Month: May 2021

Every time I realize that I’m saved, I’m so incredibly thankful that God chose me to be His child. Think about it. If you’ve asked Jesus into your life and if you’re following His lead by walking in faith, you’re a child of God – of the Most High. That just blows me away.

And He backs up His Word. He loves to do it. Amazing.

The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious unto you
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace
And I put the Name of the God of the children of Israel on you and bless you (yes, you) in Jesus’ Name, the Name that is ABOVE every other name.

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

Any more, the only time I get scared is when/if I stop believing Romans 8:28… that God isn’t going to work “it” for my good. Once I remember that God will – in His wisdom, power and time – work any situation for my good, fear is once again taken over by faith, I’m back onto trusting God and His joy fills me with His supernatural courage as I anticipate His wonderful leading in my life.

Thank You, Jesus.

Passin’ The Faith Along
^{By the Gaither Vocal Band}

Passin’ the faith along to my brother
Passin’ the faith along
Helping to build the faith of another
Passin’ the faith along
Sharing a word of hope with my brother
Helping to make him strong
Passin’ the faith along to my brother
Passin’ the faith along

The runner of a relay, finds in his baton
Purpose for the running and strength to carry on
We hold within our grasp the faith that makes us strong
And like the relay runner, we seek to pass it on

Passin’ the faith along to my brother
Passin’ the faith along
Helping to build the faith of another
Passin’ the faith along
Sharing a word of hope with my brother
Helping to make him strong
Passin’ the faith along to my brother
Passin’ the faith along

Countless generations of saints have come and gone
A spark ignites as an ember fades and the flames continues on
A challenge to the young, and assurance for the old
The flames burns ever brighter each time our story’s told

Passin’ the faith along to my brother
Passing the faith along
Helping to build the faith of another
Passing the faith along
Sharing a word of hope with my brother
Helping to make him strong
Passin’ the faith along to my brother
Passing the faith along

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

I was listening to a Christian radio program yesterday (5-27-21) and a man said he’d had a dream that his brother, who was now in Heaven, told him, “It is all worth it!”

The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious unto you
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace
And I put the Name of the God of the children of Israel on you and bless you in Jesus’ Name, the Name that is ABOVE every other name.

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

Yesterday afternoon (5-27-21), I was thinking about what it must have been like to be with Jesus while He was on earth. What incredible things and experiences the disciples must have seen and had performed right in front of their eyes. Then, the Holy Spirit said, “He’s with you right now. He always is.” Wow, these days are my “disciple” days and Jesus is right here with me – with you.

Then Came The Morning
^{Performed by Ernie Hasse And Signature Sound
Written by Chris Christian and Bill and Gloria Gaither}

They all walked away, nothing to say
They’d just lost their dearest friend
All that He said, now He was dead
So this was the way it would end

The dreams they had dreamed were not what they’d seemed
Now that He was dead and gone
The garden, the jail, the hammer, the nail
How could a night be so long?

Then came the morning
Night turned into day
The stone was rolled away
Hope rose with the dawn

Then came the morning
Shadows vanished before the sun
Death had lost and life had won
For morning had come

The angel, the star, the kings from afar
The wedding, the water, the wine
Now it was done, they’d taken her Son
Wasted before His time

She knew it was true, she’d watched Him die too
She’d heard them call Him just a man
But deep in her heart she knew from the start
Somehow her Son would live again

Then came the morning
Night turned into day
The stone was rolled away
Hope rose with the dawn

Then came the morning
Shadows vanished before the sun
Death had lost and life had won
For morning had come

Then came the morning
Shadows vanished before the sun
Death had lost and life had won
For morning had come
For morning had come

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Matthew 28:18-20

 

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

 

Are you having what you think is a “bad” day? No way.

Jesus – The Word – takes precedence over my emotions, feelings and circumstances. Right now, wherever you are at this very moment – and all day long today – this is the day the Lord has made and we will rejoice in it. Amen!

Jesus has overcome this world and in Him, we can do the same (John 16:33).

This is the day that the Lord has made, and I will rejoice in it! With my will, I make a deliberate choice to choose to believe Jesus every day.

There is a song we used to sing in church called “This Is The Day.” It’s a really encouraging and admonishing lyric and melody.

Here are a couple of lines from that great song.

“This is the day, this is the day, that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made, we will rejoice, we will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it…”*

Today, and every day, is a day the Lord (The Creator) has made. There is never a day the devil has made because he’s not a creator – he only steals, kills and destroys. So, I choose every day to rejoice and be glad because each and every day is a day the Lord has made. God has plans for me and new, wonderful things to teach me each and every day. What a blessing.

Yes, we all get spiritually, physically and mentally challenged. But, this is the day the Lord has made, and I will rejoice in it – I will rejoice in what Jesus has made. Hallelujah!

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark
*Lyric taken from “This Is The Day The Lord Has Made” by Les Garrett

In some strange-sounding ways, I have a real advantage regarding needing Jesus. All of my tests result in my dwelling in the secret place of the Most High. I pretty much know I’m no good without Christ and that I cannot overcome this world without staying in His shadow. But, therein lies the strength of the universe and He is what I must have in order to complete this life He’s given me.

Where does a person begin and end talking about Jesus? How can I compare my ways with His amazing, every-increasing and expanding, freeing, loving, infinite ways?

While living in my ways, I was blind to Jesus. Jesus is opening my eyes to all of the wonder that He is – to true Life.

He (the man who Jesus healed of blindness) answered and said, “Whether he (Jesus) be a sinner or not, I know not. One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.”
John 9:25

Ninety-nine out of 100 times, according to one well-known pastor, when a Christian marries a non-Christian, the Christian will lose their faith and give in to the non-Christian spouse’s way of life.

I was thinking about giving up Jesus. Not actually doing it, but about what it would be like to do so. I would have to give up the favor He continually shows me, the exhilaration of the adventure I’ve found in Jesus, the way He surprises me in so many ways that bring a secret smile or tear of joy. I’d have to give up letting His peace reign in my heart, Him often quickening and making real His Word to my heart. I’d have to give up Romans 8:28, the ability of being able to trust in the Lord with all my heart and to have His peace that passes my understanding soothing me, to not be afraid of sudden fear, to be able to cast all my care on Jesus, that I would probably not love my wife the way Jesus has shown me to, that I would not have the power to be free indeed, and all the rest that makes up the abundant Life I’ve found in Him, and I thought, “I cannot live without Jesus and that living with Him is so inspiring, rich and free.”

Jesus truly is Life for me – I can now see just a fraction of all that He’s wanting to do in my life. I sense that He has so much more. Without Him in my life, I would be left with all of the awful ways that lead to death. I would still be blind.

Now thanks be unto God, who always causeth us to triumph in Christ and who maketh manifest through us the savor of His knowledge in every place.
2 Corinthians 2:14 KJV

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads and makes evident everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him.
2 Corinthians 2:14 AMP Version

For to me to live is Christ (all that He is – Wow), and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

What a blessing Jesus, The Word, is.

The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious unto you
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace
And I put the Name of the God of the children of Israel on you and bless you in Jesus’ Name, the Name that is ABOVE every other name.

I had another hard migraine Sunday evening. It’s had me feeling pretty awful all around. I got up this morning after not sleeping well and felt pretty low. I began taking defeating thoughts captive and praising Him. I turned on the following youtube video and let the Word, Jesus, minister to me. It’s amazing how much I need Jesus and how He delivers me. Truly, He sustains me.

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
Psalm 55:22 NIV

As long as I wasn’t casting my cares on the Lord, I wasn’t able to let Him sustain me – I was up and down depending on my circumstances on any given day. Everything in my life was being shaken to bring me to the point where I realized I needed to learn to cast all my cares on Jesus.

If I don’t cast my cares on the Lord, He can’t sustain me and I can be shaken because I’m retaining my cares. The righteous (those who do the following) cast their care on Jesus and are strong in Him because they’re no longer shaken. They may be tempted to take on care, but they’ve learned to cast that care on Jesus and are saved from being shaken and are sustained in Christ. What a blessing.

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

Jesus is wonderful and He desires for each of His children to get to know how completely wonderful He is. He tells us to take on His yoke and that His burden is light (not dark). Wow, all I want to do is to be with liberating Jesus all day long. And, I want to tell others how they can be free in Him as well. What a Life. He’s taking me from all the bondage I used to live in to total freedom in Him. Mmmm…

The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious unto you
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace (isn’t that incredible?)
And I put the Name (I’m only beginning to understand how glorious, freeing and burden-lifting that remarkable Name is) of the God of the children of Israel on you and bless you in Jesus’ Name (in His care-free Name) , the Name that is ABOVE (so freeing and lovely) every other name.

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

 

Life’s all about wonderful, incredible, life-changing, Jesus.

 

 

 

 

The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious unto you
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace
And I put the Name of the God of the children of Israel on you and bless you in Jesus’ Name, the Name that is ABOVE every other name.

Why is Jesus’ Name ABOVE every other name? Because He will so change our lives if we let Him in. There is nothing like becoming like Jesus. The Life He gives His followers is so freeing and wonderful.

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:25-27

Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.
Deuteronomy 11:19

Nothing will bless you, your spouse, and children like making the decision to “do” the Word, to let the Word affect your life, to let Jesus live through you, to let faith lead your life. That’s because the Word alone is Life.

When I live the Word, I let God love me, and I love my wife and children with His love. Together, we’re letting God’s Word affect our lives and we become more free because the Word makes us like precious Jesus. His love, mercy, grace, peace, rest and joy impact our thoughts, our attitudes, and our behavior. A transformation takes place all because of Jesus.

Thank You, God, for changing me and my family as we do Your powerful, loving Word.

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious unto you
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace
And I put the Name of the God of the children of Israel on you and bless you in Jesus’ Name, the Name that is ABOVE every other name.

There is nothing like letting The Word minister to you. It is after all, the Most High. It’s what let’s the peace of God reign in my heart. This is Life.

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

I love to say the Word over and over to let It change me and keep me in the safe, secure dwelling place of the Most High.

Please say the following verse 10 times…

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
Colossians 3:15a

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Philippians 4:13

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, “This is the way; walk ye in it,” when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left.
Isaiah 30:21

The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious unto you
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace
And I put the Name of the God of the children of Israel on you and bless you in Jesus’ Name, the Name that is ABOVE every other name.

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

You and I will not be perfect in this life. But, we must not use that as an excuse for not being tenacious about renewing our minds to God’s Word. We must not think we can be conformed to this world. The enemy of our souls is never idle and we must not be idle. With God’s help, we can work with the Lord to let Him complete His good work in our lives.

Our freedom is found “in” Christ alone. We will never gain spiritual freedom in areas of our lives outside of or without Christ. As an excuse to not do the Word – to not apply the Word to our lives – we may try to make excuses for not being obedient to do the Word. Mainly, if we’re honest, we do this because we love the darkness, we’re conformed by and attracted to this world, “doing” the Word seems to be too simple-minded, and we still believe the devil’s lies. We have lived in the darkness so long that it’s become a part of who we are and we think it’s too hard to change or that it’s not to our advantage, that it’s too difficult or embarrassing to swim against the tide of the world and its ways.

The three kingdom keys are not an over-simplification of how to live the Christian life. God never intended Christianity to be difficult. He made it easy so that all could come to Him and be made free in Him by the simple power in His Word operating in their lives.

And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Romans 13:11-12

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
John 8:36

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious unto you
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace
And I put the Name of the God of the children of Israel on you and bless you in Jesus’ Name, the Name that is ABOVE every other name.

If you ever notice you’re getting out of step with Jesus, remember to begin doing the three Kingdom keys again. This is what we do and we know it works. It works because Jesus is the Word. When we do the three keys, God’s mercy, grace, favor, peace, rest, and joy come back into our lives. What a blessing. Praise Jesus.

We love you all. ☺☺♥♥

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

A great way to begin another week in Jesus – Ask the Holy Spirit to help you remember to do the three keys because apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). With Him, we can have victory in every area of our lives. Hallelujah!

Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Praise and thank God in all things.
2 Thessalonians 5:18; Psalm 34:1; Ephesians 5:20

Remember that God is working all things together for the good of those who love Him.
Romans 8:28

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark