done blessing that person, they seemed ungrateful? I think we have all experienced that at some time. Or perhaps someone close to you has betrayed you or devalued you in some way. These can be extremely tough situations that have the potential to leave us feeling hurt, rejected, and even resentful. But the question remains, do you love others unconditionally? Perhaps these are times of testing in our lives. If we are to pass the test, we will have to choose to love others with Gods love and trust in His strength to continue to be a conduit of His love.

Human love finds it impossible to love unconditionally, but we have the love of God in us as believers in Jesus Christ, and we can let that love flow freely, without conditions. Man’s love fails, but God’s does not. Man’s love comes to an end, but God’s does not. There may be times when we cannot love others in our own human strength, but we can love them with God’s love. The true love of God doesn’t depend on feelings; it is based on decision. They don’t have to deserve it. In fact, sometimes I think the less they deserve it, the more beautiful and impacting it is.

“Love, love, love…love is all you need.” John Lennon and the Beatles were truly on to something. Love is truly all you need. The question is do you know and are you connected to the one who created love—the very one who is love? The power of His love is without limits and when we walk in His love and apply it to the various situations in our lives, we are representing (or re-presenting) Jesus. Empowered by His love! What an awesome life to live! Everybody now…🎶Love is all you need 🎶😊

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

I was born and raised in the United States of America. My parents were of Norwegian, Swedish, and German descent. My paternal grandmother who migrated from Norway at the age of 18, lived with my family. Over the years, I have worked side-by-side with wonderful people of varying racial/ethnic backgrounds. Tracy and I also love being a part of a multi-cultural church. My background has allowed me to learn bits and pieces of Norwegian, German, Spanish, Korean, Hebrew, and Greek.

Our churches and Christianity in general have culture. This culture actually seems foreign to many unchurched people in our communities—Christianese—if you will. As Christians, we all should be studying the Bible while considering context and culture. As well, God is constantly speaking to us, and He speaks to us in multiple ways (see related post Hearing God’s Voice). I love that! It is so exciting to hear and see God speaking in and through so many ways. Recently I was listening to an interview on a Christian website and the topic of anointing came up. I was reminded of the words that Jesus spoke to me in a prophetic dream. We were both standing in the most amazing river. The water felt like nothing I had ever experienced before—it was full of power and incredible peace at the same time. It was indescribably tranquil and refreshing—absolutely heavenly. I told Jesus that the water was so amazing and asked Him what it was. Jesus answered, “It carries the anointing of the Fathers love.” This brought me to a word study on the word “anointing,” and I have included a few paragraphs below from my book, The River.

Let’s dig a little deeper into this word “anointing.” Again, my point is not to be critical of how the word is used, but rather to understand that its meaning speaks of the magnitude of God’s love, and the importance of His love being activated (smeared) in our lives. The Bible says that God is love (see 1 John 4:16). Love is who God is, and throughout history God has continued to make His love available to all who will accept it. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

The Bible tells the story of a man named Nicodemus who was a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jewish council. Nicodemus had been watching Jesus for some time and recognized that He was from God. He had set up a private meeting with Jesus and said to Him, “Rabbi, I know you are a teacher who comes from God, for no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with Him” (John 3:2). He went on to investigate Jesus based upon Jesus’ apparent identity, to which Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:6). Jesus went on to explain to Nicodemus that without an inner change, our lives remain the same. Change needs to come from the heart, and we are not sufficient to bring this change on our own and specifically not by works or by following laws or commands. This rebirth must come by having a direct connection to the power source! The inside of a man, the heart, has to be mended.

Then Jesus spoke what is now the most quoted scripture in the entire Bible, John 3:16. This verse follows this rich and theologically dense explanation of sin and salvation. “This,” Jesus said, “is how much God loves you. He sent you Me” (paraphrased). In Christ, we see a love so intense, so sacrificial, so incomprehensible, it makes all human expressions seem frivolous in comparison.

One day some Pharisees got together to question Jesus. One of them, an expert in the Law, tested Him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:34-40  

Friend, if you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior but you want to know and experience the kind of love that I have been talking about, why not invite Him into your heart today? Perhaps you have already accepted Christ, but you are not experiencing the power of God’s love in your life. Do you feel distant from Jesus? He wants a relationship with you–won’t you reach out to Him today? I promise you; His arms are wide open to you.  

Anointed with Power

If we can understand what anointing is (being smeared by the Fathers love), then the next logical question is, what does the anointing do? Anointing is a verb; it causes action to take place. Think of it this way—if anointing is being smeared with the Fathers love, and His love is who He is, and God’s love is the most powerful force of all time, then being anointed makes us conduits of the power of God’s love.  This is truly amazing and equally exciting! This is where the fun begins as followers of Jesus! We get to put our faith into action and actually see the results of it.

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Additionally, Acts 10:38 says, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38)

In Old Testament times only priests and kings where anointed for service. But through Jesus we all are called to be kings and priests and anointed for service. (See 1 Peter 2:9) Like Jesus, we have been anointed for good works.

We see throughout the New Testament the power of God’s anointing (the power of His love) being displayed through signs, wonders, and miracles. Particularly as we read through the book of Acts, where we can see a most identifiable shift in the power of God’s love being demonstrated as 120 individuals sought God like never before and received an incredible empowerment of Gods love. (see Acts 2) This kind of power in Scripture is a Greek word called dunamis and is used over 100 times in the New Testament. But once again, it speaks of the magnitude of God’s love.

Friends, if you want to receive this same powerful anointing of God’s love today. It is available to you all believers who simply ask for it (See Luke 11:13).

Can it be transferred?

Perhaps you are reading this today and have known grown up going to church or maybe your church background did not include prayer that included laying one’s hands on others who were sick or oppressed. The Bible is actually really clear on this transfer of anointing. It’s really not kooky or weird as it might seem to you. It’s just a way in which God has designed for us to be able to personally minister when we have the opportunity to be in person (See Luke 4:40, Acts 6:6, Acts 8:17, 1 Tim 4:14, 2 Tim 1:6)

There are also times when it is not possible to physically lay hands on others as a conduit of His love. We read in Acts 19:11-12 where the Apostle Paul had been ministering under the power/anointing of the Holy Spirit and handkerchiefs or aprons that he had touched were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them, and others had evil spirits that left them.

So, when a believer lays their hands on someone or something as to anoint with the power of God’s love, we ought not to see it as weird at all, rather the opposite. What an incredible opportunity to minister. I can’t tell you the number of testimonies that I have personally attributed to God’s love being transferred in these ways. Remember we are ambassadors of Christ. God works through His people, and he does that in extraordinary ways. How exciting it is to be a part of it!

Friends, I know this post has opened up a lot of thoughts for many of you. My prayer today is that you are encouraged to go after God more than ever before. To see yourself as an anointed son or daughter, the priest that you rightfully are through the power of Jesus Christ. I pray that you see yourself through the amazing eyes of God’s love and that you allow the unlimited power of that love to flow into you and through you as you are anointing for His service.

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

Recently Tracy and I just finished watching season two of The Chosen. This exceptional dramatization shows the convincing portrayal of each of the disciples lives as they transform and evolve from characters who have small hopes in life into those who want to do great and mighty things through their journey with Christ. The film does an amazing job of showing that Jesus was fully God and fully man, and that Jesus was immensely relational. His characterization and redeeming love compelled others to follow Him.

When Jesus says in the Gospels, “Follow me,” he is not talking about a physical following only, but a following of desire. Additionally, When Paul writes, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ” (1 Cor 11:1), he is also referring to the imitation of desire. We all choose the type of person we want to be, and we become like the things we imitate. And that’s why Christ not only saves us—he also transforms us.

Jesus walked this earth for 33 years as a human just like you and me. He willingly laid His deity aside and lived as an example for us to follow. Isn’t that just incredible? God could have chosen many other ways or paths to follow in order to give access to Him, but He chose His son. Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross gives us access to the Father and provides the opportunity to have everlasting life. No doubt…the ultimate gift, but let’s not forget the example of Jesus’ life for us while he walked this earth. He gave us a pattern to follow that is relevant to the very situations we face in life today. Yet, many people do not study the life and teachings of Jesus. Additionally, far too many who claim to be Christians, do not consistently apply the teachings and character of Jesus to their own lives.

Is Jesus your model? The following paragraphs are taken from my book The River:

Jesus-Our Model

As a man, Jesus was the model provided for us. He is the standard that we are to compare our lives against. The fact that He choose to lay His deity aside in order to be that example should compel us to know and understand Him better. Consequently, we can look at Jesus’ life as a model of what is possible when men and women are closely connected to the Father.

Does this take anything away from Jesus? Not at all, only the opposite is true. His life being demonstrated as man was intended to compel us to have the same relationship with the Father. You see, if I merely accept the fact that Jesus came to earth for the sole purpose of showing us His deity—then we have missed the point of His ministry on earth. This mindset will only leave us feeling defeated.

You might be asking, why then are we not seeing people healed when we pray as Jesus did? I cannot fully answer that. However, have I seen people healed? Yes. Have I received healing when prayed for? Yes. We are commanded as Jesus’ disciples to heal the sick, cleanse the leapers, raise the dead, and to cast out demons. The command is clear. God’s Word has not changed. What Jesus did for us, and what He demonstrated to us has not changed. Just because we don’t always see the miracle, it does not excuse us to lower the standard (The Bible) based upon our level of experience.

Recently, Tracy and I spent some extended time around the Redding, California area. As we were hiking, we witnessed a man standing in the mountain stream patiently panning for gold. I watched him for several minutes. I wondered how long he had been at it. Had he been there before? Is he finding anything at all—if not, what compels him to so patiently keep trying?

Then as we hiked a little further, we came upon an old, abandoned gold mine shaft, as well as the remains of a historic family estate. The family had mined their fortune in gold from that mountain area long ago. Suddenly I realized why the man in the river was willing to put all the time and effort into swirling each and every pan of silt and water around. You see, he was convinced there was gold there, and it was available to him—all he had to do was keep trying. Maybe some days he got a little, while other days more. And maybe one day he would hit the mother-load again—just as that family did years ago.

Similarly, I too, have a long way to go in my own faith and learning how to be more like Jesus. However, I am convinced that His miraculous power is there for me. So, if I don’t see miracles happen like I hoped they would, I’m not going to stop. I choose not to relinquish God’s Word, His promises, and commandments down to what I experience. In other words, my experience doesn’t dictate God’s Word and what Jesus demonstrated for me to follow. No, it needs to be the other way around. Jesus is my model and He modeled life perfectly as He was so relationally connected to the Father. This inspires me to want to follow His lead. Thank you, Jesus, for not only being The Way, but for showing us the way.

The River, Chapter 2 “Jesus” p. 24-25

You know, everyone is following somebody. It’s true. Many will not readily admit it… men especially tend to think “being a man’s man,” includes not following anyone…including maps or assembly instructions. LOL! Seriously though, some may sincerely say they don’t follow after anyone. But let’s be honest, unless you have the brain of a grape, you make choices every day that demonstrate or show your allegiance to somebodies’ teachings or ideas. We can make our own choices of course—that’s a gift from God—but we choose who to believe or trust thousands of times every single day.

Then why not follow Jesus? I’m not talking about following a religion, that just futile. I’m asking why not follow Jesus, today? I promise you; He deeply loves you, and will accept you just as you are? He has the most amazing, loving, and fulfilling plan for your life…and all of eternity for that matter. Don’t let your pride and the enemy of your soul hold you back from discovering life changing peace. Won’t you invite Him into your heart today?

For those of you who may have already accepted Jesus, but perhaps you have wondered away from your relationship with Him…Or perhaps you have kept Jesus at arms-length, so to speak. I implore you today, don’t waist another minute. You are so missing out, and His arms are wide open to you. God’s blessings to today as you follow Him.

Blessed by The Best,

Mark

P.S. If you need a miracle today, Tracy and I would love to pray for you. Just let us know 😊

Have you ever tried to “one-up” someone? I think most of us understand that term…it often goes something like, “Oh yeah, well I did something even better…”. I remember one time when I was just a young boy talking with some neighborhood kids. Keep in mind that I lived in a very small town where there where no famous personalities. I remember bragging about my dad by saying, “Oh yeah, well my dad is friends with the governor.” …I think that was the most important person I knew of in my 6- or 7-year-old mind at the time.

Growing up, my dad always talked a lot about politics. Ironically, it’s a topic I tend to not want to be drawn into to this very day. Oh, I want to be informed and keep my head out of the sand. But for me personally, its just better if I avoid most media and political conversations. I don’t like the way it makes me feel about people and how that effects my faith. So please don’t misunderstand me, I have the utmost respect for honest and humble people who are called to politics, and for others like Sean Feucht https://www.letusworship.us/ who have an influential political voice, and yet are combating all the negativity with a massive movement of worship that honors the Lord Jesus Christ.

Truth be told, my dad didn’t personally know the governor at all. I think he may have attended or had been present in some political meetings where the governor was present as well—but he didn’t truly “know” the governor—he just knew about him. Of course, at the time…I didn’t know that. In my mind’s eye, I thought I had a legitimate “one-up” for my little neighborhood buddies. Ha ha!

With that thought, here’s an excerpt from my book The River:

Knowing Jesus

I have been in the secular workforce for over thirty-eight years now, twenty of which were active-duty military. I have lived in six different states and one other country. Tracy and I have moved twenty-two times since our marriage. Believe me, I’m not bragging—nor complaining—but moving is a lot of work! I’m just making the point that I have worked alongside people from all walks of life. I know the churched and unchurched, and I can tell you that the majority of the people I have met identify themselves as Christian.

I am convinced however, that the vast majority of those folks (both churched and unchurched) actually have a very limited understanding of who Jesus is. Many of them have relinquished their views of Him to be dictated by either traditions or by the opinions of others, rather than by the Word of God. Sadly, far more don’t know Him by having their own personal relationship with Him. Understand this: Deception in its purist form is exhibited by satan being allowed to create false concepts of who Jesus truly is. Jesus knew this would happen. In fact, He cornered His disciples one day with the same penetrating question we are talking about today. 

“When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So, they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:13-16).

Many of us have been brought-up with false ideas or even false teachings of who Jesus is. Depending on your background you may have a perspective of Jesus from another religious (non-Christian) background. You may recognize Jesus as an important historical figure, a wise teacher, a prophet, or you may even accurately acknowledge him as The Son of God.

Sadly, many have a Christian background or adhere to Christian beliefs which have been tainted with error or have painted a picture of Jesus that reflect a false (unbiblical) image of who he is.  Notice I said “is” and not just “was.” Perhaps your perception of Jesus is not necessarily non-biblical but is just limited. Let me assure you, the God of the universe wants you to “know” Him. Contrary to what some have believed—God would never hide himself from you—Scripture simply doesn’t support that. In fact, He wants you to recognize the very whisper of His voice.

I could be in a very large noisy room full of many people talking and my wife could step into the room unannounced—say something—and I would instantly know she had arrived. Why? Because I know her. Not only do I know and recognize the sound of her voice, but I associate that voice with her personality. Upon hearing her voice, I instantly have a mind picture or association of who she is based upon my relationship with her. I could write about her in detail—describing her beautiful appearance to you, and all about her magnetic personality. But unless you really knew her personally, you would not readily identify with her as would someone who truly knew her.

Jesus said: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27).

One of the primary differences that Christianity has with all other World religions is the fact that Jesus Christ invites people of all races, genders, and backgrounds—to know Him and have a relationship with Him—personally. Sadly though, millions of people say that they know Jesus, while yet they actually just know about Him.

p. 14-15 The River

This past January marked 41 wonderful years of marriage for Tracy and me. I have been in love with my girl since high school, and our love for one another has grown exponentially over the years. This love didn’t just happen on its own. No, we have cultivated our relationship by understanding that the more we put into our relationship, the closer we become. We thoroughly enjoy spending time together and are best friends. I realize that not every marriage is as blessed as ours, but I think most everyone can understand the significance of putting effort into a relationship. And friends, let me tell you that nothing…NOTHING in life compares to truly KNOWING Jesus Christ. He longs for everyone to open their heart to Him. It doesn’t matter what you may have done or what you may not have done, He wants you to experience His love and grow in relationship with you.

Above all, Jesus is interested in hearts. That is the primary reason why He came to this earth, lived a life of example, died a sacrificial death on the cross, and rose again in triumph…it’s all about reaching our hearts. Do you realize that the reason the majority of religious Jews in the 1^st Century rejected Jesus as being the Messiah, was because they thought the true Messiah was going to come to deliver them from the political tyranny of that day? But Jesus said, “Do Not suppose that I have come to bring peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” (see Matt 10:34). Clearly, the sword He was speaking of is not one of violence, but one that separates all human allegiances that do not put The Lord Jesus Christ first and do not accept His love. Fill in the blank, this is still relevant today.

Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they might have life and have it to the full.” (See John 10:10). And in Ezekiel 36:26 it says, “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” (NLT)

Friends, there is no question that we have been living in times of extraordinary change and uncertainty. People all around us are looking for answers and justice from officials, doctors, law enforcement, news media, and political leaders. Experts say anxiety, depression, and suicide have escalated dramatically. The whole earth seems to be shaking.  But hear this, the answers or solutions to our current and future problems cannot be found by trusting in anything or anyone other than The Lord Jesus Christ. Listen, you’re not going to find truth and answers from turning on the six o’clock news or your favorite media source. Nor will your answers come from any political party or leader. The issues we are all wanting answers to are in reality issues of the heart. Hearts that are hard, stony, stubborn and self-centered. Hearts that have been robbed by a thief who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus is the only answer, and He said he would exchange our hearts with ones that are tender and responsive and experience everlasting life to the full. That’s the best deal or bargain you’ll ever find!

If you have not already, won’t you consider opening you’re your heart today to the very one who created you. The one who wants to give you absolute peace in your heart and direction for your soul. Get to know the Jesus of the Bible, not the Jesus that so many only know about. Knowing Jesus and knowing about Him have vastly and often tragically different results. Jesus said, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (See Rev 3:20).

Perhaps you do know Jesus, but your relationship with Him has drifted. Invite Him back! Open the door again…He’s still knocking. Just as a relationship is often rekindled by visiting a long-lost friend or buy getting away on a retreat with your spouse…you can re-ignite your relationship with Jesus. I would also suggest identifying the things in life that tend to get in the way. Make the changes necessary to grow and protect your relationship with Christ. These are practical things we all need to do: set aside time, talk (pray), listen, worship, grow, and watch Him move in miraculous ways in and through our lives. Life with Jesus is exciting and so amazing. Plus… it’s truly a “one-up” that can never be beaten 😊

Blessed by The Best,

Mark

I’ve got it! I know the secret to abundant life, and the key that opens God’s heart. In fact, it’s the only way to obtain Gods favor upon your life. Are you interested? It’s HUMILITY. Do you have it? Do you display it? More importantly, does God see and recognize it in your life? In my last post I exposed the issue of pride and said that it is one of the deadliest (spiritually speaking) issues of life. Well, the converse of pride is humility. Humility, however, cannot simply be passed-off as the opposite of pride. Humility is the secret to an abundant blessed life here on planet earth and is also the secret to obtaining eternal life. Humility is absolutely essential. You utterly cannot obtain Gods favor in your life in the absence of humility. That said, it is something we all battle with from time to time and also in varying degrees. What’s more, humility is a  word or concept that is vastly misunderstood.

Two men were walking out of church after the paster had shared a message on humility. One guy said, “Humility is the ability to act ashamed when you tell people how wonderful you are.” The other guy replied, “Yeah, well, I think I’m good. If I had any more humility, I’d be perfect.”

Humor aside, many have mistakenly believed that being humble is a sign of weakness. In many cultures, humility has a negative connotation that is associated with false meekness and not being assertive. This is clearly NOT what the Bible teaches about Humility. It is actually a fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Gal 6:22,23 *The word gentleness is actually translated as humility.

Humility is NOT a bad word. We must change the way we think about it. As you read on, you will see that humility is truly something we should aspire to obtain and display in our life. It is honoring God and putting Him first in our lives. We should never think of it as a negative action; No, humility is possibly the greatest attribute we can have because it creates a pathway to God’s heart and therefore allows Him to work in and through our lives.

Humility is one of the most difficult lessons to learn in life, particularly difficult because it is contrary to the principles of this world, and even our very nature. 1 John 2:16 states “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father but are from this world.” The Bible tags these three issues as “lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” At the root of these evils is self-gratification. The world teaches us to gratify the desires of our flesh so that we can enjoy every second in life by doing only what WE want to do.

God opposes the Proud but Gives Grace to the Humble

One verse that illuminates God’s principle on this topic is James 4:6: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Yet somehow, we tend to diminish the reality of what this verse says. Let this sink in: God actively fights against the proud person. Can you imagine anything worse than fighting God? Similarly, in another example the Bible sates that when a man doesn’t honor his wife, his prayers are hindered (see 1 Peter 3:7). It continues on into the next paragraph where Peter addresses all believers about being brotherly, kindhearted, and humble. I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t want my prayers to be shut down or hindered in any way. Contrastingly, God fights for the humble. He pours His grace out upon the humble. Nothing could be better than having God’s grace, and nothing could be worse than the opposite.

It is imperative that we be able to see the contrasting thoughts of humility and pridefulness. Every day, the world bombards us with messages of power, independence, and control. Jesus tells you the opposite: Die to yourself. As Galatians 2:20 tells us, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  

There are many well-meaning, good people who have at one time called upon the name of Jesus for salvation, but yet the continue to struggle through their life seemingly disconnected to the transforming power of God that is available to them. Yet, Gods will is that they would experience a continual flow of his powerful presence in their lives. For example, let’s look at the sacrament or the act of baptism. Baptism is meant to symbolically convey our death and burial with Christ. A Christian rises from the water in a picture of resurrection—brought up from the grave with a new life, a new identity (see Romans 6:1-10). The problem could be that you’re not dead. You have never truly died to yourself.

Others have come to the foot of the cross in true humility, but then walk away leaving that time of humbling themselves before God as a one-time event. They continue to walk through life under their own power and desires. They may want God and His blessings, but they continue to handle things under their own power. Many of those same individuals will then even blame God when there is turmoil in their lives. Walking in true humility says, “God, I put myself under your direction and authority. I want my words, my thought, and my deeds to glorify you as I am an extension of Jesus to those around me.

The Power of Humility

Humility is so beautiful when we see it. But why is it so difficult to embrace at times? The hard truth is that we love ourselves too much. It’s a struggle to consider others more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). The constant affirmation of the world and the pull of our own hearts make it so easy to believe that we deserve to be treated in a certain way. We should not have to listen to anyone telling us what to do; after all, we are strong and independent.

It scares me how easy it is to start thinking like the world without realizing it. It troubles me that the so much of the worlds thinking is absorbed into my own life. Our thinking can stray so far from biblical truth! Think about the amount of time and influence that is based upon what we watch from television and movies, scrolling through the internet, and engaging in social media. Now compare that with the amount of time spent in the Word of God and in prayer. Scary? Some may be thinking, “that’s old school.”. Actually, it’s more contemporary and practical than what you realize. We just need to choose to be wise and take the higher road while admitting that we will struggle with a worldly mindset if we aren’t careful to guard against it. That’s just wisdom. As Colossians 2:8 says, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty conceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

Living Offended

Over 20 years ago author and speaker John Bevere wrote a book called The Bait of Satan, which has sold over a million copies. That bait, as he describes, is being offended by others, and allowing these offenses to control certain areas of your life. The bait is most often very subtle and can even come from total strangers. You know the feeling you get when someone cuts you off, takes too long, doesn’t say “excuse me” or “thank you,” or is rude in some other way. When these things happen there is instantly a fight flaring up inside. The bait may vary and consequences of taking the bait is multiplied many times over when the one who offends you is someone close to you. We must be consciously aware that satan is behind these offenses and ultimately trying to bind us up and render us ineffective. It is a fight to choose humility, to actually be clothed in humility (1 Peter 5:5).

Humility is a choice, every time we are confronted with being offended. Satan knows that God stands actively against us (James 4:6) when we are prideful—after all, pride was satans downfall. You may think you are digging your heels in against your spouse for example, but it’s ultimately God you’re opposing, and satan that you are inviting. (See also Eph. 6:12). This is the hard truth.

God has always loved humility. Always. And He generously pours out His grace on those who are humble. View your arguments in this light. Is it more important for you to be right? Or to do what’s right? Prideful people are defensive, angry, blame-shifting, and focused on self. They consistently see that the problem lies not with them, but with everyone else. Following God’s Word is not the focus; it is not the goal. Humble people are broken over their own sin, more concerned with honoring God than arguing about what they deserve and try—by the grace of God—to stay focused on the gospel and the goal.

Oh, I realize this is radically different from the world’s way of thinking. You’re not going to find many media platforms to encouraging you to show humility. Instead, you will find the worlds view of power, independence, and control. Their advice tells us to listen to our own hearts, to do whatever we feel like doing. The constant affirmation of the world and the pull of our own hearts make it so easy to believe that we deserve to be treated in a certain way. We should not have to listen to anyone telling us what to do; after all, we are strong and independent. But, void of the Holy Spirit, the Bible says that “The heart is deceitful” (See Jer 17:9).

I’m certainly not trying to make anyone feel guilty—incase you are already feeling offended 😊. Seriously, the last thing I want is for anyone to feel defeated. But I do want us all to make choices that not only honor God, but that will also allow His blessing to flow in and through our lives. To do this we have to be alert and aware of the devils’ schemes. Colossians 2:8 says, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty conceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

Humility is not justification. It is an act of submission to Gods will and His ways. His ways teach us how we are to be like Jesus. If and when someone does or says something hurtful to us, humility does not justify or accept that wrongful act. It does however keep our heart pure by not using reactive words and actions. Therefore, we can remain fruitful by staying in alignment with Gods plans and purposes. We have to understand that God is always working behind the scenes. Our job is true keep that path open and staying humble is the key.

Humility lays down self—to lift up God

Perhaps you are thinking, “Yeah, I agree that those are all good principles, but you don’t know the reality of my situation.”  It’s true that I don’t know, but the fact remains however, that God’s Word and His laws are at work in a supernatural realm that we cannot see. Regardless of your specifics, it does not change God’s ways. If we truly want to see results, we must be diligent to seek and carry out our side of Gods plans. All too often we tend to think God will somehow intervene without us doing what He calls us to do.

I get it, humility (especially when you feel like you have been mistreated) does not make sense, but it works. Humility does not make you a doormat for others to trample all over, it actually puts you higher so that you can see the situation from God’s perspective. You need not be afraid that you will be taken advantage of while you are returning blessing to those who may be hurting you (See Matt 5:44, Luke 6:28). If you accept pridefulness rather than humility, your heart will demand revenge. It will justify you while nominalizing your self-righteous actions. Your heart will want your enemies to be slammed by God’s wrath, rather than to be drawn by His love. (See Prov 15:1, Rom 2:4) Humility is indeed the higher road and the only road you want to be on. The fruit of humility is righteousness, peace, joy, and power. What a great trade-off!

I Need Help

Admitting that you need help is the first step of humility. This is very difficult, especially for those who have strong personalities and are very goal driven. Additionally, when someone has addictive behavior or habits, they are not likely to be open to ask for help from others, especially when that person may be a family member. No, they already feel deflated and often times gunned down from that individual. Nobody will invite being humiliated—they will likely automate to self-protect themselves from humiliation and the disappointment of others. It’s simply easier to hide their actions and their feelings.

Addictions throw pride and the absence of humility into another realm where often physical, spiritual, and relational devastation takes place. The addict is rarely, if ever, just the victim. Marriages, families, and other relationships get destroyed. Years ago, I worked professionally in a recovery program, I saw and heard many devastating stories and the one commonality of them all was the issue of humility. It’s the biggest hurdle—Humility makes it possible not only to admit that we have a problem and ask for help solving it, but also to admit that we don’t know everything about how to live. All addictions are “Me focused.” There is a typical progression: The “want” then says, “This is what I need.” And when it is exposed, they “expect” others to be sensitive to the addiction. There is no humility involved. Additionally, an addict will rarely ever stop their addiction because of others wishes or ultimatums. No, they will hide it, and even lie, cheat, or even steal etc. to support their addiction. Humility before God and truly wanting Him to be honored and in complete control of one’s life is the only effective way to remove this huge boulder in their life. The hope with all forms of addiction is total abandonment to self and total reliance on Jesus Christ. I have seen countless success stories. Jesus is the way!

There is Hope

Jesus made a way for all of us to have full and complete access to God the Father by way of His sacrificial death on the cross. Let us not forget that He chose to humble Himself in order to become the ultimate sacrifice for us. In the same way, we must make the choice to humble ourselves (put ourselves under) in order to receive Him and His help. Here a few steps to help in your journey:

1. You must die (to self, that is) and let God be in control of your life. This is imperative. There was a time in my life where I thought giving myself up to Christ would somehow make me less of an individual. Only the contrary is true. Giving myself up to Christ actually allowed me to be who He created me to be. It is the most liberating feeling ever! Invite Jesus into your life today. Tell Him you are 100% in. He has already paid the penalty for your sins; all you have to do is choose to accept that forgiveness. Trust Him!

2. You must spend time…quality time, with Jesus. To be close in any relationship takes devoted time. Developing an intimate relationship with the Lord will not only keep you humble, but it will also totally impower your life. You and your other relationships will be filled with lasting purpose. Talk to Him, read His Word, grab a good devotional book, explore ways to grow and worship.  Grow and keep growing. Christianity is not an outfit that you put on or take off. Get this…Jesus loves you! We all have struggles from time to time, but we can be confident in our relationship with Jesus that He will never leave or forsake us (See Heb 13:5).

3. Take time, make time, to grow and hang out with other believers who will help you, encourage you, and will also receive the same from you. We need each other. Find a good church home and stay connected. We all need a solid foundation and need to be connected and thus better equipped to reach out and represent Jesus to our families and communities (See Matthew 28:18-20).  

Blessings  to you all!

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

Hey y’all! (I still have some of that fun slang from our past years of living in the South 😊) We just finished a great short devo from Joyce Meyer  https://joycemeyer.org/dailydevo/2021/06/30-its-never-too-late-to-begin-again and it reminded me of the importance of understanding God’s grace, particularly when it comes to being a reflection of that grace to others, and especially in marriage.

I am so thankful for God’s grace over my life, over my marriage and over my family, aren’t you? I don’t know where I would be without God’s grace. As recipients of such amazing grace, it is also so very important to show and offer grace to others. Sometimes this is more difficult than other times, especially when we may be hurt or offended by our spouse or someone we love deeply. But, unless we humble ourselves and choose to offer grace, we will tend to act and think out of our defenses, thereby allowing the enemy and our self-protecting flesh to override grace. Please understand that I am not suggesting merely overlooking one’s hurtful actions, especially in the case of marital unfaithfulness or various forms of abuse.

Everyone deserves respect as a human being…and as a potential child of God. The meanest, darkest of individuals is still a prospective child of God. Yet, how often do we speak or even think slanderous, cutting-down thoughts of others, rather than seeing them through Gods eyes? Husbands, wives, God says you become one…you are a unit. Therefore, it is imperative that you be graceful with your spouse. In fact, you may even be negating God’s blessing upon your marriage relationship if you are speaking curses rather than blessings over your spouse. (See James 3:10-12)

Early in our marriage Tracy and I were not living for the Lord. We did however commit our lives to the Lord just a couple years into our marriage. Since then, our relationship has grown exponentially and today, our love continues to grow, and we remain best friends. Next to Jesus, Tracy is truly my heart throb and is the most precious gift God could ever give to me. Our relationship is really based upon two things—love and respect. Love in a successful marriage seems obvious right, but one cannot truly love unless one understands the true source of love, for God is love (see 1 John 4:7 & 16). For guys especially, it is a bit harder to understand how to actually show love, this is why God tells us specifically to love our wives (see Ephesians 5:22-33). Guys, we have got to work at figuring this out, as it probably does not come naturally to us. The question should not be DO you love your wife, but DOES she FEEL loved?

Wives, God calls you to respect your husband (see Ephesians 5:33). Perhaps this does not come naturally to you or maybe your husband hasn’t been respectable. Understandably, this makes it difficult. Don’t be afraid to give praise to him…surely, he has some good qualities. You’re showing him respect will actually inspire him forward in remarkable ways. The Bible does not make love and respect conditional in the marriage, nor is it a tit-for-tat agreement, it just says to do it. Guys, I encourage you today…figure out your wife’s love language and put effort into loving her so that she truly feels loved and valuable to you…more than anyone. Wives, appreciate and respond to the honorable and respectable qualities in your husband, and make him genuinely feel like you appreciate that. As a couple, disarm the negatives and put these two positives into action and then watch them grow. Finally, protect these things and recognize their irreplaceable value. I can promise you, being intentional with love and respect will have amazing rewards. God knows what He is doing, and He also knows exactly how we are wired as individuals.

Healthy marriages and secure families are God’s design. Mom, dad, your children should never have to worry about your family being torn apart. A family centered on God is a powerful force and a divine blueprint. Following Gods blueprint results in favor and blessing. Subsequently, we must realize that we are also in a constant battle with the enemy (satan), who does not want us to live under the umbrella of Gods favor and blessing. The Bible says that he (satan) is the accuser of the brethren (see Rev 12:10). This especially holds true in marriage. Satan wants you to pick apart your spouse and keep record of their wrongs, be and speak critically to one another. And we tend to justify our self-protecting, self-righteous selves by using worldly views and perspectives, not Gods. Most every sit-com and many social media accounts today display that it is normal to knock-down or belittle your spouse. Let me say very clearly, this is not Gods plan. And yet most of those who have bought in to this pattern have always dreamed of having a marriage made in heaven. Treating others (especially your spouse) with God’s grace will unleash His blessing upon that relationship. God has spiritual laws (cause & effect) that He has put into motion. He honors what we obey.

One other big key to our happy marriage is praying together and couples’ devotions…daily. I cannot tell you how important this is in order to have a truly blessed marriage. There is absolutely no other time or action that I value in the same way as praying with Tracy. If you are a Christian, do you truly believe in the power that is unleashed in and through prayer? The Bible says that wherever two or three are gather together (praying) in my name, I am there…I am in it. (see Matt. 18:20 my paraphrase). As a Christian couple, why would we ever take for granted such a powerful gift, and yet expect to have intimacy together with God? Have you heard, “A family that prays together, stays together”? …it’s so true. Don’t let the enemy deceive and rob you and your family.

My typical day starts out with the automatic coffee grinder as an alarm, I have my quite time with the Lord while Tracy has hers. Then we get together for another cup of java and share a bit about what’s on our agenda for the day. Then we read a devotion together, and we pray. Normally, I invite my beautiful wife onto my lap, as I love to have her in my arms as we pray. Together we pray for the events of the day, and we pray over our kids, grandkids, family, and friends. We pray over our city, the world, and the church (God’s people). We see this as an incredible opportunity to connect God with the situations we see in our daily lives. And finally, we speak blessings over each other. I value very highly the blessing of my wife (God’s gift to me), and I know Tracy feels the same when I speak a blessing over her. Friends, I cannot put into words the value that this daily time together has been to our marriage…my life! Also, the value placed upon our future and our family and others that we pray for.

You may be thinking “That’s really nice and good that your daily couple’s devo and prayer time works for you, but you don’t know my schedule or my peculiar situation.” Listen, I’m telling you from personal experience…Tracy and I have been married for over 40 years now and we are more in love than ever. This is a major key to our successful marriage. Truth be told, you will make allowances and changes in your life for the things that are important to you. People across the globe are getting up at the crack of dawn to go to the gym where they are even paying for memberships. Maybe you claim that you are not a morning person. Can devo/prayer time be done at a different time of day? Sure, but often it just won’t. Plans change, the kids need attention, company knocks at your door, or your just too tired etc… Again, people set their alarms and get-up in the morning to go to work, go hunting/fishing, to beat the traffic etc. Besides, doesn’t it just make sense to start your day out on the right track? King David said Early in the morning I will rise up and seek you.” (See Psalm 63:1) Some may already be early risers to have their own devotions, or meet with others at the office, but not taking the opportunity to join together with their spouse.

Listen, I realize that everyone’s schedule is a bit different. But there is something very supernatural that occurs when we put the Lord of our lives in front of everything else each and every day. It’s really a matter of priority. When it comes down to it, we will justify whatever is important to us and makes us feel comfortable. I hate to be so blunt, but comfortable is just the way the enemy wants you to feel. Self-reliant, in charge, and without the need of a loving savior who wants you to invite Him into your day. Everyone wants peace, right? Comfort and peace are not the same thing. True peace can only come from the Lord. We need to be intentional with all of our relationships by putting time and effort into them. Stay out of the comfort zone and be intentional, the rewards are priceless.

I recently heard of a couple who was having some serious problems in their marriage. They were actually just a little past being newlyweds by a couple years. After some loving Christian counseling, they realized they needed to make some changes. One of those changes was to be intentional about having daily devo’s together. They made the change, and recently while temporarily separated due extended business trip, they still made the effort to have devo’s over the phone. They are now feeling like newlyweds again.

One last thing as I close…Your couples devo and prayer time doesn’t have to be long. Start with a few minutes. Get a good couples daily devotional to read together. Then grab each other’s hands and pray. Personally, if I am looking at a rough day or going through a tuff time, all I need to hear from my encouraging wife is “Lord, bless my man today.” Hey…I’m good to go!

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

Please let us know if you ever need prayer. Also, message us for suggestions on couple’s devotional resources.

I gave my heart to Jesus on a cold winter night in 1982. In fact, Tracy, and I both turned our lives over to the Lord that night. I was radically saved…I mean, what happened to me that night was identifiably life changing. I was not the same person. At the same time however, I started to realize that I had two enemies in my life. The first enemy was satan. Before I got saved, I hardly even recognized him. I knew and believed he was real—I had enough Bible knowledge in me as a kid to know—but he didn’t really bother me until I gave my heart to the Lord. My second enemy was me (my flesh), and I have to say that I was not really aware of that ugly enemy either until I realized the battle within my spirit, and that “me” was selfish, prideful, and ugly. Looking back at those days now, I can definitely see the spiritual battles that were going on in my life, but more importantly I can see and appreciate an incredibly foundational relationship with Jesus, and a love and respect for God’s Word that continues to this day.

When I got saved, I was on a delayed enlistment program with the United States Air Force. After 10 months of waiting for a guaranteed job in electronics, at just 21 years old I went off to Basic Military Training (BMT) in Texas, with a follow-on 12-month technical school in Biloxi Mississippi. A few months prior to leaving for BMT the engine went out in our only car. At that time, we were living in the basement of a friend’s house with our 1-year-old son, Eric. We borrowed a vehicle from my in-laws, only to have it too break down to an unrepairable condition. Now without any form of transportation came our 4^th move in our short 2 years of marriage, as we moved into the basement of my parents’ house for a few months prior to my departure for BMT. I continued to get rides and borrow cars to commute back and forth (60 miles round trip) to my job, while rebuilding the engine on our car on nights and weekends. Unfortunately, I was not able to finish the rebuild before having to leave for BMT.

Upon completion of BMT in Texas I went on to Biloxi MS for Tech School. I was there for 2 months and had saved just enough money to purchase a one-way ticket from Minot ND to Biloxi MS. Soon Tracy and Eric (sitting on here lap) where on their way to Biloxi. I remember walking for miles on that day to the airport so that I would have enough money to pay for a cab when they arrived. I had absolutely no idea where we would live. We would literally be living out of two suitcases, and all I had for transportation was a rented bicycle. I’m sure to some I looked very irresponsible. Starting out at the enlisted bottom ranks with a family in the military was sure to be no easy task. Most other new recruits where just out of high school, and many of those that were married waited until they were done with training before reuniting with their family. But my school was much longer than most and I already felt lost without Tracy and Eric. Additionally, I was a new Christian I was honestly trying to trust and rely on God to take care of my family.

We lived on an old hotel for a week before moving into a small two room efficiency rental house. This is where we were introduced to cockroaches…lots of them, not to mention the experience of living in a run-down, un-safe neighborhood. I was a few miles away from the Air Force Base and continued to travel each day by bicycle…until the day that my rental bike was stolen. Then having to pay for the stolen bike, and although Tracy had picked-up a job at a local restaurant, I was not able to afford to rent another bike and was forced to walk each day. Still, we managed. We were growing as a family and growing in God. Each day, I reported on-base at the crack of dawn. On my first break I would purchase one hard-boiled egg from a food truck for 25 cents and then had a PB&J sandwich that Tracy packed for my lunch.

I realize the hardships we endured back then are not nearly as bad as what many have faced. But it’s a good reminder for me, and I’m actually very glad we went through that time. I look back now and remember how satan had and has tried many times to discourage me from trusting in God. That night that I got saved, I remember walking out of the building and immediately feeling the struggle and lies that the enemy was trying to tell me…lies like, “That wasn’t real, you’re not changed, it won’t last” etc. But I realized that satan was not happy with what had just taken place and he was going to try to pick fights with me. One thing after another tried to get me down after I gave my heart to the Lord. To this day, every now and again the enemy tries to discourage me in some way. But God has always been faithful.

Perhaps you are going through a tough time right now, and you feel like you are all alone in your situation. Maybe you are being plagued by your past or you can’t see the light at the end of your tunnel. Listen friend, satan will always try to discourage us and come against us in many ways. But the good news is that when we belong to Christ, we fall under the shadow of the Most High. There is no time or situation that God is not aware of. In fact, He longs to go to battle for us.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91

Yes, the enemy of our souls will always try to come against us. But I promise you friend, when you choose to put your trust in Christ, you can rise above any and every temptation and trouble in life…100 percent!  

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Cor 10:13 ESV

God wants to bless you and work out the story of your life. He has a wonderful legacy planned for you. He has created each one of us uniquely with our own background, or own likes, dislikes, feelings, talents, and experiences. Your story…your life is meant to be a testimony of Gods love and His faithfulness. Maybe you feel as though your situation is too tough, too hard to endure, too complicated to even understand. Perhaps you feel alone, or even abandoned by God. Listen, God says that He will NEVER leave us or forsake us (Jer 29:11).

Maybe you have lost confidence in yourself, or even in God. Have you been living a life of pain and sorrow, feeling like you just drew the short stick in life? I’m here to tell you that Jesus died to give you a life of abundance. You can choose to remain in your situation as you are, or you can choose to embrace all that God has for you. It really boils down to your choice—the question is not God’s desire to bless you—the question is if you are willing to trust Him or not.  Isaiah 48:17 says:

This is what Yahweh, your Kinsman-Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says: “I am Yahweh, your God. I am the One who teaches you how to succeed and who leads you step by step in the way you should go.

We all go through things in life. But if we are putting our faith in God, He will never park us or leave us in those places. He is always calling us forward. Push through your situation…take the higher ground. Get back up…keep moving forward. God promises to bring hope, healing, restoration, and guidance WHEN we put our trust in Him. The question is not will God help you—the question is will you choose to trust Him.

Won’t you trust Him today? There is simply no greater satisfaction in life, than to know and put your trust in Jesus. To talk and walk with Him every single day. The world will try to tell you that you have to give up so many things in order to be a Christian. But actually, only the opposite is true—You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. Christianity is not about what you do or don’t do…that describes religion. I can tell you firsthand that my relationship with Jesus gives me the ultimate freedom in life. I encourage you today…give your heart and all your worries and troubles to Him. He is waiting to hear from you.

Friends we are living in unprecedented times—nobody can argue that. But I know who my redeemer is, and I believe His Word. You and I are living in times when we are about to see the presence of God like we have never seen or experienced it before. Don’t be dismayed, these are absolutely exciting days! Set your eyes on God. There is a mighty river of God that is coming. It will bring refreshing and unspeakable joy…joy that you do not want to miss.

I truly hope that you are encouraged today friends. The Bible says that when we draw near to God, He draws near to us (James 4:8). He sees you right where you are today. Be courageous, stay positive, and put your trust in Him.

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

…I’d love to hear from you and what God is doing in your life.

I love Christmas and the Christmas story. Jesus—the ultimate gift—what a thing to celebrate and rejoice in. Some families even celebrate Christmas by singing Happy Birthday to Jesus, while sharing a birthday cake as well. I like that!

Birthdays should always be made special—no matter who you are celebrating. And even though we may not always celebrate on the exact anniversary date, the focus on that individual and making them feel special is the important thing, right? And who doesn’t like a good party? Well, we all get to celebrate in this party…woo-hoo!

Can you imagine the intensity of the original manger scene with the baby Jesus? I remember the incredible feeling when Tracy and I first held our children (Eric & Alisha) in our arms. Wow…priceless! But think of the amazing moment it must have been for Mary and Joseph to cradle the Savior of the World in their arms? That, I cannot imagine.

One of the primary differences that Christianity has with all other World religions is the fact that Jesus Christ invites people of all races, genders, and backgrounds—to know Him and have a relationship with Him—personally. Sadly though, millions of people say that they know Jesus, while yet they actually just know about Him.

I remember a young man who had grown-up going to a main-line denominational church but hadn’t given his heart to the Lord until his early twenties. So, his relationship with the Lord Jesus was relatively new.  On several occasions while praying in a group setting, he would always start out his prayer with, “Dear baby Jesus….”  As much as I wanted to, I didn’t pull him aside and tell him that it was not a proper way to address the Lord, due the fact that Jesus is no longer the baby who was laying in the manger.

I could have brought-up the facts that Jesus walked this earth as a full-grown man on a mission, and successfully completed that mission as He died on the cross for our sins. That he arose from the grave and now sits on the throne as our intercessor, and that he is now Lord, Savior, and King—not baby Jesus! Sure, I could have gone on and on, but I realized that his perception of who Jesus was still had derivatives from his childhood memories. No, thankfully I didn’t say anything because I knew that as his walk with the Lord Jesus developed, Jesus would no longer remain a baby to him. I’m very happy to say that his relationship with Jesus did indeed quickly mature, and his perception of who Jesus is now has no limits.

God bless you this Christmas season friends. May you embrace the love of the Father and enjoy your celebrations with those you love. And may you too fully understand that your relationship with Jesus has no limits.

Merry Christmas!

Blessed by the Best,

Mark & Tracy

Wow! What a year 2020 has been, huh? Here we are in December and many people are looking back at this past year with lots of unanswered questions. Serious questions about life and mortality. Every day there are new questions raised about government, politics, and justice. What are the numbers today? Do we go? Can we shop? Can we have company over? Who does one even trust anymore? Everyone has an opinion, right? Yes, everyone deserves to have a voice and should be able to voice their own opinion. But the question I am asking today is, who or what are we forming our opinions from?

In this day and age, we literally have the world at our fingertips. Statistics (taken from 2018) show that 3.1 billion people — roughly one-third of the global population — use social media. Globally, the number of social media users has grown by 13% (362 million) in the past year. The average person spends nearly 2 hours a day using social media, which amounts to 5 years and 4 months of his/her lifetime. For teens, social media time spent could be up to 9 hours every day.

The majority of Americans use Facebook and most users check the app daily. 68% of Americans have an account, and 74% of those user’s report checking the app at least once a day — 51% report checking Facebook several times daily. We are not only becoming social media addicts as some reports like this have said—we are social addicts. 

I’m not here to condemn anyone for their social activity. That’s not my place or my point. My point is that it’s very obvious where a lot of people are forming their opinions from. Before you write me off, I’m not suggesting that one should not be and stay connected and be informed. I appreciate and utilize all these technologies. I too want to be well informed. But I also realize that people including myself can be easily influenced and thereby form opinions based solely upon where and who they get their information from. We all know the days of picking-up a newspaper, or listening to the evening news, while hearing unbiased or objective reporting are long gone. We joke about others thinking that something must be true if it’s on the internet—but I wonder just how many are actually assuming the same when they are merely led by the opinions of others or by the mainstream media?

Perhaps you are one who prides themselves as being your own person. You may believe you don’t follow after anyone. But let’s be honest—unless you were born in a cave and then raised by animals (#JungleBook), you are not only influenced by others, but you are as well following someone or something. To be very honest, we are all following someone. We teach our kids right from wrong and try to influence them on how to act and behave. We try to steer them into good directions and want good influences around them—yes? Of course, we do. And we too continue to follow the things that influence us. You may be the strongest of leaders and claim you march to the beat of your own drum, but don’t kid yourself—you are still following someone or something.

I love the fact that I serve a God who through His son Jesus, has given me the ability to choose. He could have demanded that I simply follow rules and regulations a.k.a. “religion” but rather, out of his love and desire to have a relationship with me, He gave me the right to choose. Thank you Jesus!

I also recognize that I/we all have a human nature. My human nature has desires that are about me, myself, and I…it’s about MY flesh. The Apostle Paul warns us about this way of thinking. But he doesn’t just warn us—he gives us an alternative to this way of thinking that will not only bless God—but will bless us with continual guidance throughout our lives. He said: But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). — Galatians 5:16 (AMPC)

It’s interesting that Paul did not say that the cravings or desires of the flesh would no longer exist for us. He did say, though, that we can choose to be led by the Holy Spirit, and by making that choice, we wouldn’t give in to the temptations that try to separate us from God.

In Matthews Gospel the disciples were concerned about the Pharisees judging or condemning them for not following some former religious laws. Jesus said to them, “Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” Matt 15:14. I believe we can apply these wise words from Jesus to so many of the questions and situations we are all facing today. There are blind guides coming from all directions. I don’t know who you follow on social media, what network you tune to, or who you support, but if you are not lining-up what you hear with Godly wisdom you may be blindly being led by the blind. Who are you putting your trust in? It does not matter the type of initials in front of one’s name or the number of degrees that follow it. If people are not seeking wisdom from God, they are essentially blind to the things of God—including His voice. NEWS FLASH…God still speaks today!

There are tons of other voices trying to lead us today—other people, the devil, or even our own flesh (our body, mind, will, or emotions)—and often several are talking at the same time. When we accept the Lord Jesus into our lives, God in turn puts the Holy Spirit into us (see 1 Corinthians 6:19, 2 Timothy 1:14, Romans 8:11). He is ready and waiting to speak to us, we just have to ask.  Friends, the Holy Spirit is the voice we need to follow!

When we are choosing to be led by the Holy Spirit our lives will be full of peace and be successful in the most rewarding of ways—both eternally and here on earth. Yes, even in tough times, we can have peace. Everything that God has and wants for us is good. Perhaps you have been taught or thought that you first need to be a good enough person in order to be acceptable to God, and therefore you are not worthy to be able to have the help of the Holy Spirit. If that is you, you have been misinformed. That’s simply not Biblical and totally contrary to the teachings of Jesus. He is no respecter of persons, and He will accept you as you are. That’s just how He works.

I have more great news! With all the chaos and questions around us today, God is still on the throne. Yes, He is, and He is working in our midst and contending with people’s hearts at this very moment. He cares about every single detail of your life. He loves you! No matter what you have done or perhaps how unworthy you may feel, He cares about every area of your life. He is ready and waiting to hear from you.

Don’t be dismayed, God is on the move and exciting days are ahead. I believe we are about to see and experience the most amazing days of signs wonders and miracles of God that we have ever seen. Give Him your worries, doubts, and frustrations today. He is my peace, is He yours? Whose voice will you choose to follow?  May God bless you as you choose to follow His voice today.

But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

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I just returned from one of many beautiful walks along the lake with my very best friend. Tracy and I are blessed to live right next to Lake George, and today the water was like glass as it almost perfectly mirrored the abundance of Fall colors. The lush green pines and cedars, stunning yellow, orange and red maples, brown and rust colored oaks, bright green birch and aspens with their distinctive white bark. Once again, I am so amazed at our magnificent God and his extraordinary artistry skills.

Walking hand-in-hand down the winding path listening to the birds and the leaves crunching beneath our feet, we slipped off our shoes and wadded down the clean sand-rippled shoreline. The water was delightful. We saw fish jumping, seagulls, ducks, and geese, and even a bald eagle as it soared just above us at three top level. I’m seriously not making this stuff up ya-all, it was so awesome! Our God is so amazing! Yet, as much as I love to enjoy and take-in His astounding creation, I realized again today that I often take it for granted. Nature, after-all is God’s creation. What a wonderful reflection of His glory.

The last several months have come with huge changes in our lives. Exempting no one, our thoughts and conversations are flooded with topics such as: COVID, quarantine, masks, social distancing, social injustice, rioting, and more. As well, the political mudslinging is about to kick into high gear. How many of you have said, or at least thought “I just want things to get back to normal?” Yeah, I get it…I just want these negative experiences to go away too, but I wonder…what exactly is normal anyway?

If and when we do get back to “normal,” I wonder if we will have learned anything from these situations?  One area I think we all can benefit from, is to observe our own negative words and attitudes. Sometimes it’s easy to get sucked into the same stinking thinking rather than to reflect the nature of God. As with the beautiful scene Tracy and I experienced today, could it be that sometimes we take God’s blessings for granted? In II Cor. 2:15 the Bible says, “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” What does that mean? It means we ought to smell like Jesus wherever we go, and whatever we are doing. Not just when we are in church or doing “spiritual things,” it means bringing that fragrance into our everyday activities to those who are being saved and those who are not.

There is no doubt some shaking going on all around us these days. Perhaps one of the biggest issues that is being shaken is racial injustice. More recently we have experienced killings, rioting, and public protesting. Racism is a problem we cannot ignore or run away from—we have to deal with it. Do I like the shaking? Of course not. But the truth is, that no matter where you live, and however you were raised, we are all susceptible to racism. If and when we have any form of it in our hearts, we cannot truly represent or become the fragrance of Jesus. Yes, we have come a long way from the days of slavery in our Nation, but we still have a very long way to go. It’s easy to say, “just get over it,” when you don’t even live and work in other people’s shoes.

Racism is a really big deal to God. The Bible clearly denounces it (see Duet 10:17-19, Acts 10:34-35, 1 Cor 12:13, James 2:9, Rev 7:9-10, Eph 2:14-18, Gal 3:28). In fact, racism was very prevalent between Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles when Jesus walked the earth. Racism was never God’s plan, in fact Jesus went out of His way to break down racial barriers. Ephesians 5:2 says, “And walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.

Sometimes as Christians we can make a dirty list of sins (and I’m not excusing any of them), but I believe that what truly hurts the heart of God most is when we don’t reflect Jesus by loving our neighbor. When in fact, our neighbor may have a totally different skin color, they may not even speak our language. In fact, we might live next door to a Muslim or a Hindu or an Atheist…Jesus said, “love your neighbor as yourself.” Mark 12:31. And this was the second most important thing to understand about life…only second to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” 12:30. Friends, I don’t like what is going on in our country any more than you. I am a proud veteran who highly values honor and respect, but I also see the need to be shaken now more than ever…shaken to love people…even when they don’t look, act, or agree with us.

I believe with all my heart that God is desiring to pour out His Spirit upon our land in amazing proportions. Scripture is very clear that there is a river of God that flows from His throne, and that He truly desires to pour His blessings out from this river (see Ezekiel 47:1-12, Revelation 22:1-5). Scripture is also very clear that God wants to heal our land (see Joel 2:28, Isaiah 44:3, Acts 2:17). But friends, these blessings are also conditional. Conditional upon us…if and when we humble ourselves and seek His face (see 2 Chronicles 7:14, Acts 2:17). So where are we right now in the midst of this shaking? We are in the “if.” If we (Gods people) humble ourselves and truly seek Him. Let’s remember, God is after all ultimately after our hearts.

God spoke to me years ago about racism in our country. In a series of visions, He gave me a visual representation of which included the issue of racism. Racial discrimination was one of many boulders that have been damming-up the flow of God’s river of blessing unto us. These visions also revealed the largest lake that one could ever imagine which has formed as the result of the damming-up of Gods River. This is obviously unfortunate. But let me encourage you today. If we humble ourselves and turn to God—seeking His face and not His hand—we will be able to remove these boulders. Yes, and when we do, the flow of Gods Spirit will flow into our lives, our families, our churches, and into our land. I saw this in the Spirit. Imagine with me, the immense force that is currently being held back by this boulder dam and keeping us from this Lake of Blessing. To date we have only experienced times or periods of Gods outpouring. But if and when we turn to God there is coming an outpouring of Gods loving Spirit that is colossal and unprecedented!

God has given us all the freedom of choice. What do you say…are you in? Shall we together turn to Him, shall we humble ourselves and seek His face? If so, I believe we will begin to see the River of God very, very soon. Let’s remind ourselves of the goodness of God and His blessings. Let’s seek Him together and watch with excitement and expectation of the glorious days to come.

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

Years ago, I was in a worship service where everyone was singing a chorus that went like this:

I love you Lord, and I lift my voice, to worship you, oh my soul rejoice, take joy my King, in what you hear, may it be a sweet sweet sound, in your ears.

While singing, I briefly opened my eyes and looked around. I was one of many actively involved in worship. Looking around for that brief moment, I was seeing what a worship “service” looked like, but I was hit with a much bigger convicting question. What does a worshipful “lifestyle” look like? Take away the music, take away the fact that I am in a church building, and in the middle of a scheduled event…I was being hit with this probing question—does my life regularly demonstrate to God that I am worshipping Him? Do I regularly speak and think as David did when he said, “May the words of my mouth and the mediations of my heart be pleasing to you Oh Lord my God.” Psalm 19:14. How often does God here my voice and look at my heart, and know that I truly love and trust Him?

I think of the story of Jesus confronting Peter with these soul-searching words, “Peter, do you love me?” Peter was quick to reply, only to hear the Lord ask him the very same question two more times. “Then feed my lambs,” the Lord replied. (see John 21:15). In essence Jesus was saying to Peter that Peters love for Jesus will have to be demonstrated in and through his everyday life—not just in that moment–but after Jesus was not physically there with Him.

I also think of the paralleled relationship of marriage. At the alter the vow is made to love, cherish, and unselfishly give to their mate…until death. Leading up to the alter, individuals most often put their best foot forward in order to convince their potential mate that they are worthy of being loved. Sweet, loving, and adoring words are exchanged. Often, love struck couples go out of their way to plan the most special, unique, and romantic proposals. Sadly however, over half of these same marriages end up in the divorce courts stating “irreconcilable differences.” All too often, we see and hear the once loving and supportive talk towards each other converted into negativity. The blame game continues until one finally says, “I just don’t love you anymore.”

Most of us truly want a good marriage, right? But honestly, can we expect our relationships to grow and flourish with love, trust, and honor when we don’t intentionally show and demonstrate those same attributes on a regular basis. Not only to each other, but about each other in the thoughts and mediations of our heart? Do we speak highly of our spouse, or do we publicly put them down (a sad trend of which our society seems to think is funny)? Some actually exploit their spouse as a matter of prayer, while they are actually pointing a finger of blame.

Both these situations: The story of Peter and troubled marriage relationships, are examples that I believe we can all relate to. The question remains however…what is truly in our hearts? When God looks at our heart, does He see and feel loved and worshipped? We often hear and repeat with well intensions, “Well, God knows our hearts.” It’s true—He does—but I also believe that sometimes we use that phrase as an excuse for situations in our lives that we simply are not willing to deal with. Choosing to bless God and be an extension of His blessings to others is a choice of worship. It’s so much more than corporately participating in a worship service. Yet, I for one constantly have to remind myself of that. How about you?

When the music fades

All is stripped away

And I simply come

Longing just to bring

Something that’s of worth

That will bless Your heart

I’ll bring You more than a song

For a song in itself

Is not what You have required

You search much deeper within

Through the way things appear

You’re looking into my heart

I’m coming back to the heart of worship

And it’s all about You, it’s all about You, Jesus

I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it

When it’s all about You, it’s all about You, Jesus

                    Heart of Worship Lyrics/ Matt Redman

Friends, there is 0% doubt in my mind that God wants to bless us. The Bible is jam-packed with examples and promises of Gods blessings for us. I so believe this, that I personally wrote a book subtitled “Revealing the Heart of God and His Desire to Bless You.” In light of the fact that it is Gods “desire” to bless us, I’m just asking the question today of what does God see? Are our lives genuinely reflecting a heart of worship?

Be encouraged today. God never expects you to be perfect. He just wants you to give Him your heart. The Bible says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

Unprecedented times, right? Who would have thought just a few months back while we were coming out of the Christmas Season and into New Years, that 2020 would involve a worldwide pandemic that would force people to “shelter in place?” I would have said “no way!” Looking back over the last several weeks now, I’m amazed at how quickly our whole world seemingly has turned upside down.

Can you imagine what this time would have been like without the technology of the 21^st century? Think for a minute how dependent we have all been on the internet during this time. How different would this unusual pandemic-time be like without social media, real-time television, or even phone service? Honestly, we take so much for granted.

It’s been very encouraging to see the church adapt to this time and turn almost exclusively to social media and the internet to connect with it’s members and as well continue to reach-out to the community with the message of hope through Jesus Christ. Many large churches were already streaming live services, while others quickly adapted by utilizing Facebook Live. In just one Sunday for example, we “virtually attended” live church from our own Emmanuel Christian Center, Substance Church, Evangel and New Life Churches in Bismarck ND, and Destiny Church in Cheyenne WY. Interestingly, some churches are reporting that due to virtual attendance, their over-all numbers are up.

Although I do appreciate the technological age in which we live, and the ability to stay connected…I want to throw out a word of caution to not diminish the power of physically assembling together as a church. The writer of Hebrews warns us, “do not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Heb 10:25 NKJV

By now we have all heard of certain churches who have ignored the stay-at-home orders put out by our national and state governments. I am clearly not advocating that. However, as these restrictions are hopefully soon lifted, I am concerned that some may lose the significance of assembling together in our churches. Coming together to worship God has wonderful and lasting benefits to us, our families, and to our communities, but it also has proven to be incredibly moving to God. Simply put—when people choose to make the effort to come together to worship—God honors that.

Interestingly enough, we are soon approaching Pentecost Sunday. This is the day we celebrate and remember the day that Jesus—after his death and resurrection—told the disciples to go to a particular meeting place (an upper room, located in Jerusalem) and wait for the promised Holy Spirit to come. The Bible says that 120 individuals gathered together, waiting. Exactly for what and how, they weren’t sure. They just came expecting God to meet with them.

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4 NKJV

On the same day of this momentous occasion, Peter spoke to a crowd of people and 3000 were saved and baptized. Going forward, other signs, wonders, and miracles began to escalate through the power of the Holy Spirit being manifested through Gods people. And thus, the church began. Initially, early believers gathered in home churches. Many private residences were renovated exclusively as houses of worship. Today however, we commonly gather in much larger buildings. Still, we must understand that the “church” is the people, not the building. The fact remains, that God—as with any loving father—loves it when His family makes the effort to come together in one accord. This is not an advertisement for the Honda Accord (ha ha!), in one accord means gathering together in unison or with the same mind or intension. God simply loves to see this! I’m a father, I get it…right? What’s even more powerful is when people come together “expecting” as those did in that day. They came expecting or anticipating an encounter with God. This is the key to having church verses merely attending church. We must anticipate encountering God and worshipping Him in spirit and in truth (see John 4:24).

From 1995-1999 Tracy and I, as well as our children were part of a revival in Pensacola Florida known as The Brownsville Revival. It literally touched millions of lives as people flooded into the church night after night. The presence of God was tangibly thick. Lives, marriages, and families were restored. Physical and emotional healings by the thousands…literally! People would actually run to the alter. Many would enter the sanctuary and begin weeping and some even laughing for no apparent reason…only that God was doing an inner work in their lives. But why there? Why Brownsville in Pensacola Florida? The same question can be asked of the Welsh revival, Azusa Street, The 3 Great Awakenings, Toronto, Bethel Redding, and many others…? What was/is the key ingredient? The very same thing as it was on that first Pentecost… HUNGER!

So, when our various church doors are allowed to be open to the public again, I hope that we have not become lazy and complacent in our form of worship. I pray that the easy-chair-style of worship does not become a habit. But rather we embrace the opportunity to gather together in one accord—with hunger and expectancy to meet with God. What a privilege we have had. Never in my life have I so appreciated the freedom that we have in our country to worship as we choose. Let’s honor the Lord and do it together, shall we?

Expectantly excited to see what God does in the days ahead. #prayforrevival

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

There, I said it! How many others of you where thinking it? Why hasn’t God intervened? What could He possibly be waiting for? Corona/COVID-19 has impacted pretty much everyone on planet earth these days. I’ll admit, just several weeks ago I didn’t even know the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic. The numbers of those being infected and those dying from this terrible virus are staggering and to date have not yet peaked in our country. My heart hurts for those who are affected physically, emotionally, financially, and those who have suffered the loss of a loved one.

Perhaps the hardest lesson we are learning is how to deal with life when we loose control of it. Think of it, life as we knew it just a couple months ago was totally unaware of how we are living today. Pandemic, self-quarantine, community spread, CDC, essential businesses, and social distancing are now common vocabulary. And oh yeah, where is all the toilet paper? All of a sudden, life has lost its predictability. The ability to control and have freedom changed almost overnight. And yet the Bible says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” Pr 27:1. Honestly, not one of us has a guarantee on life tomorrow or that we will even be breathing 5 minutes from now. So, the question is really what or to be more specific, who are we truly trusting in when things are out of our own control? And if we are wise enough to realize that we need to put our complete trust into Gods hands, will that stick once we are able to enjoy baseball season again?

Is God to blame? I wonder how many of us have been tempted to point our finger to God when things like this happen in our world. We need to remember however that ultimately God has given mankind the freedom of choice. From the beginning of time as we know it, God created a perfect place for mankind and as well, allowed Adam and Eve the freedom of choice. They had a choice when approached by the prideful fallen one—satan, and their choice resulted in an imperfect land in which we now live in. Consequently, life is not always fair. We must also remember that just as He did with Adam and Eve, God has put laws (both spiritual and physical) into effect. Take gravity for instance, try to defy it and see what effect that will have upon your body. These laws are in motion even though we may not always see them. They have a cause and effect. God has given us a road map in order to navigate our lives (the Bible), and He speaks to us in many different ways—yet time and time again, people blame God whenever bad things happen. Many so called atheists say they don’t believe in God because a good God would not allow a tragedy to happened to good people.

The question should not be why God is to blame—the question is and always has been why do I not trust and listen to God in the first place? Throughout the entire Bible we read of Gods love and redemption plan for all people, and yet people still choose to try to control their own lives without paying any attention to God…until something bad happens. And yet even in my own lifetime, I have seen Gods love reach out over and over again making good come out of a difficult situation. In fact, it’s often through life’s difficult seasons where we see people reach out to God. And whenever we reach out to God, He graciously accepts us.  

Many are asking where the coronavirus came from. From a bat or man-made? Whatever theory you believe, I propose to you that God is completely aware of the where and the how. This virus may have come as a surprise to us, but not to God. Other questions may be, did God cause this virus to happen? Is God pouring out judgment upon the land? Some are even questioning if we have entered into the Tribulation Period as described in the book of Revelation. Although I do not doubt that God has a prophetic clock, we are currently not experiencing the Tribulation wrath upon the earth. The coronavirus is serious, no doubt, but if anything, it is beginning of sorrows as the Gospel of Mathew talks about (see Matt 24:6-8). Additionally, many things are and have been results on this earth that are ultimately due to man’s disobedience and pride. One thing is for certain, it is shaking the whole earth at this very moment. The results of which will cause some to look to God while others will actually curse Him.

Lest we forget:

Between the years of 1941-1945 an evil man named Adolf Hitler and many more Nazi leaders murdered over 6 million innocent people. Why? Out selfish pride which led to hatred of the entire Jewish race. The reality of which we continue to see Antisemitism still alive today. I realize the Holocaust is a completely different situation, but again millions of precious lives were lost. The question is the same–do we blame God for allowing this? Of course not, these and many more tragedies and atrocities are the results of a fallen world and choices made by people.

From April 2009 to April 2010 the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that there were more than 60.8 million cases of the H1N1 (Swine Flu) in the U.S. alone. Resulting in 12,469 deaths. Yet, only 10 years later we hardly remember it. Was God to blame?

Just last year (2019), the American Cancer Society estimated over 1.7 million new cancer cases in the U.S., with 606,880 cancer related deaths. Studies today reveal all kinds of known cancer-causing substances. To include tobacco products that we have deemed as “essential” goods in the fighting effort of COVID-19. How ironic is that?  Yet, in the case of cancer and those who suffer from it, how can we ever blame God?

So, what is God waiting for and will He intervein with the coronavirus? I have faith that God is and will continue to intervein, but it is imperative that we understand that God is calling us to genuinely seek Him. Once again, we are all created with the ability to choose. Thank God we are not all robots. We were all created in Gods image, created to love Him and to share His love with others. When we don’t seek Him, when we don’t turn to Him, what choice is He seeing us make?

Throughout the Bible we see of Gods amazing redeeming love toward people. Time and time again providing, healing, drawing people to His heart.

Romans 8:28 says, And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. (AMP)    

God takes pleasure in making good and wonderful things out of bad situations. Why? Because He is a good Father who loves His children. As with any good father, he loves it when His kids turn toward Him and come running and jump into his lap. This is what he longs for. This is an amazing truth and I have personally seen this happen time and time again. But there is a qualifier in this verse: “for those who love God and called according to His plan and purpose.“

There are so many positive things already happening through this pandemic. Many families and relationships are bonding. Being forced to slow down allows us to re-focus and re-prioritize. We are having more empathy for others. Reaching-out and connecting through phone calls and social media. Completing projects and enjoying hobbies. Reading books and playing with our children. Being involved with their schoolwork. The church is thriving through social media sources (although I can’t wait to go to the church to worship again). Many people are seeking God and spending more time growing our relationship with Him. Be encouraged, He has this promise for us:

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chr 7:14

Many of us have heard or read this verse many times, but I want to remind us all that this too comes with a choice…it is conditional. We need to understand the If, when, and then. God is calling us as a people to repent and turn back to Him. If and when we do, then we will see the blessings of revival sweep across our land. That is something to get excited about!

This virus is not bigger than God and I am confident that He is ready, willing and able to deliver us.

 “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering but take courage — I have conquered the world” (John 16:33).

As we celebrate Easter this weekend friends, have faith, courage, and peace. Jesus rose from the grave. All victory, power, and love are available to us. God is still good, and He will see us through.

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

There is a story in the Bible where Peter, a disciple of Jesus found himself questioning what he was to do after Jesus had risen from the dead. Now that Jesus was gone, Peter finds himself out in his boat fishing once again. Just as he was doing before Jesus met him on the shoreline on that day and when Jesus had asked him to drop his fishing nets and to follow Him (see Matt 4:18-22).

John 21:4-12 records:

Then at dawn, Jesus was standing there on the shore, but the disciples didn’t realize that it was him! He called out to them, saying, “Hey guys! Did you catch any fish?” “Not a thing,” they replied. Jesus shouted to them, “Throw your net over the starboard side, and you’ll catch some!”

And so they did as he said, and they caught so many fish they couldn’t even pull in the net! Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Peter heard him say that, he quickly wrapped his outer garment around him, and because he was athletic, he dove right into the lake to go to Jesus! The other disciples then brought the boat to shore, dragging their catch of fish. They weren’t far from land, only about a hundred meters.

And when they got to shore, they noticed a charcoal fire with some roasted fish and bread. Then Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” So Peter waded into the water and helped pull the net to shore. It was full of many large fish, exactly one hundred and fifty-three, but even with so many fish, the net was not torn. “Come, let’s have some breakfast,” Jesus said to them. (Jn 21:4-12 TPT)

I love this story. John continues to record the events which took place on that day when Peter jumps out of the boat, swimming toward Jesus once he realizes it is him. Then while sitting together on the shoreline Jesus prompts Peter to feed His lambs, and care for His sheep (see Jn 21:15-23). Following this event, Peter was in the Upper Room and was baptized in the Holy Spirit. He then preached to the multitudes and was obviously a significant figure in the explosive formation of the church. He was later imprisoned and died a martyr’s death.

I wonder though, did Peter ever go fishing again? He was in fact a commercial fisherman prior to meeting Jesus. Fishing was his occupation, its what he knew, and was likely very good at it. And although it is true that Jesus told Peter to follow Him and that He would make Him a fisher of men, did this mean that because Peter was called into ministry, fishing was no longer allowed? What’s the application here and what does it mean for us?

Obviously, we don’t all have a “drop your nets” type of experience where God calls into full time ministry. Peter’s “calling” was very specific, and likely required him to stop what he was currently doing in order to focus on ministry. This however does not disqualify any of us from being used by God as Peter was. But when we read stories in the Bible about Peter and the disciples, and the miracles of Jesus, our tendency is to think that those things are reserved for others who are called into full time ministry. As believers however, we all have been commissioned to be disciples and to make more disciples (see Matt 28:19-20). Furthermore, Jesus told us that after He was to die and go back to the Father, He was going to send us the Holy Spirit. And then we would be able to do even greater miracles than what He did (see Jn 14:12). Friend, if you are reading this right now, that includes you.

I personally feel that both our social culture and the church have placed too much emphasis on finding one particular “calling” in life. Although it is true that there are certain careers (both secular and ministry) that many know is the primary calling upon their lives, this may not be the case for everyone. I’m happy for you if you know your career plan is your calling in life, and I’m certainly not saying it is not wise to have a career plan, or to set goals etc. I’m simply stating that God’s plan for our lives may not look like many of the models before us. We have to be open to do and to go wherever and whenever the Lord calls us. Sometimes that may require us to make some direction changes that others may not understand.

Jesus did not condemn Peter for going out fishing. In fact, He instructed them to throw out their nets again. What’s more, Jesus himself cooked the fish and ate breakfast with them. Peter was lovingly restored and re-focused on what Jesus was calling him to do. Was it the fishing that was bad? No, it’s just what Peter was doing when He had another encounter with Jesus. That encounter gave him further direction in life. Sometimes going fishing is the best thing we can do.

Jesus wants to have encounters with us. Most often these encounters come when we intentionally set aside to be with Him. Much like we set aside personal private times to be with our loved ones. But we can also have encounters with Him while or after we are doing some enjoyable things such as fishing etc. Of course, these activities need to be prioritized and enjoyed in moderation. I once heard of a guy who hung-up his golf clubs because someone told him it wasn’t spiritual. I would argue however, that it may be in fact very spiritual for you to enjoy golfing. Golfing could even be what you do professionally. I would also add that changing professions should not be looked upon as spiritually misguided; it may actually be the opposite. If you are following God’s voice, it doesn’t matter what anyone else may think.

My takeaway with Peters encounter on the beach with Jesus was not “what” Peter was doing, it was where his heart was when he was doing it. Peter was in emotional turmoil and Jesus perceived that. When Jesus called out to them, He used language that said, “Boys (children), you do not have any meat (fish), do you?” They answered saying, “No!” In other words, emotional decisions usually leave us in the same boat as the disciples, “catching nothing.” In other words, they don’t provide satisfying results.

It’s interesting that Jesus didn’t call the disciples men, but rather He called them children. He asked them, “Are you doing any good at what you’re trying to do?” That is a question we should ask ourselves when we don’t seem to have any fruit (or fish) to show for whatever we are doing in life.

How about you, are you following Gods plan for your life? Have you prioritized your life in such a way that puts Jesus first? Are you open to change directions in life and listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit to do so? Are you listening to His voice to be as effective as you possible can right where you are? Do you see yourself as a minister…as a disciple? Friend if you have answered no to any of these questions, I would challenge you to consider making a change. Perhaps you need to do as Peter did and go fishing. There is nothing wrong with taking time to get away from time to time in order to get a reset. The key is to seek Him for His direction in everything we do…even fishing.

Secondly, I would like to encourage you to seek to have personal encounters with God. Be intentional about it. Set aside meeting times with Him as though He is your most impressive business client. Make Him and your relationship your most important relationship you have. Then your spouse, then your children, family & friends, job, etc. Jesus truly needs to be first and He is waiting to be your very best friend. Don’t let anyone or anything get in the way of your relationship with Him. He would love to direct you on where to throw your nets, cook you some breakfast, and then sit down with you on the beach to eat.

Happy Fishing!

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

Probably one of the most famous movie series of all time is Rocky. There is a Particular scene in Rocky II that has made a huge impact in my life and in my marriage. Additionally, this one movie scene has helped me to better understand people and our need for one another. In Rocky II a beautiful love story begins between Rocky and a very shy introverted woman named Adrian. They appear to be opposites, but Rocky is drawn to Adrian like a magnet and sees through to her inner and external beauty. As the story goes, Rocky and Adrian had been dating for a while, and Adrian’s cranky self-pitied brother Paulie, is confronting Rocky with some questions. The two are in a meat locker where Pauli works.

Paulie: You like her?

Rocky: Sure, I like her.

Paulie: What’s the attraction?

Rocky: I dunno… she fills gaps.

Paulie: What’s “gaps”?

Rocky: I dunno, she’s got gaps, I got gaps, together we fill gaps.

This is such an honest, vulnerable, and yet so profound of a statement coming from Rocky Balboa—a guy who is tougher than nails. Others would say that having gaps or needing help from another in order to be more complete would be a sign of weakness. After all, we have all heard phrases like, “Trust in yourself, others will let you down.” Or “A strong and confident person does not need help from others.” Another common one is, “You have to help yourself in life or people will take advantage of you.” You may have also heard the saying that there are two types of people in this world, thinkers and doers. Personally, I feel like I might fit into this one. However, I think I’m both—not one or the other. I think long and hard and very deeply—sometimes too deeply. But I also tend to try to do everything myself without asking for help, and sometimes that has caused unnecessary struggles. Just sayin… But the truth is, we all need each other. God created us in that way.

1 Peter 4:10 says, As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as stewards of Gods varied grace.

This very day, marriages are failing all around us because one or both individuals are so focused on what they are not getting from the other. But marriage was never intended to be focused just on what you get. Many believe that everything in marriage—to include giving and taking—is meant to be 50/50. But what happens when one is struggling and needs help? Emotionally or physically challenged? What happens after the honeymoon when the kids are screaming, and the bills need to be paid? No, marriage as the primary example of healthy relationships, should exemplify that we are created to be givers and not takers. I have been using marriage as the primary example here, but the same principle holds true in all our relationships. The fact is, we need each other, and we all have gaps in our lives. Once again, God has designed us to be givers in this life; not takers, and to help fill the gaps of each other.

Heb 10:24-25 says, Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love. This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing, because we need each other! In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning. TPT  (See also Philippians 2:4, and Mark 10:8)

Ultimately God is the one who fills our gaps, but we must always remember that Gods work is most always done through us, His people. Let’s all choose to be gap fillers today.

One last thought…We are not called to point out the gaps in others; but we are called to help fill those gaps.

Bless you friends as you continue to seek and honor Jesus in all that you do.

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

P.S.  Happy Valentine’s Day to my awesome and incredible gap filling wife, Tracy. I can wholeheartedly say that I would not be the man that I am today if it were not for you Trac. You are consistently filling my gaps. I am so blessed. I love you!

The following is an excerpt from my book The River:

Inevitably we all have heard or perhaps used the phrase at some time, “God is in control.” We hear this most often when facing a difficult situation or something that we do not fully understand. But is God really in control? Certainly, God is omniscient (all knowing), sovereign (all powerful) and reserves the right to control everything. But is He in control? More specifically—has He chosen to be in control—or has He given the control part over to us?    Certainly, He is in charge and can do whatever and whenever He wants. His power and authority are not to be questioned. However, God does not control our thoughts and actions. He is not in control of evil people, or responsible for sickness or disease. Can He intervene? Can He take charge of a situation? Absolutely He can. But for the most part—the responsibility of bringing God into these situations falls upon our shoulders. We have the responsibility to pray—to intercede.

All too often we hear people say, “It must be meant to be.” Or probably even more familiar phrase is “Everything happens for a reason.” These things are merely assumed without anyone taking on any responsibility to intercede in prayer about the situation. After all, Prayer is “our” responsibility and we cannot take ourselves out of the equation. This is God’s plan. Jesus is our role model, and He taught us to pray “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”[i] The fact remains—we have a good and loving Father. His plan is for us to know Him as a loving Father who wants to Bless and give good gifts to His children.

“Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”(Matt. 7:9-11)

[i]  Matthew 6:10

God bless you today friends as you see your place in God’s plan. We are all called to pray…to intercede. This is by God’s design.

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

Happy Anniversary to us! Jan 10, 2020 marks Tracy’s and my 39^th wedding anniversary. What? Yep, 39 years…so often we look back and wonder where time has gone. But as they say, “time flies when you’re having fun.” Ah, really? Am I just saying that? No, I’m not. We continue to enjoy being married, and our marriage honestly continues to get better and better with each passing year. Yeah, we started when we were both just 18-year-old kids and sure, we have had some struggles (#flyingdishes…just kidding), but over-all our marriage has been incredibly blessed. We are lovers and best friends.

From our demographic (married in the 1980’s) only about a third of couples have marked their 25th anniversary and just 6% have been married more than 50 years. I’ll admit, the day we got married, I hardly remember my wedding vows. But I can tell you that I whole heartedly intended on marrying Tracy “until death due us part.” Today, I literally cry when I hear heart felt wedding vows between couples at the altar. Most of that emotion now comes from experiencing such intimacy in my own marriage, and the intense love that I have for Tracy. As well, the magnitude of the vow being seen by God as a covenant brings it into an exclusively holy moment. Vows are meant to be sacred and yet many couples are actually choosing to do away with wedding vows. Divorce is seen as an opt-out. The consequences of which rarely effect only just the couple involved. Sadly, in our country today 1 in 3 children live without a father, and nearly 5 million children in the US today are living without a mother.

God is the one who designed marriage and believes in it so much so that he equates marriage to that of the love relationship between Jesus and the church. There is also a somewhat mysterious Bible verse which states that when married, the two become one (see mark 10:8). Marriage, to Tracy and I, is an amazing gift. It is also an incredible way to honor God. It gives God great pleasure when He sees us flourish in our marriage relationships. With that in mind, Tracy and I thought we could share some helpful guidance to our readers. There are so many things that we have learned over the years, but today we’re going to narrow it down to just two. Two of the top attributes of our marriage—we will each take one…

Mark says: Servanthood.

It is true that marriage is a partnership, but the partnership should never be seen as 50/50. I hear it all the time “she did this, so I’m gonna do that. He got this, so I’m gonna get that. She treated me with disrespect, so I’m not going to show her love. He is not being loving to me, so ….” Do you get the picture? It’s tit for tat. Fair is fair, right? Friends, this is a very dangerous mindset and it will lead to very unhealthy and destructive behaviors in a marriage.

Years ago, Tracy and I were leading a marriage class and kicked it off with “10 Great Dates.” That went pretty well, so we continued the class using a book as curriculum called Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. Our class soon doubled in size and many testimonies came in week after week of how God was working in each marriage. Here is the main premise of this book, and I believe that if you take it to heart, it too will be a life changer for your marriage.

“Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband” Ephesians 5:33 (NIV)

OK, fine, that sounds like a plan, right? I mean… I/we can do that, it sounds fair enough, right? But what happens when the husband is being unloving? What happens when the wife is not showing respect? I mean honestly guys; do you always feel that your wife shows you honor and respect? Wives is your husband always oozing with love for you? Of course not. But here is the deal…the command from God’s word is not conditional. It’s not a tit for tat. Guys, we are commanded to show love to our wives…period. Wives, you are commanded to respect your husband…period. When a husband feels disrespected, it is especially hard to love his wife. When a wife feels unloved, it is especially hard to respect her husband. And the crazy cycle begins…

We are all called to be servants. Unfortunately, many aren’t interested in being servants. Like most of the world, most of the interest is in beauty, brains, and the buck. But as believers, we should follow the example of Jesus, who was actually equal with God, but humbled Himself and became man. He is our example, and He demonstrated servanthood to His death. Jesus says in John 12:26 “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” Servanthood is a really big deal, and our marriage relationship—above all—should demonstrate it.

Tracy and I are very intentional about serving each other. Tracy is so amazing, and I want her to feel like she is my queen, and she also makes me feel like her king. (Incidentally, we were actually Homecoming king and queen in high school 😊). I know that’s all gooshy etc. But I’m telling you friend…try serving your mate like they are the most important person to you; then see how your relationship blossoms. You will both be blessed. What’s more your marriage will bless and honor God. I don’t know about you, but I believe we can make God smile and giggle with joy when He looks down at us. As well, I want to look forward to seeing His face in heaven in reaction to Tracy’s and my marriage here on earth.

Tracy says: Choosing to love

Most of us got married because we were in love. Our love for each other was enough for us to enter into a commitment. But what happens when we do not feel loved? What happens after the honeymoon? How many times have we heard of couples divorcing because they just don’t love their spouse anymore? That doesn’t just happen overnight. Choices were made along the way. Something changed in the way they thought and acted toward each other. Sadly, over time, their thoughts become negative, hurtful, and destructive. But how different would it be if they just continued to develop the positive and good things about each other, rather than choosing to tear one another down? I have learned in our own difficult times to choose to think and speak blessings (see Duet 30:19, Prov 17:9, Eph 4:2).

Philippians 4:8 is one of my favorite verses. It says: “Finally, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”  

I have and am still learning that the battlefield of life—to include marriage—is in the mind. The enemy (satan) wants us to think in judgmental and condemning ways. He tries to infiltrate our thoughts towards our mate and thoughts towards ourselves. But he is a liar. Choosing to see our mate through God’s eyes will change our perspective. When our perspective changes in that way, we will begin to act out in love and blessing, which in-turn will bring true happiness.

I really like what Dr. Caroline Leaf says, “The happiest people don’t have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything. Stop wishing and waiting for happiness. It’s up to you NOW to create happiness in your life.”

Our prayer for you is that your marriage will be all that God designed for it to be. And remember, It’s never too late. The wonderful thing about our God is that His love is unconditional and that He is ready and waiting for us to bring Him into every area of our lives. This is our goal and hope that it is yours as well:

Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite.

Gods richest blessings to you as we celebrate our special day!

Blessed by the BEST,

Mark & Tracy

Happy New Year! Hello 2020! There is a lot of talk in this new year about “who” people are following, and there are lots of choices. From sports to social issues…from faith to politics…we are constantly being bombarded with issues that gravitate us into someones elite group or belief system. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, paired with some restraint, wisdom and prayer, it can be very beneficial. To be perfectly honest, the reason that I write is that I feel I have something worth while to share, and I honestly hope that others will not only follow my writing, but benefit from it. The truth is, we are all following someone or something. I don’t care how independent or intelligent you think you are, you still are following someone. In fact, the whole structure of social media is based upon who you are following, right? With that in mind, please consider reading the following–it is an excerpt from my book The River. I truly hope it helps and encourages you.

Jesus-Our Model

As a man, Jesus was the model provided for us. He is the standard that we are to compare our lives against.[i] The fact that He choose to lay His deity aside in order to be that example should compel us to know and understand Him better. Consequently, we can look at Jesus’ life as a model of what is possible when men and women are closely connected to the Father.

Does this take anything away from Jesus? Not at all, only the opposite is true. His life being demonstrated as man was intended to compel us to have the same relationship with the Father. You see, if I merely accept the fact that Jesus came to earth for the sole purpose of showing us His deity—then we have missed the point of His ministry on earth. This mindset will only leave us feeling defeated.

You might be asking, why then are we not seeing people not healed when we pray as Jesus did? I cannot fully answer that. However, have I seen people healed? Yes. Have I received healing when prayed for? Yes. We are commanded as Jesus’ disciples to heal the sick, cleanse the leapers, raise the dead, and to cast out demons.[ii]  The command is clear. God’s Word has not changed. What Jesus did for us, and what He demonstrated to us has not changed. Just because we don’t always see the miracle, it does not excuse us to lower the standard (The Bible) based upon our level of experience.

Recently, Tracy and I spent some extended time around the Redding, California area. As we were hiking we witnessed a man standing in the mountain stream patiently panning for gold. I watched him for several minutes. I wondered how long he had been at it. Had he been there before? Is he finding anything at all—if not, what compels him to so patiently keep trying?

Then as we hiked a little further, we came upon an old abandoned gold mine shaft, as well as the remains of a historic family estate. The family had mined their fortune in gold from that mountain area long ago. Suddenly I realized why the man in the river was willing to put all the time and effort into swirling each and every pan of silt and water around. You see, he was convinced there was gold there, and it was available to him—all he had to do was keep trying. Maybe some days he got a little—others more. And maybe one day he would hit the mother-load again—just as that family did years ago.

Similarly, I too, have a long way to go in my own faith and learning how to be more like Jesus. However, I am convinced that His miraculous power is there for me. So, if I don’t see miracles happen like I hoped they would, I’m not going to stop. I choose not to relinquish God’s Word, His promises, and commandments down to what I experience. In other words, my experience doesn’t dictate God’s Word and what Jesus demonstrated for me to follow. No, it needs to be the other way around. Jesus is my model and He modeled life perfectly as He was so relationally connected to the Father. This inspires me to want to follow His lead. Thank you, Jesus, for not only being The Way, but for showing us the way.

[i]  John 13:18, 1 Peter 2:6 [ii]  Matthew 10:8

So…who are you following? God bless you today as you seek the One who loves you with an everlasting love… Jesus, the lover of your soul and the one who cares about every single detail of your life. Follow Him…follow the Leader. Put Him in the drivers seat, He will never steer you wrong.

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

Here we are just a few days from Christmas. What a wonderful time of the year. In a world where the culture around us seems to be changing at lightning speed, still for most of us Christmas remains highly celebrated and full of family traditions. Most of these traditions are generational and picked-up during our childhood years.  Here in America, even while experiencing such diversity, a recent pole reflects 89% of people list Christmas as their favorite holiday.

What Do You Associate with Christmas?

For many people Christmas is mainly a family celebration. It is a day when the whole family is gathered and has a sense of togetherness. Childhood memories are evoked: gifts around the Christmas tree, Christmas music, special meals, treats, and mistletoe. It’s all so much fun.

Our Christmas festivities may also include attending a church service or perhaps a special kid’s program where the true meaning of Christmas is displayed by re-telling the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. For others it’s a special trip or a get-a-way to celebrate. And sadly, to some it’s just another holiday with no particular interest or celebration at all.

Why do we give gifts at Christmas?

I think we all know the history. Even if you have never attended church or read the Bible you know that God’s gift to humankind was the gift of His son, Jesus. He is denoted as the savior of the world, for after living a human life for 33 years, laid down His own life as the ultimate sacrifice for you and me. His birth, His example, His death, and His resurrection make Him—Jesus Christ—the greatest gift of all time. As we celebrate this amazing gift of Jesus, we too symbolically give gifts during the Christmas season. Let us be quick to remember in our giving, that He continues to offer to all the greatest gift—eternal life—and wants to teach us love, forgiveness, joy and peace.

Love, Joy, and Peace are appropriately popular words around the Christmas season, and I love those words and their true reflection of life lived with Jesus in our hearts. But there is one singular word which I believe more adequately sums up Christmas. It is a word we are all familiar with, however it is rarely hung upon our Christmas trees or placed upon our fireplace mantels. The word is GRACE.

Grace simply put is God’s favor and kindness toward us. Grace although often reciprocal, is only available if it is given. It can never be taken or received without it first being given or offered. This is what makes it a gift. We have been offered the gift of grace in the form of God’s very own son, Jesus.

Let’s break it down… G.R.A.C.E

G.R.A.C.E, appropriately is for GOD. God so loved the world that He gave His son so that we could have eternal life (see John 3:16). This gift to us is the ultimate gift of Gods love. Gods plans for humankind has always been to offer a way to His grace. God is the author and creator of all that we can and will ever know. He knew each one of us before we were formed in our mother’s womb (Jer 1:5). By God’s grace, He has given us all the ability to choose. His ultimate plan for every individual is that we would use our free will and make the choice to accept His loving grace. See Josh 24:15, Prov 16:9, Mark 8:34, Rev 3:20)

G.R.A.C.E is for RIGHTEOUSNESS. This is a wonderful, precious word. Yet, for many it either has a negative connotation or it is regarded as something that is very difficult to obtain. After all, to be righteous literally means to be morally correct and without fault. Most people associate being righteous with the things one does or doesn’t do in life—a moral code, if you will. This is admirable to most, and these can be wonderful people…even when they are not Christians. I just don’t believe it is something one can actually obtain by the way that you live.

As Christians, we should absolutely have a strong moral code. How we live our lives and the testimony of our lives is why we are purposed to remain on this earth. Otherwise we would be in heaven right now. We are in fact called to represent (re-present) Jesus, Right? Righteousness is hugely important in how we live our lives. The word righteous is mentioned 558 times in the Bible. But here’s the thing, as a Christian, there is nothing you can do or don’t do in life that will make you any more righteous than you already are. We are counted righteous in the eyes of the Lord when we receive Jesus by faith (1 Cor 5:21, Eph 3:9) our righteousness is based on the gift of what Jesus did for us on the cross. The righteousness that was Christ’s is counted on us. We, then are seen as righteous in the eyes of God (Is 61:10)

Does this mean then that we should not strife to do good works? Of course not, the Bible also says that we have been created in Christ Jesus for good works (Eph 2:10) But in doing so, cannot obtain to be made any more righteous than we already are.

G.R.A.C.E is for APPLICATION. Grace is the gift of God which is made available to ALL who will receive it (John 3:16, Rom 6:23, Eph 2:8). But you must make the choice to receive it. Recently we purchased a guitar as a gift for our oldest grandchild, Skylee. However, we were not able to actually deliver it to her until a week after her birthday. We purchased and took possession of it when we purchased it, but Skylee had to actually receive the gift from us in order to have and enjoy it.

Friends, there are people all around us this Christmas who are celebrating while not seeing or accepting the gift of grace that is available to them. Perhaps that is even you. The gift has already been purchased and is being offered to you. My prayer is that the love of God and the grace demonstrated through Jesus Christ would be received this Christmas…even this very day!

G.R.A.C.E is for CHRIST. Jesus Christ is grace. He is the substance or personification of grace that was given and continues to give freely to all who will receive it. In Titus 2:11-15 Paul also uses Him as a synonym for grace and all of its powers and benefits, as though Christ exemplified all aspects of grace rolled up in one package. In this way, we can more easily identify and understand grace and its meaning to us. Notice further what Jesus—grace—is doing: It is teaching us.

Sadly, there are also many good people who are trying to get God’s acceptance by things that they do, or simply by becoming a better person. Hoping that on their final day, God will somehow pull out his calibrated balance and see that the good outweighs the bad—thereby rewarding their works with grace. Friend, it just doesn’t work that way. God’s word doesn’t support that idea at all. In fact, the Bible is very clear of the opposite. The Apostle Paul said that if our righteousness comes from works (what we do or don’t do) then Christ died in vain (Gal 2:16,21). Additionally, Ephesians 2:8-9 says:  “For it was only through this wonderful grace that we believed in him. Nothing we did could ever earn this salvation, for it was the gracious gift from God that brought us to Christ!  So no one will ever be able to boast, for salvation is never a reward for good works or human striving.”

Just as God’s grace pours abundantly upon our lives, our works will then overflow as blessings into the lives of others. Friends, humbly accepting Jesus Christ and the gift of grace is the only way of salvation. All other religions of the world focus on works that will please God and thereby win God’s favor. But trusting in Jesus is the only way to obtain what you are looking for (Jn 14:6, Jn 1: 4,9; Acts 4:12, 1 Cor 15:14,17)

The Bible also refers to believers who were attempting to win favor in Gods sight by obedience or justification through doing works, The Bible says, “you have fallen from grace.” Gal 5:4

Today a popular saying is “you have good, or you have experienced some bad karma.” Or “if you do good…good karma will come back to you.” This is the counterfeit. Grace is the opposite of karma. The gospel message is all about God’s grace through Jesus Christ. That’s why Paul calls it “the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24) and “the word of His grace” (Acts 14:3). Furthermore, His grace gives us our identity (1 Cor 1:10) and gives us strength (2 Tim 2:1, Heb 13:9). And finally, God grace through Christ is what allows us to confidently stand before God (Rom 5:2).

G.R.A.C.E is for EMPATHY. Empathy is defined by Webster’s as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.” In common words, “putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.” Empathy is woven deep into the fabric of Scripture. Virtually every instruction God offers regarding the way we’re to treat others begins with empathy. Ephesians 4:29 tells us that building another up gives grace to them; Colossians 3:12 instructs us to put on kindness; and in John 15:12 we are commanded to love one another.

Jesus is our example, and everywhere Jesus went, he reached out to those who were hurting. Just as Gods love and forgiveness can be applied to each and every one of us, we too must offer grace to others. We must realize that we are all uniquely and wonderfully made, with each one of us being on a personal journey.

Inevitably, we all have people in our lives of which EGR (extra grace required) needs to be applied. It’s that rude boss, or difficult relative. It may even be a political leader, or it could even be a spouse, sibling, or parent.  Whatever the relationship, true empathy means that you don’t pass judgment on these individuals; it’s offering them grace instead. The Apostle Peter counseled Christians to have “compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous” (1 Peter 3:8)

Life is all about relationship. In fact, it’s the reason why we are all here on planet earth. Jesus’ Parable of the Talents reminds us that relationships are precious gifts that he entrusts to us as opportunities to administer grace by showing love and thereby multiply the number of people who will enjoy Him forever (see Matt 25:14-21). I for one am so grateful for the grace that has been offered to me, aren’t you? Being gracious to others and having empathy toward them should be our natural response.

Always remember that grace is a gift. You can’t earn it, but you get a lot of it—so let’s give it away!

A heartfelt Merry Christmas from our wonderful family to you and yours. We are truly blessed by the Best as we celebrate the most wonderful and precious gift the world will ever know. Enjoy this Christmas season and we look forward with you into what God does in and through your life in 2020.

-Mark and Tracy

As I was driving by a busy intersection the other day, I saw one of those yard-sign type advertisements. It was advertising for a local church. It completely got my attention, which is what advertising is supposed to accomplish, right? But this sign made me mad!

The sign read, “CHURCH WITHOUT THE BS. (BS Highlighted in red). _ _ _ COMMUNITY CHURCH-Real People, Real Community, Real Life.” I read it again…Yes, it was advertising for a church, and yes it did say “BS.” For those readers of this blog from other countries etc., BS is an abbreviation—the meaning of which you may have to google as it is considered vulgar language. As well, in my opinion, not appropriate for church advertising.

I’m going to say right off the top, that I was offended personally. Why? Because when you are saying your church is not full of BS, it as well implies that the other churches in your community are. Obviously, they believed this was the case so strongly that they used it as their angle of advertising…their catch phrase. Incidentally, I did check-out the church’s website to insure this was not some rogue parishioner throwing up signs. Sure enough, it’s also on their website.

I realize that there are some who are reading this right now and are thinking, “Yeah, I totally get what they are saying, and I agree.” In fact, some of you may be saying, “That is exactly why I stopped going to church.” That is the harsh reality of this topic and is exactly why I decided to blog on it today. The over-all health of the church and its effectiveness are primary topics of my personal prayer life. Why? Because like many of you, although I grew up going to church, church was merely another social gathering. Something that I did because of tradition. It also brought a sense of belonging. But as I grew older, I became very hypocritical toward the church. But then I had an amazing encounter with Jesus Christ. He spoke to my heart, and I answered. My life literally flipped! I realized that I needed to be either all in, or all out. That was years ago now, but today…I am still far from perfect but striving to be more like Jesus every day. As a Christian, I rely on my relationship with Jesus. I receive wisdom and understanding from His written word, and I believe it when He says we should be plugged into a local body of believers.

Jesus instituted the church. He also gave us instructions on how to follow in obedience through the church to this day. In fact, He equates the church to a marriage covenant between himself and us (the church). He is also the head of the church (Eph 5:23). He gave Himself up for it (vs 25) We, as Christians are actually the bride of Christ (see 1 Cor 12:27, Rev, 19:7-9,21:9, John, 3:29, Eph 5:32, Isaiah, 54:5).  Jesus, just prior to His crucifixion, said these words:

“That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one. I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” John 17: 20-23

This is why I absolutely hate it when Christian churches point their finger at other churches. Jesus’ prayer was for unity. We must learn to bend our hearts in the same way.

Days have gone by now and I’m seeing these signs on other street intersections as well. However, my reaction has changed somewhat as I’m over being of personally offended. Furthermore, I have decided to give this church the benefit of doubt and hope that they are not intentionally trying to disgrace other churches. That said, they certainly are not being intentional about sending a message of unity.

I also realize that part of what bothers me about that sign is that there is some truth behind it. Although I do not condone the language and the division that it creates, I realize that there are many churches that are more or less going through religious motions rather than truly hungering for God’s presence and the leading of His Holy Spirit. This, however, is nothing new. In fact, Jesus dealt very harshly against those that were merely “religious” in His day.

Throughout history there have been various religions and doctrines established, Christian and non-Christian alike. Don’t forget, the Christian church has been through a reformation. As well, the last century or so has seen many doctrinal teachings come and go. This is not necessarily a bad thing, however it often resulted in extreme swings. When one teaching was finally discovered to be out of balance, the proverbial pendulum swung to the extreme opposite direction in another church or denomination. This is human nature, not God’s nature. And we must learn from it and press forward. We cannot throw our hands up in the air and retreat. We must press into God and continue to be the church. It’s certainly not God’s fault when people lose their focus on Him.

In recent history (10-15 years) I have witnessed some leaders leave their evangelical backgrounds as they believe they have “emerged” from preexisting ideologies and church structures. In fact, this movements website explains “We began meeting because many of us were disillusioned and disenfranchised by the ecclesial institutions of the late 20th century.” They claim that other Christian leaders have not changed with the times and are not forward thinkers like they are. Hence, they have disconnected altogether with all forms of systematic theology. Claiming that post-modern thinking trumps even the authority of the written word of God. Therefore, they have relinquished Gods Word down to merely a historical document seeming that it is no longer relevant to the current social system. In short, they believe the Christian Church has been living in deception, while they have superior insight and wisdom.

Can I remind you that today, the world as we see it and all of today’s modern ways of thinking…will be history to the next generation? Generations have come and gone from the beginning of time, and so goes the changes of the society and culture around us. There have been different religions and even different doctrines within the Christian Church that have sprung-up over the divisions of those who have in some way thought themselves to be superior post-modern thinkers. So once again, this is truly nothing new.

Many leaders and followers of these new movements have sadly reacted to a negative personal experience or the experiences of others in leadership, which has caused them to develop yet another way…another doctrine. I have watched this occur in one degree or another throughout my Christian life. Many do not intentionally plan to be divisive, but they slowly slip into critical thinking of leadership and begin to focus on the faults of others (particularly leaders), and before long they too are distancing themselves from the very thing that Jesus cried out for…unity in the Church.

Does this mean that we should not be critical thinkers? Absolutely not. In fact, Paul tells us that we should work out our own salvation (Phil 2:12), and that we should actually test spirits and doctrines (1 John 4:1, 1 Thes 5:21) If we are to test anything however, we must first have a standard in which we can rely on for truth and understanding. The Bible is God’s inerrant, infallible, and authoritative revelation of himself to humanity. The writer of Hebrews warned the church about “diverse and strange teachings.” As well, Paul warned Timothy about accepting “different doctrine” (Heb 13:9, 1 Tim 1:3, 6:3).  I don’t care how modern of a thinker you think you are, or how smart the leader is that you are following—if it does not line up with Scripture—you are chasing the wind friend. I caution you, beware of anyone who claims to have another gospel, or those who are bringing disunity and destructive heresies, while exalting their own brand of religion. Their criticisms are driven by pride and eventually will promote self and seek to have a following.

Am I saying that the church does not need to be relevant? Not at all, the church absolutely needs to be culturally relevant. Well over half (63%) of our population today is comprised of Millennials or Gen-Z’s. Gone are the days of liturgical styles of worship. We are in the technological age, let’s use it for God’s glory. We must be culturally relevant but also contextually real. The way the message is delivered and the way we minister to one another may change, but we dare not change the message. God’s Word has and will remain relevant from generation to generation. Once again, we must have a standard. If not, what will the next generation put their trust in? Will the Bible be their standard or will culture, social norms, government, etc. dictate their lives?

Are you tired of religion? Good, Jesus was and is too. He had every reason to be offended. His own people crucified him, and those closest to him doubted and even denied him in the end. Can I just challenge you to get your mind and negative past experiences with the Christian church off of people? We all have short comings and are a work in progress. No church (the people, not the building) is perfect. Put your eyes on Jesus. Seek His presence, and trust in His Word. Be a grace giver. He has created us all to be members of the same body. We can agree and support one another on the essentials of our faith, while still leaving room to differ on the nonessentials or secondary matters?The bottom line is that we strive for unity as a global church of Christ followers. After all, when we get to heaven, nobody is going to care what denomination we came from, only those things of which were built on the foundation of Christ will matter (1 Cor 3:14-15).

The Church of Jesus Christ is the most powerful force upon this earth. It will prevail against all forms of darkness, all criticisms, all liars, and deceivers. As Christians our greatest days are ahead of us as we focus and rely upon Jesus—the head of His church. It is absolutely amazing when you belong to a family of believers who are focused on seeking after God’s presence and serving others. We are meant to be encouragers and givers of grace. Let’s pray for and encourage our local pastors and leaders. Let’s speak blessings upon our churches and hold ourselves accountable as true followers of Christ. As a reminder, the enemy’s only hope is to oppose the church and bring discouragement and deception for as long as he can. I’m determined to shut him down and to bring honor to Jesus, knowing that it is Jesus’ desire is that we (His church…His body) be in unity.  

God bless you friends as we celebrate Thanksgiving 2019. As we give thanks, let’s remember to lift up all churches in our communities. I’m so thankful for grace, but let’s be givers of it—not just takers. Let’s be determined to have an attitude of gratitude and truly represent (re-present) Jesus in our lives. God is so good, so faithful, and He alone is worthy of our praise.

Blessed by the Best!

Mark

The other day while I was at work, a casual conversation arose and the popular philosophical question came up, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” My response seemed somewhat rhetorical at the time to my co-workers, but it was actually meant to take a deeper dive into theistic and supernatural thought. I said, “If you are stranded alone on a deserted island and you shout for help, does anyone hear you?” The first reply was, “You did say the island was deserted, right?” Another question followed, “Is there cell service?” We chuckled and the conversation switched gears. However, while I was the one trying to plant and provoke some theological thought into my co-workers, I was left contemplating my own question.

I wondered, how often do we as Christians merely default to the natural way of thinking rather than the supernatural? Particularly when things are intangible, or when we do not readily see or hear God working in a situation. What is our default? When we are faced with a difficult situation in life: a disease, illness, troubled relationship, betrayal, a natural disaster, etc. Do we position ourselves in that situation as one who is merely connected to the laws of the natural realm, or do we operate in the same realm in which God does—the supernatural realm? This realm is called super-natural for a reason…and it is a realm of super-power in which we have been given access to through our relationship with Jesus Christ. This is amazingly awesome!

In fact, we have been given the power to speak things into existence from the supernatural realm into the natural realm. God tells us in Scripture that “The power of life and death are in the tongue.” (see Prov 18:12,21) In the what? The tongue…it’s what we speak…what we believe…what we broadcast into the atmosphere. Even when we think nobody is around to hear or listen, the things we speak have power. You see, a tree falling in the forest merely has the capacity to make noise, but you are a created being and you have the capacity to speak supernatural power. There is a spiritual realm of which we do not normally see with our natural eyes. The fact that we do not see this realm, does not mean it doesn’t exist. No, Scripture is very clear on this (see Mark 11:23, Prov 16:24, Isaiah 55:11) God’s Word tells us that when we speak, our words have the power to attach to something or someone in either one of two ways: they either speak life or death. Those are the only two options.

Intentionally Speaking Blessings

Severe years ago, my eyes were opened to the powerful kingdom principle of speaking a blessing, while we lived in Florida during the historical Brownsville Revival. Our pastor John Kilpatrick did a thorough Biblical teaching on the subject. At the close of each of his weekly messages, he would speak a powerful blessing over the congregation. These spoken blessings became so popular that in the following weeks and months, for whatever reason he forgot to do the blessing after his message, someone would inevitably shout-out “Pastor, the blessing…you forgot the blessing!” You see, our pastor understood the power of speaking a blessing over his congregation, and the people had in fact been experiencing blessing. It’s simply following a kingdom principle. I like how our current pastor, Nate Ruch, puts it when he is about to speak a blessing to us. He says, “Go ahead and stick your hands out in front of you like you are about to receive a something like a gift.” I love that!

These of course are specific situations and historical Biblical practices where people recognize positions of spiritual authority. Parents, grandparents, spouses, leaders, etc. should recognize this same responsibly–to regularly speak specific blessings over those who have been entrusted to them. In fact, let’s all try to take it a step further: Each time we hear something negative spoken about something or someone, or maybe it’s a difficult situation or struggle in our own life…let’s try to use those times as opportunities to speak a blessing over that situation or individual. Let’s not forget the power that each of us have over every one of our words that we speak each and every day.

God Wants to Bless You

Listen, God’s desire is to bless us. Don’t believe the lie that God would ever want to punish you. This is absolutely not Scriptural. His desire is that you be blessed. (Jer 29:11, Phil 4:19, Ps 37:4,1 Peter 5:7, James 1:17, Math 7:9-11). Do we still experience hardships from time to time? Absolutely. In fact, the Bible says there will be many trials in our lives (John 16:33), but these can also be times of mammoth spiritual growth. Especially (here’s the key) when we continue to recognize and speak blessings through those trials.

I want to encourage you today to be intentional about speaking out blessings. When you pray for others, ask God to bless them. When you speak to others, speak blessings over them. Be intentional about being the conduit of God’s love…an agent of change…an ambassador of Christ. Jesus spoke blessings into people wherever he went. Including those to whom were primarily the recipients of cursing’s in society. I challenge you today, be that agent of change. And watch how you yourselves are the recipients of Gods amazing love being poured out into you, your family, and into the world around you. Honestly, what in life could be better?

Incidentally, if you haven’t already, I want to encourage you to get a copy of my book The River. It is subtitled “Revealing the Heart of God and His Desire to Bless You.” Additionally, one of cover bullets is this: “In a vision, God showed me His River of blessing, and guess what? He is not holding these blessings back…we are.” Hopefully that sparks your interest a little bit 😊

As always, I truly hope that you are encouraged and blessed by these words today.

May The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26

Blessed by The Best,

Mark

We all come from various backgrounds and experiences in life which often have a direct effect on how we understand God. If you have read any of my writings, you would know that I believe a relationship with God is the key ingredient required to have true purpose in life. As in any relationship, it is a process. As well, you will get what you put into it. God’s desire is that you know Him intimately. Far too many people go through life knowing about God, without truly knowing Him. Many religious teachers have narrowed down the Christian life to kneeling at the cross or continual dying to self. However, the Christian life was never meant to be about dying; it was meant to be about living. The cross was not the goal; it was the method or means to the goal. Jesus didn’t die on the cross, so we too could die; He died so that we could live! We do not glorify God in our dying; but in our living!

Jesus says in John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Here Jesus is not only referring to eternal life, but life in the here and now on planet earth.

Somewhere along the line many Christians have succumb to the idea that the Christian life is more about abstaining rather than stepping into all that God has for them. Their eyes are focused more on what they can’t or shouldn’t do in this world rather than what they might have the opportunity to do. They end-up being in a posture of defense rather than offensively partnering their gifts and talents with the Holy Spirit. The later of which I believe Jesus referenced as “life abundantly” in John 10:10.

While Jesus walked this earth, He very adamantly came against all those who based their religion upon following a set of religious rules. You know…those things that they proudly kept themselves from rather than enjoying the freedom of walking in relationship. Jesus referred to them as “Hypocrites, dead men, and white washed tombs.” (See Matt 23:27)

Still, the temptation to be “religious” is one many struggle with today. It is a tool that satan continues to pull out of his toolbelt time and time again. Why? Because it pulls us away from relationship, and thereby renders us ineffective as true messengers of the love of Christ.

All too often within Christian circles talk infers about the culture pressing in against them. Sin abounds and the ungodly seem to be taking over. Thoughts turn to fear (although many would not admit it). Inevitably, someone speaks-up and says, “I just hope Jesus comes back very soon.”

Friends, this is not a constructive statement. Why? Because it is reactive and is said within the context of fear—fear of the darkness of the world coming against the church. In effect one could just as well say, “The world is going to hell in a hand-basket, and I want Jesus to come now before it gets any worse.” This reactive thinking is totally contrary to the teachings of Jesus. Jesus after-all taught us that our purpose in this world is to be salt and light (see Matthew 5:13-16).  As a reminder, salt is meant to not only enhance flavor, but is a preservative. As well, light displaces darkness. We are also reminded in Romans 5:20, “Where sin abounds, grace much more abounds.” Fellow brothers and sisters, we need to toughen-up, be more resilient, and fight the good fight. As long as Jesus tarries, we’re still in the game and we need to stay optimistic about the days ahead. God has promised to pour-out His Spirit upon the whole earth in magnificent, supernatural ways (see Joel 2:28, Acts 2:17). Let’s be on-board with His sustaining and empowering plans for His church to continue to do great exploits in the face of darkness. It’s a win-win attitude!

But doesn’t the Bible say that we should be praying that Jesus would come back now? Not exactly. In Revelation 22 Jesus is encouraging us that He is coming quickly. We should be looking very forward to that day. Why, because we look forward to receiving all that is promised to us. The context, however, is not about us encouraging ourselves or others to pray for the rapture to come in reaction to our encounters with sin and darkness. Once again, this would be in direct conflict of Jesus’ teaching.

As well, Paul sent an encouraging letter to the Ephesians in which he encouraged them to look forward to the return of Christ. The context yet again is to encourage one another about our future inheritance; not about hoping that he comes back when we are disgusted with all the sin around us. Jesus died for all people, we should be grateful for another day, another opportunity to be salt and light—until that day occurs. Do I look forward to that day? Are you kidding me? Absolutely! But until that day, I want everyone who is in darkness to have another chance, another day, another minute. And I as well want to accomplish all that my life was created for on this earth. How about you?

There was a time in my life when as a new Christian, I had to concentrate on making some major lifestyle changes. After all, prior to that, I was not only in the world, but of the world. I walked, talked, and thought in ways that did not truly honor God. But there came a time in my Christian walk where I matured in my relationship with Christ. I began to understand that my life was more about honoring Him. More specifically, I was learning about the ways that he created me as an individual; rather than by merely abstaining from the things that I thought Christians should not do. Sure, today I still need to make some changes from time to time, but my focus is on staying dialed-in to Him in order to hear His voice. Consequently, I can live-out my faith in Christ rather than living in fear of the world. After all I am more than a conqueror in Christ who gives me strength—strength to overcome all forms of darkness (Romans 8:37). Am I blind to sin? No, actually I am very aware of sin; I’m just more confident in my son-ship relationship with my Father.

If God has called us all to merely follow a list of do’s and don’ts and keep the world at a fearful distance, then let’s just all move into a commune and just hold-on until Jesus comes. But no, of course not! This would be totally against what Jesus has taught and commissioned us to do. Similarly, what effect do you think the church would have upon society if we merely abstain from certain activities and simply attend church services on Sunday? I wonder how effective Jesus would have been had that been His mode of operation?  

God has called us all to be people of influence. We ought to be carriers of His presence wherever we go. As long as we are hear on this earth, we are to assume that we are the hands and feet of Christ. Each and every time we wake-up into a new day our attitude ought to be, “Lord, I’m excited to partner with you today.” Every day is another opportunity for the gospel to go forth and The Great Commission to continue. This is God’s heart for people, and our attitude ought to line-up with His. If we take on the attitude of wishing or hoping we can just be raptured out of this world because the world is getting so worldly, we are in effect empowering the adversary rather than standing in agreement with the Lord and His plans. We must remember we are His ambassadors. God’s plan has always been to use His people to do His work. How can we effectively do that with an attitude that in effect, wants Him to take us out of this world?

God has given us so much more to live for, other than just holding-on to the promise of eternal life in heaven. God has created each one of us with unique personalities and desires which are to be celebrated and fulfilling in life. Do you have peace? If so, do your words and thought-life line-up with peace—trusting daily in the Lord? Do your neighbors, co-workers, and families see peace in you? Jesus said “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27) Confidently living in this peace, and proclaiming GOOD news, is the most effective form of witnessing Christs love to others. Why? Because it is genuine and very appealing. After all, who in this world does not want true peace?

Friends, in a vision (see the book The River) God showed me the most amazing river one could ever imagine. I met Jesus in this river, and He told me that the water represented the anointing of the Fathers love. The river was intended to flow down and be poured-out into the community. However, the flow of this river was being held back by a huge boulder dam. One of the boulders had the word RELEGION on it. This is why I am so adamant on this message.

God not only saves us so that we can enjoy eternal life in heaven, but he continually offers us His grace and love to be effective witnesses for Him while here on earth. That’s His plan! Grace is a wonderful gift which reaches far more than just salvation. It’s the religion that is inside us that battles with proper understanding of God’s wonderful grace. Live it, share it, and apply it to every area of your life. When you truly appreciate this grace, you will never abuse it.

Also, in this vision, I saw the most massive lake I have ever seen. The lake was constantly growing larger and larger due to the boulders damming-up it’s intended flow into the community below. Friends, can you get a mind picture of this with me? This enormous lake is filled with the anointing of the Fathers love. The force behind the boulder dam is intensifying. Furthermore, it is waiting for each and every one of us to identify and remove boulders from the dam. The outpouring of the Fathers love and blessing upon your life, your family, your church, and your community, is waiting for you to do your part in releasing the greatest move of God that one could ever imagine.

Blessings to you today as you are encouraged by these words. 😊

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

Did you know that your brain is neuroplastic? This means that it is malleable and adaptable, and changes moment by moment every day. Yes, God designed our brains to change as we renew our minds. Science is now proving with astounding facts of how our brains have renewable characteristics. This basically means that we can change our brain with our mind–you may have to read that again 🙂 This is amazing!

With that thought (renewing our minds), I want to focus on the topic of JOY.

The following is an excerpt from my book The River:

I was once preparing some notes for an adult Sunday School Class which was on the topic of prayer. As I was praying about the content I had a vision. I saw this image of Jesus, and He was laughing—not just smiling—but belly laughing. I loved that! It so moved me, that I went on a quest to see if anyone had ever painted anything like that. I found a print available that had been painted by an artist who had done a live sermon illustration. It is a favorite of mine and will always have a special place on my office wall. I don’t know what your impression of Jesus’ personality is, but do you ever imagine Him as laughing? Do you think he has joy? I know He does, and I also know Jesus is a direct reflection of the Father.

Our joy (true joy) is a direct result our being before the face of God. There is a fullness, a complete joy, that can only be found in Him. People try to find it all the time in other things and other people, but it truly can only be found in Him (Psalm 16:11, John 16:24). This joy makes us strong and sustains us, and it only comes from spending time in His presence. The book of Exodus tells us that when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai, that his face was so lit-up when he came down from being face to face in God’s presence, that people could not even look at him (Exodus 34:29-35).

Even in the midst of pain and tragedy we can experience joy—and it’s found in His sustaining presence. It’s in these times that we trust Him with the situation and we choose to rejoice. We rejoice because we trust Him—then unexplainable joy will follow. This as well is something Jesus demonstrated for us as He endured the cross.

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”(Heb. 12:2)

Friend, no matter where you are in life right now, don’t give up hope. You can change. You can overcome. Put your hope in God–He will give you true joy.

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

Tracy and I love adventure. We love to experience new things and new places. We have many memories to share and enjoy reminiscing of our life experiences. It’s our story, it belongs to us. It tells of where we have been in life; not only geographically—but spiritually and emotionally as well.

In the digital age in which we live, it’s easy to capture a memory simply by snapping some pictures with your phone. Think about that statement for a minute, “snapping pictures with your phone.” Do you realize that not too long ago, we didn’t even have cell phones, let alone the ability to take pictures and videos with them and instantly send them across the world? I love technology! Anyway, these days it seems that wherever we go, there is someone taking a selfie. The selfie often speaks for itself saying, “look at me, and what I am doing.”

We all have our life stories, right? Truth be told, the selfies don’t always tell the whole story. There are good and bad experiences in life, and we don’t often ear-mark our bad experiences with a selfie. We all have some peaks and valleys. And while the times we spend in the valley aren’t often captured or disseminated by digital media, these times can still be lodged into our memory. Consequently, we can have self-images of ourselves that we really don’t want anyone else to see. Soon, if we are not careful, these images start to create a full photo album of our lives. Before you know it, depression and hopelessness start to set-in. It’s somewhat of a paradox since we are living in a time when we literally have much of the knowledge of the world right at our fingertips. If you don’t know something, just google it. Yet, at the same time, personal depression in our world has never been higher. So, what gives?

The Bible has a very simple, yet profound statement found in Proverbs 23:7 which says, “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” We can have a fuller understand of that statement when we read the statement in the context. The whole of Proverbs 23 gives advice on how to react in certain situations. Here we find all sorts of real-life situations, and the key to gleaning positive and affirming self-images of ourselves, is learning how to react while we are in these situations. Essentially, outward actions and outward images can be very deceiving, but a persons heart determines what a person is really like. Truly, our current culture needs to recognize this. Agreed?

Researchers have investigated the phenomena of how encouragement affects the development of the brain. Their findings show that encouragement, in spoken word and even facial expression, has a significant effect on the development of the brain. Children who are supported, praised and encouraged by their parents have brains that are better structured for learning and handling the stressful situations which they will encounter later-on in life. As is usually the case, science confirms what the Lord already knew—that humans need encouragement in order to fully develop.

People may forget the words you said, people may forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. (Author unknown)

While growing up My dad had some clouded times of depression in his life. He was never diagnosed, and never sought professional help, he only suppressed his thoughts and tried to self-medicate with alcohol. As a child, I didn’t understand that he had frustrations in life. I didn’t discern that he grew-up fatherless and was struggling to find true purpose in life. In my teenage years and being the youngest of four, my siblings were either already married or in college. My last years at home left me bitter and very cynical, particularly towards my dad. We had some issues, mostly unspoken. During my last years in high school it seemed as though his second home was a local bar. In a small town everyone knew who rolled out of the bars late at night. My own friends knew that my dad was one of them. Sadly, I saw my own dad as a selfish hypocrite, and I had very little empathy towards him.

Then one day, everything started to change! On a cold wintery night, at a woman’s prayer meeting, both Tracy and I turned our lives over to Jesus Christ. Instantly, my heart started to change. I absolutely was not the same person. It is by far the best decision I have ever made. As I grew in my relationship with the Lord, I was able to see my dad in a totally different light. What’s more, shortly after I had accepted Christ, my dad as-well made an all-out commitment to Lord. Consequently, he quit drinking “cold-turkey.” Our relationship soon started to mend. He apologized many times for issues that were directly related to his drinking, and I too confessed my selfishness and insensitivity toward him. Going forward, we had years of wonderful memories, and meaningful conversations. My dad passed from this life into eternity just two years ago. In fact, he and my mom graduated to heaven just 5 days apart.

What’s my point? Well, for one, I miss my mom and dad. But my main point is that every single person in this world is loved by God and filled with incredible purpose in life. Even when we do not see or acknowledge it, God says that every person is uniquely and wonderfully created (see Psalm 139:9). In fact, it says that you were knit together by God when you were in your mother’s womb (see Psalm 139:13). God has created you with special gifts, talents, feelings, and emotions that are unique to only you. He, the God of the Universe, has purpose for your life.

We are all born in God’s image, and that also means that you reflect a part of the unique image of God. Listen, if you are not you the world does not get to experience a special unique part of who God is. In other words, when you are not you, the world suffers.

But how can you know you are doing and being the person God created you to be? Ah, the million-dollar question. Here is the million-dollar answer: Simply by getting to know the God who created you. But really, did I say getting to know someone else (God) will allow you to see your own identity? Yes, that’s exactly right. Getting to know God in a relationship; not as a mere belief or religion, will reveal your identity. I believe this was the case with my dad. He found true purpose in life and found his true identity when he turned everything over to the Lord. God’s Word says:

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 2:17-19

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10

Your identity can’t be found by being or acting like anybody else. Don’t sell yourself short. You make a wonderful you, but a lousy somebody else. In fact, I recently read that envy and imitating others will actually cause brain damage and negatively impact your health. God is the one who designed you. Get to know the designer and be the you that you were created to be.

I saw such an amazing transformation in my dad’s life. In my mother as well. No longer was she having to worry about her husband. No longer was she having to call around seeing which bar stool he was sitting on. No more unexplained canceled plans, because of her husbands drinking problem. She would no longer be waiting-up, with his supper still warming in the oven for hours, not knowing whether he would make it home safely or not. No, my parents, Ken and Dorothy Stuberg, became a team. They in fact, became full-time traveling gospel music ministers. They ministered for many years, sharing the love of Christ. God is so good!

Friends, God sees your selfies—every single one of them—and no camera or digital media is even involved. You are uniquely special and loved by God. He has incredibly wonderful plans for your life. It is His ultimate desire for you to know Him. He loves you and has incredible plans and purposes for your life. May all your selfies in life be a reflection of Him.

Happy Father’s Day Dad!

Blessed by the Best,
Mark

Our family has always enjoyed camping. There is nothing better than enjoying the beauty of God’s creation while being out in nature. Camping is an excellent way to get away from all the business of life while spending quality family time. Years ago, while living in the Gulf Coast of Florida, we headed-out for one of our weekend camping trips. We had settled into our camp site with our brand-new pop-up camper. If you are unfamiliar with a pop-up camper, they are part tent and part camper. The floor and majority of the roof are solid material; while the walls and pop-outs are a type of canvas (like a tent). Our pop-up was fully equipped with a roof mounted RV sized air conditioner.

It was a hot and humid Florida night, and the air conditioner was running full blast. We also had brought along a portable TV with a video player. After enjoying our evening meal and campfire, we had nestled into our comfy camper and proceeded to watch some good old family movies. Although, the air-conditioner was so loud that it was hard to hear our movie. That little TV had to be turned-up to almost full volume. After our first movie, we agreed that we would try to stay awake for another. Then it happened! That terrible, uneventful event of which will remain lodged in our memories forever. There was a voice yelling from somewhere outside in the campground. I quickly turned the TV off and said, “Did you guys hear that?” Everyone replied that they thought they too had heard something. We continued to listen but heard nothing more. Eventually, I turned the TV back on and we continued to watch our movie. Then again, coming right from outside our little camper we heard it loud and clear, “TURN THE TV DOWN…CAN YOU HEAR ME? TURN…THE TV…DOWN!”

I immediately shut off the TV and responded back across campsites with a most humble “WE ARE SORRY!” Oh, how humiliating! We had completely forgot to think about how loud the TV had gotten in order to override the roaring air-conditioner that was right over our heads. All that our tenting neighbors could hear was the blaring TV. We were so embarrassed. Upon waking up in the morning I had planned to go over to their campsite and properly apologize. Unfortunately, they had already packed-up and left. As I recount this story, I am still regretful of our inconsiderate behavior.

This story is a great illustration of how quickly we can get absorbed in what we are doing, while failing to see how it may appear from the outside. Sometimes these are good things—things we duly enjoy. These activities may even be justifiably righteous, moral, and could be classified as ministry. Yet with these same things, we fail to recognize that from another person’s perspective it may not only be annoying, but it may even make them angry. I’m wondering if we are setting a good example. Being courteous and respectful keeps a door open for good communication (see Prov 16:24, 18:19, Titus 3:2). We definitely were not setting a good example as courteous campers that night.

Is this a big deal, or am I just making a mountain out of a mole hill? All humor aside (by the way I love humor and I find it is often a way in which God speaks), the Bible says that we should conduct ourselves in a way which is worthy of the gospel of Christ (see Phil 1:27). Why is that so important? As Christians we are all called to disciple people “Go ye therefore into all the world and make disciples.” This is actually commanded by Jesus. What then does a disciple look like and how do they disciple others? I believe the answer to that is by understanding who Jesus is, and what did He demonstrate while he walked this earth as our example. Jesus is after all—perfect theology.

Everything Jesus did stemmed from His love toward others. He walked and talked with people. He got involved in their lives. He had empathy for others and healed people both physically and emotionally wherever He went. The Bible says that He is our example (see John 13:15), and the cornerstone on which we are to build our own lives upon (see Eph 2:20-22, 1 Peter 2:4-8).

Living a life that shows genuine love for people and is actively involved in others’ lives is what I refer to as lifestyle Christianity. This is what Jesus emulated to us. Listen, although our culture today is teaching us to be very tolerant of people of other faiths and religions. Many of your neighbors and co-workers are actually turned-off by Christians and Christianity. Why is this? The Bible has overwhelmingly been proven to be accurate. Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection are Biblically and historically documented as truth. Yet, when many people think of Christianity there is all too often an association with someone or something negative. In-turn, these associations keep them at arm’s length from knowing their loving Savior. Friends, this bothers me to no end! Why? Because they have seen poor examples of the true love of Christ. It has turned them away from the love and relationship of Jesus Christ, when it in-fact is the only thing that will truly satisfy their desires in life.

How many of us have at one time or another got so caught-up in our own lives, our own projects, hobbies, and yes—even ministry, that we don’t take the time to be involved in other people’s lives? What’s more, how many of us have talked the talk but not truly walked the walk in living out true Christian love. Listen, those who are outside looking in often portray Christians simply as those who don’t do this, or don’t do that. The “Christians” have their own slogans or “club words.” They dress different, sing different, and don’t have fun. And by the way, they just want to get me “saved,” so I can start giving their church more money.

I realize I’m being very blunt, but I am as well keeping it very real. If you are a fellow brother or sister in Christ, can we all just try to be more real and genuine in our Christian walk? Let’s be concerned about how we the church look like from the outside looking in. Are we truly showing love and concern for others? Are you being real—yourself—the unique way that God created you and your personality, or are you just talking the talk, putting on the bumper sticker, and living a life of religious rules, while somehow hoping that those things will attract others to follow you? I believe these are the types of people Jesus actually rebuked.

The Holy Spirit is the one who puts the desire of God into the heart of every person. His job and His work and how He does that is entirely up to Him. However, we have to understand that God’s conduit of love to people is through us. Lifestyle Christianity is meant to be loving, real, and contagious. If we are genuine in our faith and truly show love toward all people, we will show them Jesus THROUGH our lives.

In my book The River, God prophetically showed me a church that had slipped so far back into their own religious activity, that they lost touch with their own community. The church was physically and communicatively detached from the rest of the city. In the end, the church building was completely destroyed by a mighty flood. The flood of course represented a mighty move of God’s Holy Spirit. When this mighty move came, the church was so inwardly focused that they completely missed-out on God’s outpouring.

Friends, don’t let anyone tell you that how we act, what we say, and what we do in life is entirely your own business. We represent Jesus Christ. Let’s get real and show the love of Christ in and through our lives. Let’s take lifestyle Christianity seriously by remembering that things don’t always look or sound (such as the case of our camping blunder) the same from the outside looking or listening in.

If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ today, I want you to know that He loves you and has an incredible plan and purpose for your life. Please don’t be put-off by the words or actions of those who may have turned you away from seeking God. Listen, none of us are perfect! Don’t let imperfect people stand in the way of a perfect Savior. Additionally, there are far more truly loving and caring Christians in the family of God, than those who may have turned you off in the past. Don’t let your excuses hold you back from finding true peace and joy in life that will literally last for eternity. I promise you, a life with Jesus Christ is the life you have been waiting for.

Also, I want to encourage you to think big. God’s Word teaches us that He can do much more than what we can dream, think, or imagine (see Eph 3:20). God wants to use you in a big way, and bless you in a big way! You are meant to be the light of the world (see Matt 5:14). So, do as my father-in-law, John would say… “LYLS” (Let your light shine). Today is the first day of the rest of your life, and with Jesus in your heart you have the opportunity to be a conduit of His love. Live life from the inside…out!

Blessed by the Best,
Mark

The Easter Holiday of 2019 may be over, but Easter actually lives on each and every day. In light of this, there are a couple of really cool things that happened on that first Easter that rarely get talked about or explained, yet they are very significant. People across the globe at least recognize that Easter is central to our faith because Jesus died and rose again. But do they recognize the true significance of the events which took place, and the true depth of God’s love for them? One very significant event that happened on that day was the tearing or ripping of the temple veil. This amazing occurrence which took place at the very moment that Jesus died, is recorded by Mathew, Mark & Luke.

And Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed His last. Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Mark 15:37-38)

This remarkable wonder of the veil be torn is one of the most profound symbolic actions to ever take place on planet earth. But what was the “veil,” and why is this so significant? The veil was made according to very specific directions which God gave to Moses (see Exodus 26:31-35). Its primary purpose was separation. It was placed in the temple between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place (also referred to as The Holy of Holies) of the Tabernacle. Within the Most Holy Place was the Ark of the Covenant, where on The Day of Atonement, blood from a sacrificial lamb was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat (the lid on top of the ark) as an atonement for the sins of the people (see Leviticus 16:15-33).

Gods instructions pertaining to the Ark of the Covenant where very specific, for it was known to be the embodiment of God’s presence. Therefore, there were very strict laws which were enforced in the treatment of the ark. Many had died (on the spot) for not following these laws, as the laws enforced the concept of God’s holiness: sinful people couldn’t be in His presence. Only the high priest could enter this inner room to offer the sacrifice, and then only once a year. In fact, other priests would actually tie a rope around his waist in the event he did something wrong and if he died as a result, they could drag him out from behind the curtain since they couldn’t go in and get him and they too would perish. The veil represented the separation of a Holy God from sinful mankind because our sins have separated us from God (Isaiah 59:2). The size and thickness of the curtain ensured that no one would accidentally fall into the Holy of Holies as the veil was 60 feet long, 30 feet wide, and was several inches thick (a hand breadth) and was so massive and heavy that it took 300 priests to manipulate it

The Bible is very specific about the exact time of Jesus’ death. Historians and theologians alike have concluded that it was at the exact time that Jesus was breathing his last breath, Caiaphas, the high priest was in the Holy of Holies about to offer the blood from the sacrificial Passover lamb. But when Jesus said, “ It is finished,” just miles away from Golgotha inside the temple in Jerusalem, an awesome supernatural event occurred. The massive veil that stood before the Holy of Holies was ripped in two from top to bottom. God’s statement was very clear—Jesus had now become the final sacrificial lamb.

This amazing exchange allowed for us two things:

• It was no longer necessary for the high priest to continue making sacrifices year after year for the people. Jesus’ blood had now settled this sin issue forever. His death and shed blood was and is forever more the atonement for our sins. Praise God!
• Every single person now has access to the Father. We can all come confidently to His throne of grace (Heb 4:6). There is no longer a need to go through a priest. We all have equal access to the Father. The Holy of Holies where Gods presence used to be limited to only the priest, and then only once a year, is now available to all of us—at any time or place. This is why the writer of Hebrews 10:19-21 says:

So, friends, we can now—without hesitation—walk right up to God, into “the Holy Place.” Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God.    The “curtain” into God’s presence is his body.

The second thing that I wanted to mention about that first Easter is recorded in Matthews Gospel:

The earth shook, and the rocks were split apart. And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised. (They came out of the tombs after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.) Matt 27:51-53

This great earthquake which followed the command of Jesus’ shout “It is finished,” split open the boulders which had entombed dead saints. The graveyard would have been close to Jerusalem because after Jesus rose from the dead, those dead saints were also raised from the dead on that Sunday and walked into Jerusalem.

Now I don’t know how you picture this event in your minds eye. It may appear like they were creepy zombies walking around with their arms stretched out. But no, there was a specific purpose for this added feature of God’s amazing display of His love. Who were these people who were also raised from the dead? Why were they selected (meaning it had to have been by design),  and what was their purpose?

Apparently, there is a purpose in all this right, otherwise God would not have had it happen. Well, the Bible does not specify who these people were, but only that they were saints. Given the time era and the history of Jerusalem at that time, I have to believe that these saints were actually believers or followers of Jesus Christ and had died before His crucifixion. They would have been raised from the dead much like Jesus’ friend Lazarus, as he came walking out of the tomb (see John 11). How long did they live? We don’t know. Nor do we know how long Lazarus lived. So, we are left with the single question of their purpose in this event. So, we have to look at what they did.

Scripture tells us that after Jesus was resurrected and appeared to many, they too (the raised from the dead saints) walked into Jerusalem where they were recognized by friends, neighbors, and family. Can you imagine that?

What did they say? We don’t know, but I can only imagine the amazement of their loved ones as they sat and talked about God, eternity, and the great exchange that had just taken place through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Once again, God was demonstrating His love through people and for people. We should never underestimate the fact that God uses us as representatives of His love. It’s how He works.

Friends, do you realize how much God loves you? Do you realize how precious you are to Him? And do you realize how much He wants to have an ongoing relationship with you. Yes, with you! Regardless of your past or your current situation, Gods ultimate desire is to be in a love relationship with you. He wants to talk with you and walk with you. It is also His desire to bless you!  It’s not merely what you believe, it’s about what or who you are connected to. So many people believe that being a Christian is about what you do and what you don’t do. But that is merely being religious. Caiaphas, the high priest as well as all the other “religious” Jews, couldn’t see beyond their own do’s and don’ts. Caiaphas was standing in front of the wrong alter on that Passover day. He should have recognized Jesus as the Messiah, yet he personally called him a “blasphemer” just days before.

What Jesus accomplished on the cross is the greatest exchange history will ever know. Won’t you put your trust in Him today? His arms are open wide for you, and you have been given direct access to Him. What a game changer!

Blessed by the Best!

Mark

I absolutely love Spring, don’t you? The snow is gone, the sun is shining, the abundance and variety of our Minnesota trees are budding, and the ice is thawing from our states 10,000+ lakes. I love it! Tracy and I have enjoyed seeing the robins and cardinals return to our yard. Watching Mr. and Mrs. Canadian goose (as we have named them) nesting near bye. And we often see magnificent bald eagles…and all from our picture window. Soon we will be hiking, biking, and enjoying all the fun activities of summer. Spring is in the air! It’s super exciting, especially after a long, tough winter season.

In conjunction with of all that excitement however, I can’t ignore the tug on my heart as the Lord is reminding me that there are some of you who have been going through a very hard time. A time in your life that could easily equate to a very tough winter season. Maybe it even equates to a blizzard or a terrible storm, and you are wondering if your spring and summer will ever come. Perhaps you have made some mistakes and you are wondering if or how you can ever recover…asking yourself if the sun will ever shine for you again. Ever wish you could just push the “RESET” button?

I’ve got great news! Spring is here for you too. Spring is a time of new beginnings. God is your reset button, and he absolutely will help you if you let him. Your situation is NOT too difficult for Him. Listen, we have all made mistakes, but our hope is in the Lord. Possibly you are thinking you are out of the reach of Gods favor. Not true! There is a lie that has encircled our society that says that you have to be extra good and do just right in order for Jesus to accept or come along your side. This is an absolute lie which originated from the enemy of your soul, and nothing could be further from the truth.

The Bible teaches us that Jesus was drawn to those were hurting, those who have screwed-up and made mistakes. And we all have been there. You are not too far from His outstretched hand. He sees you where you are right now. Forgiveness was bought with the blood of Jesus Christ. Stop trying to fix yourself and your situation first, thinking “then maybe God will come along side of me.” You will never do it! You cannot clean yourself up in order to receive forgiveness and God’s help. No, He sees you right now in the middle of your situation. Come as you are. He is a good father who loves and gives good gifts to his kids.

Easter, like Spring, also speaks of new beginnings. Jesus Christ died with His arms stretched wide for all who will receive Him. Perhaps today you are battling depression, hurt, doubt, or sorrow from past mistakes. Jesus is reaching out to you at this very moment. He is the game changer. He is the way maker. He says, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matt 11:28

Friend, I don’t know the specifics of your life, your past failures, or your current situation. But I can promise that Jesus knows every detail. I can also promise that His posture toward you is not with a pointing finger and a scowl upon his face. No, it is with a warm gentle smile and with arms wide open. Won’t you turn to Him today? I’m not talking about merely attending church or saying you will try to be a better person. I’m talking about turning your life over to Him and grabbing hold of His outstretched hand. I’m telling you, It’s the best decision you could ever make.

I specifically remember my first Easter Sunday after completely giving my heart to the Lord. It was profound! Everything clicked. At 22 years old, it was as if I had heard the Easter story for the very first time…and I had grown-up going to church. Did you know that current research shows that more people are searching for a church around Easter than at any other time? I encourage you today, find a church where the full gospel is preached. Look for one where you will be challenged and will grow in your faith. One that is vibrant and full of life, open to the Holy Spirit while not compromising from Scripture.

Spring time is so wonderful in many ways, but nothing is more wonderful than having the hope and the confidence that in Jesus we have a friend that is closer than a brother. And that even when we have made mistakes, He is there to pick us up and lead us in the right direction.

God bless you and yours today friends as you turn your hearts toward Jesus. Happy Easter!

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

One of the most commonly used words associated with Christianity is repentance. It’s a heavy, weighty, serious word. But before I lose you to another website or Facebook page, please hear me out. Repentance is simply defined by Wikipedia as “the activity of reviewing one’s actions and feeling contrition or regret for past wrongs, which is accompanied with commitment to change for the better.” John the Baptist shouted it out. Jesus proclaimed it as He walked this earth. The disciples and the Apostle Paul considered it as central to Christianity. Repentance may very well be foundational and absolute to you and your Christian faith. However, not everybody feels the same way. In fact, a popular question many modern believers are asking today is…Is it necessary to ask God for forgiveness when you knowingly have done something against His will?

Here is an interrelated thought. Why is it that we teach our small children when they have wronged another, to go and say you’re sorry for what you just did? It is because the act of physically saying “I’m sorry,” is needed to develop change. We are teaching the child to stop and realize that they have done or said something to another individual that is not acceptable. We want them to acknowledge that and apologize. Why? Because we want the best for our child and hope that they learn from their mistake. Additionally, we know that unless they pause, reflect, and apologize, they will have missed the opportunity to make things right with the other child/individual.

Let me put it into another context. If and when you have an argument with your spouse or close friend, and hurtful things are said. What will happen if there is no apology? Those hurtful words or actions will continue to linger and then grow and build even larger divisions in your relationship. They have the power to separate and distance from one another. Unless there is a physical act of apologizing, the healing cannot begin. It requires humility. Humility, or the lack thereof, is often the issue in strained relationships.

The same is true in our relationship with God. The opposite of humility is pride. Pride is the very thing that separates us from God. And yes, I realize that through the atoning shed blood of Christ, we have unlimited forgiveness. But that in no way gives us the right to think that we do not need to confess our faults to Him, or anyone else for that matter. We need to realize that the reason God established repentance is for us, not Him. Yes, God’s forgiveness is always there, but in order for us to grow in our relationship with Him and to be the best extension of Jesus to others, we must maintain an open and repentive heart. Just like we try to teach our children.

When Jesus went to the cross, the Bible says that He bore all of our sins (1 Peter 2:24).  In other words, He took upon Himself the sins of the whole world. So whatever sin you have ever committed—past, present, or future, has already been paid for. That sacrifice is done—complete, and never has to be re-accomplished. However, we still have to receive it. There is only one thing that ever stands in the way of actually “receiving” God’s forgiveness. It’s called PRIDE. Pride is the only thing that ever separates us from God. Pride is also what stands in the way of our healthy relationships with others.

Our son Eric is one who’s heart has always been very sensitive in the area of repentance. If you are a parent, you know how trying it can be at times to teach your children loving obedience, and how to respect and honor those in authority. How to use respectful language and proper manners. How to treat others with love and kindness. How to be true to yourself and build healthy self-respect. These are all examples of how we should be using a healthy Biblical foundation of obedience.

One of the things that I was very strict about with our children as they were growing up, was that they never show disrespect to their mom. I believe it is the father’s responsibility to first cover and protect their wives, and then as well their children. As you can imagine, there are sure to be issues in every family that rise up between a mother and child. Our family was no exception. If I saw our children showing disrespect toward Tracy (their mom), I would not allow the conversation to go any further until the disrespect was first dealt with. I believe this is a model which should carry into all relationships in life. We should always have the right to disagree with others. As well we all should have the right to speak our mind. However, we don’t deserve to be heard if we are not first showing respect toward those we are speaking to or about. This should also hold true in matters of race, religion, or even politics. (Ouch!)

The Bible says,

“Respect your father and mother” This is the first commandment that has a promise      

added: “so that all may go well with you, and you may live a long time in the land.” (Eph 6:2-3)

 Love one another warmly as Christians and be eager to show respect for one another. (Rom 12:10)

 “Show respect for all people [treat them honorably], love the brotherhood [of believers], fear God,  honor the king.” (1 Pet 2:17)

As I said, our son Eric has always been extra sensitive in the area of repentance. To this day, if there is ever the slightest hint if there being an issue between one of us, you can be sure Eric will be circling back to insure we’re “all good.” I love that about him. And can I say, that having this quality will flow into every area and relationship in Eric’s life. It is one of the primary reasons why Eric and Jess will not end up in the divorce courts. And a major reason why their three little boys will be successful in life. And it is also why our son is so successful as a Senior Vice President in the banking industry. Friends, showing honor, and having a repentive heart is a really big deal.

There are many examples throughout the Bible where repentance was the key to a renewed relationship with the Lord. King David is a prime example. Additionally, Jesus addressed an entire fellowship of believers who needed to repent. The Church of Ephesus had been a model church. One that had obviously been very successful to the point that they were referred to as exemplar church i.e….one placed up high as if on a lamp stand. But something majorly wrong had occurred over time. Jesus said, “you don’t love me or each other as you did at first!” Then He said, “Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t REPENT, I will remove your lamp stand from among the churches.” (Rev. 2: 4,5)

God has created us all as relational creatures. His desire is that we have strong, healthy, and growing relationships with Him and with each other. In order for any relationship to grow there must be openness, and honesty. Pride says, “I don’t have to apologize.”  It says, “They started it. What they did was worse. I was born this way, I can’t help it.” And pride also says to The Lord, “I don’t need to talk to God about that, after all He knows my heart.” Listen, as much as I believe that the church needs to be relevant in our methods and sensitive to our culture, some things are non-negotiable. The act or action (it’s a verb) of repentance is absolutely a non-negotiable. As in any relationship, God wants us to be open and honest with Him about all things. Confession and repentance are actions of acknowledgment and humility that show the desire to change. Just acknowledge and ask for help!

Friend, If you feel you are away from the Lord right now and you need to get your relationship right with Him. Please swallow your pride and repent. If you have something between you and another—perhaps a spouse, child, parent, family member, co-worker, etc., humble yourself and repent. Repentance is for you. It frees you from pain and suffering—enabling freedom and joy. IT IS THE SECRET TO LIVING FREE. Repentance is what enables us to receive true love from the Father. Won’t you open up to Him today? May God bless you richly as you do. I KNOW HE WILL 🙂

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

They say that the average number of choices made by an adult is 35,000 per day. Wow! That’s a lot of decisions. Sounds a bit overwhelming, huh? Fortunately, the vast majority of these decisions are trivial and don’t require much thought at all. However, other choices we make actually have the capacity to be life altering. Have you ever heard the phrase, “you are a product of your own choices?” There’s actually scientific evidence that supports this, and it basically says that our daily decisions have the power to shape and mold our lives…and ultimately who we are.

I for one, am very thankful that God did not make me a programmed robot. I mean, He could have…right? I like the fact that I am able to make my own choices in life, how about you? God created us with the ability to choose. Ultimately, so that our love and devotion to Him and to others would have value. Choice really equates to value. Congruently, given the ability to choose, we also will receive the consequences (good or bad) of our choices. The Bible calls these results “blessings or curses.” (see Duet. 11:26) God, in His infinite wisdom, is a god of order. He is above all, true to Himself and to His Word. Much of how we see Him operate is/was set into motion when He initially created it. Think of it as “cause and effect.” The law of gravity is a good example. A colorful rainbow displaying the visible light spectrum when the sun and moisture conditions meet, is another. Similarly, God’s order also includes a cause and effect in our personal lives through the choices we make. You see, God is not an angry dictator as some would suppose. On the contrary, He is a loving God who gives us direction and opportunities because He wants us to be blessed. Ironically, people continue to blame God for their predicaments; rather than owning up to their own bad choices

Each of us has even made choices or decisions in our own mind about who God is, and specifics about His nature. Unfortunately, some peoples view of Gods nature is the result of choosing to believe misguided information. Take my friend Chip, as an example (from my previous blog post). Chip understood God’s love to be divided and unfair, claiming that God chooses to send some people to Hell. When in fact, it is essentially God’s desire that nobody would be separated from Him. (1 Tim 2:4). Scripture is very clear that God has given each and every individual the choice. He (God) is not to blame for anyone’s choice. Again, it’s a cause and effect situation…it’s been established. Life, and how we live it is a choice—and all choices have consequences.

I recently heard a story of a woman who had tragically lost her mother to cancer when she was just a little girl. The moms Pastor had told the little girl that Jesus had taken her mommy away in order to be with Him. Hence, throughout her life, the daughter could not properly understand God’s love or His nature, when her perspective of God was that He didn’t even care about a little girl being without her mommy. This was her “lens,” from which she viewed God.

Such a sad story. But once again, our decisions in life are often influenced by bad data (people, social structure, bad laws, government, and misguided religion). Wouldn’t it be nice if we all got our information from the same source? We need to have a standard. Something reliable…our “go to” for truth and wisdom. Well, we do actually. It is the Bible (aka, God’s Word). Ah, but you might be saying, “It’s not reliable. It’s written by men. It’s out of date (old school). Plus, it’s interpreted by people all different kinds of ways.” Well, I’ll give you that last one…it definitely is interpreted many different ways. There are people who often take God’s Word out of context in order to substantiate their own cause or ideas. But listen, the authenticity of the Bible has been tested more than any other document in the world. Each and every time, only proving its validity. It has not only proven to be accurate, but powerful and living. It is God’s Word for us to know Him historically, currently, and prophetically.  It is very relevant for today. It is powerful and contains hope, peace, and direction for life. But once again, we all get the option to choose whether or not to believe it and/or to live by it. Tragically, millions of people literally make eternal choices about life and God, without actually reading God’s Word for themselves. Be sure of this…satan does not want you to know God’s Word, and he is sure to try to twist it in an attempt to lessen its effectiveness. Still—I’ll say it again—we all have been given the right to choose.

I’m sure we all have made a few bad choices in life. But perhaps today you feel as though your poor choices have left you under a dark cloud that seems to follow you wherever you go. Do you find yourself struggling somewhere between your good side bad side? Are your poor choices affecting your family and friends? Maybe your choices have actually led to addictions involving alcohol, drugs, pornography, etc. Do you ever wish you could just hit the “reset” button, and start all over again?

I’ve got great news for you! God is absolutely willing to give you a fresh, clean slate. He will help you to change the way that you think, and how to make good choices. Regardless of how many times you have tried to change and failed–there is still absolute hope for you! The choice to trust and follow Jesus is still available to you. Jesus Christ willingly chose to lay down His life as a sacrifice for YOU. Regardless of the poor choices you may have made in the past, the Bible says that “the blood of Jesus speaks a better word” (Heb. 12:24). Thank God for Jesus and the new covenant. Through the shed blood of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, you can totally change the way that you live, and make choices that produce a wonderfully blessed life. Proverbs 3:5&6 says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Also, Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

In my book The River, God gave me very detailed prophetic visions of His mighty river of blessing. It is truly amazing! The river of His Love is like nothing else you can ever imagine. Regardless of your past choices in life, God still loves you. He is inviting you to step into His river. I encourage you today…don’t make the choice of merely standing by the river bank. Jump in! Make that choice. I promise you, the water is out of this world!

Blessed by the Best!

Mark

So, what’s your world view? Do you believe in God? If so, is He a loving father or harsh taskmaster who is waiting for your next bad move? How about creation, heaven & hell? These historic questions are still relevant today. In fact, they are actually very much, open questions in today’s modern Western culture. People are pretty open and want to discuss where they are on their spiritual journey’s.  It’s as vast of a topic as our minds can imagine, yet the reality is that it is played-out in the choices and decisions we make every single day. Everyone is or has asked—What, who, and why is God? And if He exists, does He really know or care about me?

I have a friend (I’ll call him Chip) who’s primary world view is that there is no God. Chip has explored many philosophical paths, and at one time in his journey had believed in God’s existence. As well, that God had sent His son Jesus to earth as a modern representative of God’s love. Chip started to follow a popular contemporary author and church pastor for a few years who basically taught that the grace that was given by Jesus was for everyone, and therefore everyone would someday make it to heaven. Once entered into the afterlife, one could receive rewards or favor for being a good person while on earth. But an eternal hell, and the fact that God could be in any way responsible for sending anyone to such a terrible place, that could not exist. For several years Chip believed in God and heaven but rejected any teachings of hell or sin. Eventually however, Chip continued to question many other Biblical based theological views and doctrinal beliefs. Finally, he was so overwhelmed with unanswered questions, Chip resolved that it was so much more logical to simply believe that God does not exist.

As one who loves the Lord Jesus, and holds scripture (the Bible) near and dear to my heart, it bothers me greatly whenever I hear that someone has rejected the love and saving grace of Christ that is available to them. What went wrong? Obviously, my friend had started to follow a Christian leader who was advocating an “all grace message,” and that there were no consequences or need for repentance in life. (Hey, it’s a novel idea…but purely not Scriptural. Jesus himself, referenced Hell very frequently.) But were there other areas where perhaps the church (Gods people) failed in a true representation of Jesus to Chip? Was he misguided as a child? Was it grandma’s dry religion, or some modern day pharisees who influenced him? What went wrong, and where did it start to go South?

I went to the Lord in prayer over Chip, and I was asking Him to help me understand what went wrong in Chips journey. What was the “crack in the door,” which eventually allowed him to come to the point of complete unbelief. I said “God you know how I hate that many of your people have misrepresented you in the past. I detest the actions and philosophies of pharisaical people and legalism as Jesus did. Please show me what went wrong with Chip and how I can help him.” Do you know what I felt the Lord speak back to me? He said that every person is responsible for their own choices and decisions regardless of who may have influenced them. Then I heard the Lord very clearly say, “THEY WILL KNOW ME BY YOUR LOVE.”

So here is my summarized take on the Lords answer: Can Chip still be redeemed by God’s amazing love? Absolutely he can. It is never too late for anyone. God’s love is stronger. What about the modern day pharisees, and those who are seemingly branding their own new forms of Christianity? Don’t they love the Lord? Maybe they do. I mean, I can’t really say who loves the Lord and who doesn’t. Even when I believe someone is misinterpreting Scripture or selectively forming their own doctrine, my response to them still needs to be in love.

There are layers of intimacy in any relationship, and the more intimately acquainted we are with Jesus, the more we will be able to reflect Him to others. That’s really the bottom line. Our love for others must truly come out of our intimate love for the Lord. Intimate relationships are developed by spending time together—there are no short cuts. Spending time in God’s presence and in His Word is what we truly must long for. It’s ONLY then, that others will see a true reflection of Jesus on this earth. We are His representatives. That is His plan…His design…His cause and effect. The love we show to others can not be manufactured in any other way. It has to be a bi-product of our own relationship with Jesus.

Just after washing the disciple’s feet Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34,35 ESV

Friends, if you are struggling with questions today that are taking you down some winding trails of despair. Look to Jesus. If you are dealing with doubt, fear, anxiousness, or depression…look to Jesus. Don’t get caught-up in all the questions and allow them to stand in the way of pursuing the very one who has all the answers. Don’t be stuck in the questions rather than the quest to know Him. James 4:8 says, “Step into, draw near to God AND He will draw near to you.”

One last thing…The Bible says, “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”  (2 Cor. 2:15 ESV) Remember this… Jesus Christ is perfect theology. Study Him, spend time with Him, and let His aroma follow you wherever you go. Jesus also displayed to us lifestyle Christianity, and we get to be an amazing conduit of His love. That…is amazing!

May God bless you today in your quest to know Him more.

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

BTW: We always welcome your comments and feedback 😊

Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas celebration.

I’d like to follow-up on a comment I made a few posts ago concerning hearing God’s voice. Friends, in this coming new year—what if you heard God speaking to you with such clarity that you absolutely knew it was divine revelation? What if God spoke to you and used you in ways that it radically blessed your life and the lives of those around you? Wouldn’t you like that? Of course, you would. Who wouldn’t?

God spoke to Adam and Eve face to face in the garden. He spoke to Moses in a burning bush. God spoke through Daniel the prophet as he interpreted a mysterious writing on the wall shown to King  Belshazzar. He spoke to Mary and Joseph through an angel. Paul heard His audible voice while walking on a road. But many people are asking—does God still speak to us today?

I have to admit that I am typically a pretty skeptical person. I question a lot. Sometimes, I guess I’m a lot like the disciple Thomas. It’s something I’ve really had to struggle in finding the right balance—especially in the matter of faith. In my defense however, through the years I have seen a lot of fake, superficial spiritualism. So, unless I really know someone, it’s really hard for me when some people frequently are saying “God told me this or that.” Unfortunately, there are those who throw out religious talk without it truly being in their walk. That said, if it is truly in their walk—then I want to hear all about it—in detail!

So, before I go any further let me just say that God is God. He can do anything He wants. Sometimes he speaks audibly. But in my experience, He most often speaks in various other ways. There is a story in the book of Numbers where God chose to speak to a man named Balaam through the voice of Balaam’s donkey. Seriously!? Why didn’t God’s own voice come blasting down from the sky? Who knows? As I said, God can choose anything, or any way He wants. It is not up to us to determine how He speaks.

There is also a passage in the Bible where Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”  John 10:27.  So, I would suggest to you—very emphatically—that yes, God does still speak. In fact, I would suggest to you that He is speaking to you in some way at this very moment. Just as a good shepherd is constantly speaking to and guiding his sheep, God is doing the same for you.

This list is in no way comprehensive; but rather common. God chose a donkey to speak to Balaam for that time and situation. Who knows how He will speak to you?

1) Through His Word (The Bible)                                                                                              The Bible is the most relevant source document to life that exists on this planet. It is very accurately been termed as “God’s Word.” It is alive, and God speaks through it in relevant ways today.  The Bible is our standard. Any other voice or message that you believe is from God will never contradict the Bible.

2 Timothy 3:16 says that all Scripture is “God-breathed.” Do you need written instruction on the questions of life? God’s Word has the answers for marriage relationships, raising children, and business decisions. It has answers to health problems, fear and anxiety. It will guide you on how to live happy, successful, peaceful and content…it’s all found in The Bible.

Through the words of Jesus in Scripture, we can “hear” God’s heart and God’s voice–and know what God is truly like. These words were not written for a few, select individuals. It was never intended to be read only by pastors, priests, or leaders. No, it is for every individual. Someone in Africa, in Europe, in China, and in Minnesota can “hear” Jesus’ voice by reading the same Bible. Without question The Bible is the primary way in which God has spoken in the past, is speaking now, and is full of prophetic words for your future. It’s God’s gift to us; we, however, must read it and apply it.

2) Through other people                                                                                                              God may use a pastor, a teacher, a parent, or a friend to convey His message to us. Their words may come as wisdom, a warning, a blessing, or as a prophetic truth about our lives. Whether we choose to hear it or ignore it, depends on us. We must align their words with Scripture. God will confirm or affirm that truth.  James 3:17 says, “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere”

3) Through difficulties                                                                                                                  You must be diligent to seek God and to be attentive to His work in every facet of your life, because another way that God speaks to us is through our circumstances. As you focus on the Lord, especially during difficult or painful circumstances, God can show you His perspective about your circumstances. Rather than trying to figure out everything, equipped only with our limited knowledge and understanding, we can acknowledge the Lord in all of our ways and rely on His love for us, His sovereignty, and His plan for our good. (See Proverbs 3:3–13 and Romans 8:26–32.)

4) Through impressions of The Holy Spirit                                                                                 I remember when I first heard someone teach about “feeling a check” in their spirit. It got my attention. Then he stated that he heard “God’s still, small voice.” I was like—seriously, God speaks like that? Yes, He truly does. We are made in the image of God, and when we confess Jesus and follow Him as our Lord and Savior, His Spirit comes to live in us (John 14:17, 1 Corinthians 3:16). God’s Spirit speaks to us through our conscience, helping to make the right decision. When we’re tempted, that same Spirit warns and nudges us to do the right thing.

As a writer, I depend on God’s Spirit to give me direction. There are times when ideas pop into my mind totally unexpectedly. Other times God speaks to me as I see or hear something, and I feel the Holy Spirit within me saying “remember this, it is applicable to this or that…”  The Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us.

Do you know that ten people can “hear” a sermon preached, but each person will walk away with a different truth that applies just to him? In fact, in some cases, the speaker never even spoke what some say they “heard.” This may be the result of God’s Spirit speaking a personal “Rhema,” a living, breathing word of truth to our spirits.

Repeated Instances:  (I’ll also throw this topic under Impressions of the Holy Spirit). These are when similar things re-occur over a space of time, it might just be God calling your attention to something. It could be a name, a place, or running into a particular person. It could even be a number (often translated to a chapter and/or verse in Scripture). Don’t discount these things.

5) Through His creation                                                                                                               Our son-in-law, Brandon is a great hunter–and he has several amazing mounts to prove it. He loves hunting, but Brandon has said that the thing he most enjoys about hunting is being alone with God in the beauty of God’s creation. Psalms 19:1 proclaims, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” The vastness of space and the complexity of nature testify to God’s intelligent design. You can hear the Creator’s voice in a bubbling brook, in the song of a bird, in the wind whistling through the trees and in a baby’s cry.

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse ” (Romans 1:20). Through the intricate details and magnificent beauty of all that God has made, we can “hear” His voice.

6) Through music                                                                                                                                 I cannot tell you the importance of music in my life. Granted, I grew up in a musical family, but I cannot imagine my relationship with God not being accompanied with music. The amazing thing is, when I worship Him through music—He in-turn speaks back to me. God has given me so much wisdom and knowledge of who He is—in and through the form of music.

In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat faced a huge army of enemies who could have easily destroyed His people, but he did a strange thing. With a declaration that his eyes were on God, he sent in a choir of praise singers: “Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever” (2 Chronicles 20:21). God “spoke” clearly. He released His power, and Jehoshaphat’s army defeated their enemies! Music is from God, and music is a very powerful form of His communication.

7) Through prayer                                                                                                                        Most people know that prayer is talking to God. But God also speaks to us when we pray. Unfortunately, many of us have the mistaken idea that the purpose of prayer is to change God’s mind. We think, “If I can just plead with God long enough and hard enough, He’ll give me what I’m asking for.” Prayer is not a way to twist God’s arm. Our attitude in prayer will most often determine if and how we hear God speaking to and through us.

Other times we may not know how to pray, but God’s Word tells us His spirit makes intercession for us (Romans 8:26-27). Often times, this is when I pray in my prayer language (out loud). What is my prayer language? It is a gift given and available to every believer in Christ. Please see and read about the Baptism in the Holy Spirit in: Acts 1:4-8, 2:4, 1 Corinthians 14:4-17, and Ephesians 6:18 (see also chapter 3 of my book, The River)

Often through a combination of fasting and prayer, our minds become clearer and our hearts are more sensitive to God. Again, we may not hear God’s literal voice, but His Spirit confirms a certain direction or answer for us. As the distractions fade, we can sense His leading in a new way. Sometimes while praying, God’s Spirit will remind us of a Scripture or a truth in His Word that we can directly apply to the situation.

Does that happen immediately? Not always. There have been occasions where I still had no clue what to do, but in faith I thanked God whenever and however He would answer. A day, a week, maybe even months pass. Then one day while I am building or fixing something—maybe out riding my bike, a thought comes–that gentle “whisper” that could only come from Him, accompanied by His peace.

8) God speaks to us in silence                                                                                                    This may sound like an oxymoron, but often times we cannot hear Gods voice until we take the time to be absolutely quiet before Him. No music, no phone/computer, not even your Bible—just you and God—alone, while just being quiet with Him.

In today’s technological age when most everyone is so connected to social media, and we want everything fast—getting quiet before the Lord without distraction can be a valuable discipline. Just remember, there is nothing that can compare with our friendship with Almighty God. Spending time alone with Him in silence enables us to be sensitive to the moving of The Holy Spirit. Amazing intimacy and revelation will come when we intentionally spend silent time with God.

9) Through dreams and visions                                                                                                Acts 2:17 says, “I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh . . . your young men shall see visions; your old men shall dream dreams”  Simply put, a vision is an inspired appearance (something you see literally with your eyes or in your mind or spirit). A dream is something seen in your sleep or something you imagine doing—a goal or an aspiration. God can insert images and ideas into our minds whether we are conscious or not.

As you may know, I wrote The River as a direct result of a vision, and a connected dream that I had received from the Lord. Additionally, God gave me yet a third vision while I was finishing my manuscript. Over the years, I have received many dreams and visions from the Lord which have dramatically influenced my life. Many times, God has used my dreams and visions specifically for others. Most often used to encourage or give direction to them, but other times they are used as a visual reference point to be used in intercessory prayer.

I encourage you to ask the Lord to speak to you through dreams and visions. Particularly at night before you go to sleep. Tracy and I have prayed that together at bedtime for many years. There is something about that quiet time or “state” of our minds—while there are no other distractions—when we are more open to hear/see from God. I find it very interesting that there are thousands of testimonies of people today (particularly of the Islam faith) who are having dreams and visions which are leading them into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Joel 2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

10) Through miracles, signs, and wonders                                                                            God speaks through miracles, signs and wonders mainly to increase our faith and ignite our hunger and thirst for Him. We serve a supernatural God, and He is absolutely full of signs and wonders. Our primary reference for these supernatural gifts is found in Mark 16:17,18: “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover”

Jesus was sending His disciples into the world to preach the Gospel. As He sent them forth, He said that God’s signature would be upon their ministry. These “signs” were to be the signature of God — the official declaration that they were sent by Heaven and that the Gospel message was true. For unbelievers, these “signs” would authenticate the fact that this was no man made message, but a message straight from God Himself. And just as street signs point a traveler in the right direction, these signs would point the unbeliever to the Lord if he would only pay heed to them.

It is perfectly clear that in New Testament times, the gospel was authenticated in this way by signs, wonders and miracles. However, there are those who adhere to a believe called cessationism, which basically says that these acts of God somehow ended with the original apostles, and so it was only meant to be true of the early church? But the Scriptures never anywhere say that these things were only temporary—never! There is no such statement anywhere. The message and the promise hold true today. I personally have been healed and have witnessed many miracles in my own life. God is still performing miracles, signs and wonders today. The evidence of which occurs every single day, all across the globe.

Friends, regardless of the way God chooses to reveal Himself or “speak” to us today, remember one truth. He will never contradict His Word, and the message He gives will always bring glory to God. The Bible warns about adding anything to the already written, God-breathed Word of God, or accepting any other messenger who claims to be superior to Jesus (Revelation 22:18-19;2 Corinthians 11:4).

One other caveat: Hearing God’s voice and receiving from God (an answer, or specific direction) are not the same thing. Answers and/or directions from God are subject to His timing—not ours. As an example: In my book—The River,  I received the first vision (which was part one), almost nine years prior to receiving the connecting dream (part two). In the interim, I had been asking God an answer to a very pertinent question from the first vision—and it took nine (9) years to get the answer. Yet, God was not silent to me for those nine years. No, not at all—those were fantastic years of growth in our relationship. In fact, I had many other dreams and visions during that time. So, Just because you don’t get a particular answer about something, it doesn’t mean that God has abandoned you. God will never turn His back on you and will always be there for you. He just sees the bigger picture, and we must always be open to His timing.

If you are not hearing from God today, that does not mean that God does not want to speak to you. Furthermore, it does not mean that He is not trying to speak to you. Please note that when I say “trying,” it is not putting any limitation on God’s ability or desire to speak, but rather on our openness to hear Him. Perhaps the bigger question may be—are we listening correctly?

Without question friends, God loves you. You are uniquely and wonderfully made. He has amazing plans and purposes for your life, and He longs to communicate in an ongoing love relationship with you. I sincerely hope this was and continues to be a help to you.

Tracy and I are praying that this year -2019- is the absolute best year thus far in your life.

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

I love Christmas and the Christmas story. Jesus—the ultimate gift—what a thing to celebrate and rejoice in. Some families even celebrate Christmas by singing Happy Birthday to Jesus, while sharing a birthday cake as well. I like that!

Birthdays should always be made special—no matter who you are celebrating. And even though we may not always celebrate on the exact anniversary date, the focus on that individual and making them feel special is the important thing, right? And who doesn’t like a good party? Well, we all get to celebrate in this party…woo-hoo!

Can you imagine the intensity of the original manger scene with the baby Jesus? I remember the incredible feeling when Tracy and I first held our children (Eric & Alisha) in our arms. Wow…priceless! But think of the amazing moment it must have been for Mary and Joseph to cradle the Savior of the World in their arms? That, I cannot imagine.

Speaking of Jesus, in particular—baby Jesus—here is an excerpt from chapter 2 of The River:

One of the primary differences that Christianity has with all other World religions is the fact that Jesus Christ invites people of all races, genders, and backgrounds—to know Him and have a relationship with Him—personally. Sadly though, millions of people say that they know Jesus, while yet they actually just know about Him.

I remember a young man who had grown-up going to a main-line denominational church but hadn’t given his heart to the Lord until his early twenties. So, his relationship with the Lord Jesus was relatively new.  On several occasions while praying in a group setting, he would always start out his prayer with, “Dear baby Jesus….”  As much as I wanted to, I didn’t pull him aside and tell him that it was not a proper way to address the Lord, due the fact that Jesus is no longer the baby who was laying in the manger.

I could have brought-up the facts that Jesus walked this earth as a full-grown man on a mission, and successfully completed that mission as He died on the cross for our sins. That he arose from the grave and now sits on the throne as our intercessor, and that he is now Lord, Savior, and King—not baby Jesus! Sure, I could have gone on and on, but I realized that his perception of who Jesus was still had derivatives from his childhood memories. No, thankfully I didn’t say anything because I knew that as his walk with the Lord Jesus developed, Jesus would no longer remain a baby to him. I’m very happy to say that his relationship with Jesus did indeed quickly mature, and his perception of who Jesus is now has no limits.

God bless you this Christmas season friends. May you embrace the love of the Father and enjoy your celebrations with those you love. And may you too fully understand that your relationship with Jesus has no limits.

BTW: There have been several guests to this site from China. Welcome! And a special Christmas blessing to you.

Merry Christmas!

Blessed by the Best,

Mark & Tracy

While I was a Field Training Instructor in the US Air Force and stationed at Fort Walton Beach Fl, I had the privilege of working with many students and other instructors from all over the US and other parts of the world. One day I was talking with a fellow instructor named Steve. Steve had a strong Southern drawl, and his stories were often very interesting. In this conversation he was telling me of a previous tour he had had in the military when he was an Air Force recruiter. I asked Steve how he had liked working as a recruiter. He said, “It was good, as long as I met all my golds.” Puzzled, I questioned back, “Your golds?” Steve replied, “Yes, some months the golds that were set before me where just too high, and when I could not meet those golds, there was a lot of added pressure.”  I said, “Oh, you mean goals…not golds?” Steve just chuckled and said “yeah, same thing.”

The actual term for this common mistake is called malapropism or malaprop for short. My friend Steve was actually a very smart intellectual man, and yet had probably mispronounced this word for years, and certainly at least month by month while he was a recruiter. Although, I have often wondered if this conversation with Steve—particularly with the minor miscommunication—had a more powerful meaning behind it. I mean, maybe there was more to it than it just being a common malaprop. Let me explain:

Goals are normally something we think of as positive, right? I mean someone who sets goals in life is generally respected, and aspiring. Setting goals in business or in an organization is essential to success as well. We all should be goal setters, yes? Absolutely we should, as it is also very scriptural. One of many references is Prov 13:16, which says “Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.” Goals are typically very well thought out, and when accomplished—they can be very gratifying.

There was a popular movie a few years back called The Bucket List. The effects of this movie has resulted in influencing many people in our society to actually form their own “bucket list.” Simply put, these personal lists are thought to be one’s quest to complete aspiring life accomplishments or events in their lifetime.

If you have a “bucket list,” that’s great. In the event that your list is lacking, you can actually google “bucket list” and find 101 suggestions and more to add to your list. Lol! I’m really not knocking anything on various lists. That said, the vast majority of these lists are completely focused on fulfilling ones self-desires only. Not that some of the items should not be just for your personal enjoyment. To say we shouldn’t enjoy life and have fun would not even be scriptural. But I am suggesting that we try to prioritize our life goals according to their value and importance to others. This is after-all being a true representation of Jesus Christ. Being a trusting servant, a loyal spouse, a quality parent or grandparent, neighbor, co-worker etc. Our relationship with people, especially those who are in our immediate circle of influence—these things should be at the top of our bucket lists. These are the things in life that will have lasting worth.

I don’t know about you, but I for one need to be on top of my game by constantly re-prioritizing my goals. I have to ask myself like my friend Steve would say “am I meeting my golds?” What better way to think of value than that of gold. In other words, what are our life goals truly worth? Perhaps even the more important question we should be asking ourselves is, who do my life goals have value or worth to?

Recently Tracy & I were invited to our grandson’s (Roman & Kingston) elementary school. It was Veterans Day, to which I and others were humbly honored for our service to our great country. After the service Kingston’s teacher asked if I would accompany them back to their kindergarten classroom so that the students could meet me and ask any questions about my service. I gladly agreed and fielded some fun and interesting questions.

As things were wrapping-up the teacher said, “Kingston, is there anything else you would like to say about your grandpa?” Kingston paused for a second, looked up at me and said “Yeah, he’s a really good papa.” Man, If that didn’t give me a fresh perspective (along with melting my heart)! Yet, another reminder to me of how vigilant I need to be in not only setting goals—but to prioritize my goals according to their value to others. In essence, making sure my goals are golds.

Please understand, I appreciated the honor shown to me on that Veterans Day, and I believe in instilling honor and respect to the students. But as a veteran, serving in the military is something that I did. And in that moment my grandson reminded me of how important it is to stay focused on what I am doing.

The Christmas season is upon us. Along with the hustle and bustle, there are sure to be many opportunities to prioritize the things and people that are most important in our lives. Time and undivided attention are as good as gold. Isn’t it interesting that one of the gifts that were brought by the magi to baby Jesus was in-fact—gold?   …Just sayin 🙂

I sincerely hope you are encouraged by this today. I know I am.

Blessed by The Best,

Mark

Last week Tracy did a little shopping and brought home an awesome Christmas decoration made from birch wood (so fitting for us now Minnesotan’s). It simply says “JOY.” What a simple, yet profound statement of what a relationship with Jesus Christ brings to us. The Christian life through a loving intimate relationship with Christ is indeed appropriately expressed as full of joy!

Conversely, people don’t often think of God as one who expresses favorable emotion, and particularly as being happy. Sadly, some folks have been led to believe that God is always angry. Furthermore, many people have a mind picture of God as one who is standing over them with arms crossed and a stern, angry look on his face—only to be thought of as an angry judge. They certainly do not picture Him as one who expresses joy. But in Nehemiah 8:10 it says, “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Additionally, in Zephaniah 3:7 we read that God delights in us, and actually sings over us. Our God is in fact, very relational. Listen, the Christian faith isn’t merely where you attend church, or how you were raised. No, the hinge point of Christianity is based upon your relationship with Jesus Christ.

I talk about this in greater detail in The River, but the difference between Christianity and other religions is that we have been given the right to come into a relationship with God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In fact, when you read through the Bible you realize that historically, God has always been reaching out to man in order to build relationships. As with all relationships there must be effective communication, and our Lord earnestly desires to have a communicative relationship with us.

Intimacy is what we call the experience of really knowing and being known by another. Jesus said in John 15:15 “I now call you friends.” This of course takes nothing away from His deity or honor, but the very fact that we can be known buy Him as a friend is absolutely amazing!

God speaks to us through many, many ways. He is so fun and creative! In a future blog, I plan on listing and talking about many of the various ways that He talks to us. One that I will mention today though is through visions and dreams. This form of communication has been very prevalent in my life. As you may know, The River is a book which was written as a result of a vision and dream given to me from the Lord. These encounters however, were not reserved exclusively for me. In fact, you are the reason why I felt so compelled to write and publish the book.  Additionally, through these encounters God has much to say to us all concerning developing and growing in a loving relationship with Him. For those who have not had the opportunity to read it yet, here are some brief chapter summaries:

Chapter 1-The Vision and Dream: This chapter contains two separate but connected prophetic encounters in which I meet Jesus in the most amazing river. The details of these events set the stage for the remainder of the book.

Chapter 2-Jesus: A detailed description of my face to face encounters with Jesus. This chapter will illustrate the enormous love of Jesus’s heart and His desire to have an intimate relationship with every individual.

Chapter 3-Rivers: This chapter references both the natural and spiritual aspects of rivers, and their significance to the Christian life.

Chapter 4-The River Bed: The Lord showed me a church as an example of one that that had at one time experienced a major move of God. Sadly, it did not end well. This chapter highlights some details of some historical moves of God and brings relevance to overall message of this book.

Chapter 5-The Church and the City: The detailed account of a church, its people, and the community. Jesus told me “It is not what was intended.” This chapter deals with some sensitive church issues and stresses the importance of being and staying open.

Chapter 6–The Lake of Blessing: The Lake of Blessing—as I have named it—reveals the amazing potential of God’s blessing that has been dammed up, creating an enormous mountain lake. This tremendous deferred force is ready and waiting to be released in the readers personal life, our churches, and our communities. This chapter also contains a third prophetic vision.

Chapter 7– Boulders: As revealed in the dream–boulders represent those things in one’s life which are damming-up the intended flow of God’s blessing. This chapter not only helps to identify these boulders but is intended to motivate the reader to take the needed steps of faith in order to open up the floodgates of Heaven.

Chapter 8–Hungering for His Presence: A call to whole heartedly seek Gods face and invite His presence into every area of our lives. True joy can only be experienced when we are in the river of God’s presence.

In James 4:8 it says to “draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” His arms are not folded in a judgmental style, waiting for your next bad move. No friend, it is exactly the opposite. His arms are actually wide open to you. And I can tell you for a fact that He has a warm gentle smile (see The River). So, no matter who you are, or what you have done—God loves you and has a plan for your life. He wants to speak to you and enjoy an ongoing relationship with you. Won’t you draw near to Him today?

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And a special birthday wish to our daughter Alisha.

I just posted a holiday blog a couple days ago. If you haven’t had the chance to get to that yet, please read-on. In fact, if you haven’t done so already, I would encourage you to hit the tab in the lower right of your screen in order to “follow” us. You will simply be notified when something new has been posted.

In my quiet time with the Lord this morning I was reading from the book of Colossians. I had to share these amazing verses which remind us to step-up and take the initiative to “put on” the various qualities that we all desire to have.  It’s a powerful reminder to us that LOVE IS A VERB. We so often think of love as merely a feeling. But it is as well a verb–meaning it requires action. Also, is the fitting theme for today of BEING THANKFUL.

 ¹² Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col. 3:12-17 ESV)

Enjoy your Thanksgiving Day today and every day in the future.

From our home to yours-

Mark & Tracy