Blog and Archives

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Loving Each Other

And thus you shall greet him: ‘Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.
1 Samuel 25:6

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Matthew 7:24

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
Psalm 127:1

By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established;
Proverbs 24:3

My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
Isaiah 32:18

I am so blessed that in the midst of today’s world, God keeps showing Annie and me how to love and appreciate each other more and more. It’s so wonderful and we’re so thankful. We love loving each other and God keeps emphasizing that we can have in joy in our marriage and home at all times. He’s so amazing.

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

Keep loving your family and keep your home a sanctuary full of His grace, mercy, love, rest and joy. Ask God to help you. He loves families and He’ll show you how to do this.

We love you all,

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark and Ann

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Blessing

The Lord’s blessing (the joy that accompanies right living – righteousness) is on all those who follow Him, who do His Word, who keep growing in Jesus, who keep being set free and willing to change in order to become like Jesus in all their ways.

Hallelujah!

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

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Stayed On God

I’m seeing God raise up more and more people who are committed to keeping their minds stayed on Him. Their focus is becoming sharper and more determined than ever to this mind set:

1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Psalm 91:1-2

3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Isaiah 26:3

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

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Counting On Jesus, The Word

Ann and I count on Jesus (The Word) every day. We count on the Word (Jesus) all the time. And we’re learning more and more about how to count on Him Who is The Word. This is why we emphasize memorizing The Word. This is exactly why we encourage everyone to get to know Jesus, God Almighty. This is the most important thing we will ever do in this life.

Do you count on God working all things together for the good of those who love Him? Are you learning to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ? Are you learning how to quench the fiery darts (lies) of the enemy by praising and thanking God in all things?

So come on. Let’s go and count on Jesus today, and every day. Put getting to know Him above all else. When you learn to count on Him, Life takes on a whole new excitement, contentment and clarity. He brings all of His joy to your life. There is nothing like Him. It’s what God intended.

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

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Keeping My Eyes On The Prize

He sent his word (Jesus), and healed them (those who believe), and delivered them from their destructions (fear).
Psalm 107:20

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you (put your name here), saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end (to plunder the enemy’s (fear’s) camp).
Jeremiah 29:11

This is so cool. The Holy Spirit is so faithful and awesome. When He shared this with me, I couldn’t wait to get it to you. Truly, God’s infinite love for us knows no bounds.

I couldn’t stop writing so I finally had to hit “Send.” ☺

Casting all your care on Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). What an enormous understatement.

Having grown up with so much fear, that I was scared out of my mind so much of the time, I can honestly tell anyone that when you’re scared to death, Jesus is there. It’s true. I know it’s true. Jesus can step into your life and turn it all around if you’re willing to follow and believe Him.

25 Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel.”

26 David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

27 They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”

…53 When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp.

Did you get that? Here’s this giant of an experienced warrior who was scaring all of the troops of Israel. He filled them with fear to the point that no one had courage. They were filled with dismay. They had no idea what they were going to do…

And then David comes along. And David is so full of the Lord, of God’s faithfulness, that he wants to know what he’ll get for killing Goliath. The Lord had so trained up David that the fear of an enemy like Goliath meant nothing to David any more. David had learned to believe the Lord where the others had not. What a contrast. At this point in his life, David’s eyes were now on the prizes God had in store for him. Wow…

Look up, precious Christian. There is no fear for those who have believed and learned to set their eyes on the prize that awaits them. Heaven, Romans 8:28, Jesus and His favor in our lives – All of the promises of God are ours. Rejoice! These are the stones in our slings that will fill us with thoughts of prizes, with looking up and asking, “Tell me again, Lord. What do I get for learning that fear is a lie, that I really can trust in the Lord with all my heart, that I can always believe Him, for being willing to have learned how to follow the Lord into victory after victory?”

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

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Goliath Taunting You?

When Goliath shows up things begin to get exciting.  
 
45 David said to the Philistine (Goliath), “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
 
48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.
 
50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
 
51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.
 
When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. 52 Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. 53 When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp.
1 Samuel 17:45-53
 
Thanking and praising God in all things,
 
Mark 
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Blessing

For the longest time, everything but the peace of God ruled in my heart.

As long as I set my affections on things of the earth, I was easily swayed this way and that – I was tossed to and fro as the Bible states.

God saw the need of my heart and knew what He could do for and in me.

When Jesus began to teach me how to set my affections on things ABOVE, my whole life began to be healed. I started to understand that letting His peace rule in my heart was the most important thing I could do. It allowed me to trust in Him with more and more of my heart and to really stand on and truly be delivered by Romans 8:28. Fortunately for me, I was so sick and lost in fear that Jesus left me no choice but to turn to Him with all my heart. I still slip up from time to time, but, for the most part, I dwell in His secret place apart from fear, striving, and all the rest that had me locked up in bondage for decades.

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

His truth shall be thy shield and buckler…*

And when that occurs in your heart, you’ll never be the same…☺

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark
*Taken from Psalm 91 KJV

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The Peace Of God

Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of
the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy
confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
Proverbs 3:25-26

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto
thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him,
and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 12:2

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:2

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

 

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True Liberty In Christ – Every Thought Captive

There is true liberty in Christ.

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2 Corinthians 10:4-5

“Holy Spirit, please remind me and give me Your mighty power to renew my mind to Your liberating thoughts. I ask this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

Note: While we may not agree with everything a particular church or Christian group teaches or believes, there are times when we can be blessed by something outside the realm of our current understanding of God.

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Come, Lord Jesus

He that testifieth these things saith, “Surely I come quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Revelation 22:20

Heart 2 Heart: This Is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, Not the Rapture of the Church!

Looking up…

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

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The Blessing Of Doing His Word

4 Abide in me (Jesus), and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
John 15:4-6

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 7:21-23

In the above passage, Jesus is warning those who never really develop a relationship with Him, with the Word. He can’t know us and we can’t know Him without being involved with Him, with His Word.

These things I (Jesus) have spoken unto you, that in me (His dwelling place is His Word) ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer (I can’t be of good cheer without learning to apply His Word to my life each day); I (The Word) have overcome the world.
John 16:33

I know first hand the difference that doing His Word every day makes in my life. There is simply nothing like it. The Word is so powerful, but only if I put it into action through faith.

The more I do His Word, the more miracles I’m seeing every day. He really does back up His Word. The rewards of His peace, rest and joy are amazing as we put His Word to work in our lives. Be a believer. Do the Word. You’ll be so glad you did.

To know Jesus, to have a relationship with Christ, I need to be a doer of His Word, I need to be doing Him. He came to set me free with all that He is. Sin, doing things my way, will never set me free from the wages of sin. In fact, faith in Him can’t really grow without putting Him, His Word, to the test.

Do the Word and see the victory It will give you in this life. It will amaze you. And, as always, ask the Holy Spirit to enable you to do the Word. After all, apart from Him, we can’t do it.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Hebrews 11:6 KJV

For everyone born of God is victorious and overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has conquered and overcome the world—our [continuing, persistent] faith [in Jesus the Son of God].
1 John 5:4 AMP

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
James 1:22

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

Note: While we may not agree with everything a particular church or Christian group teaches or believes, there are times when we can be blessed by something outside the realm of our current understanding of God.

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Your Life Is So Valuable

The devil and his lies may have you convinced that you’re a mistake, that you’re a burden, that you won’t amount to anything, that your life will always be filled with doubt, worry, fear, etc.

Nothing could be further from The Truth, from Jesus, and His plans for you.

Pin on Bible

Get the picture?

So come on. Get out there and God will show you His plans, His purpose for your life, and the blessing you are as you seek Him with all your heart.

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

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The Things Of Heaven

The End Times Passover: Do Christians Immediately Go To Heaven After Death? Millions of them ...

Epilogue: The Nature of Eternal Life

Living on earth with my mind on things ABOVE…
 
I love to live in this life like I’m already in Heaven with all tears wiped away, all heartache, temptation, care, fear and the other things of earth removed and replaced by Jesus and all of the wonderful things of Heaven.
 
Thanking and praising God in all things,
 
Mark
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Not My Will

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
Luke 22:42

The Father’s cup is the only path for those who will be truly free indeed in Jesus. There is no true peace, rest and joy in the cup I want, in doing my will, in wanting my will, in striving for my will to be done. This is what I discover the longer I live, the longer I abide in the dwelling place of the Most High. Most of the time, it is my will, the cup I insist on, that tries to drag me from my Father’s shadow, from His mighty protection, safety and security.

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

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Our Will, Faith And The Word Of God

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17

Our faith has nothing to do with our feelings. In fact, I had another migraine yesterday morning and I’m not feeling good at all. This morning, I read some of “Power In Praise” to Ann while she was getting ready for work. The section I read talked all about not being able to walk by feelings, but instead by faith. In that part of the book, Merlin Carothers writes a powerful line (pg. 41). He said, “God accepted your surrender of will and you were born again by His Holy Spirit.”

When I have migraines, I feel angry, upset, scared, puny, like giving up, weak, depressed, a lot of self-pity, etc. But, God has taught me to surrender my will to His Word rather than to let my will be overwhelmed by the migraine fallout. Loving Annie regardless of how I feel is a huge part of how God is delivering me from feelings that could ruin me.

Live by the Word of God and walk by faith rather than by sight or feelings. God will deliver you as you choose His Word over any conditions you face.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart (give our entire will over to His Word); and lean not unto thine own understanding (sight, feelings, etc.). In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (into all the liberty He has for us).
Proverbs 3:5-6

We love you all so much. ☺☺♥♥

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

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Psalm 91: Conflict Resolution

I was battling in the spirit this morning – I was involved in a spiritual conflict. I discovered what I was really doing was leaning on my own understanding and that led to more and more confusion. Finally, I grabbed my Bible, found Annie and began reading Psalm 91 out loud to us. The Holy Spirit began speaking to us pointing out and highlighting certain verses in that passage of scripture. Wow, God is so powerful and His Word can really clear the atmosphere around and in us. The conflict I was having was resolved by reading Psalm 91 out loud. It was amazing.

Psalm 91 – Conflict Resolution.

Focusing on everything but the Word? Read Psalm 91 out loud. Doing so clears the air in our spirits and thinking.

1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
Psalm 91

So come on, let’s go and see all the great things God has in store for us as we walk hand in hand with Him this week. Hallelujah!

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

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Heaven

Revelation 21:2-4 — Today's Verse for Thursday, June 1, 2006

Hallelujah!

It’s all about Heaven. Don’t get too caught up in this earthly life. Focus on the big picture, Heaven.

We love you all. ☺☺

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

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The Comfort Of Romans 8:28

3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Annie and I were talking this morning about what a comfort the Word is to our lives. We were talking about how amazing it is that God is redeeming our lives with Romans 8:28. That’s why we love to share this precious verse with as many people as we can. God wants to redeem so many who are trapped in their own understanding, the past, and in circumstances that have them so down and out spiritually, physically and emotionally.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark