Category: Family

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:18

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Hebrews 12:1

Finally, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to live in a way that is pleasing to God, as you have received from us.  This is how you already live, so you should do so all the more.
1 Thessalonians 4:1

As Christians, one of God’s goals for us is to help us be more free from our ways (the sin that so easily besets (entangles) us – Hebrews 12:1), to be less conformed to this world.  God wants to set us free, indeed, by learning to live His way, by becoming Holy (safe from sin), peaceful, trusting in Him, resting, joyful, and full of love like He is.

Many people talk about Christians saying that churches are full of hypocrites – It’s sad that many of those same people use that line of reasoning as an excuse for not coming to Jesus in their own lives because they’re really loving the darkness (the world and its ways) more than the light (God’s ways to live this life) – We can all wrestle with loving the darkness more than the light at times as we shed this world and our sin nature while being changed into Christ’s image.

While many of today’s churches are becoming more and more worldly, there are sincere Christians who desire to renew their minds to the Word of God (the Bible) in order to be free from the impact sin is having on their lives.  Those who let the Holy Spirit work in their lives can also appear to be hypocritical at times by those in the world.  But, the truth is, the Christians trying to grow in Jesus are merely repenting (changing), and change can take time just like the saying “old habits die hard.”

We need to remember to be gracious with each other as we let the Holy Spirit do His work in us as He changes us from glory to glory, as He sets us more and more free from “our ways.”  Am I a hypocrite because repentance is taking longer than I want it to?  No, I’m merely learning to wait on the Lord and to be patient with the growth (His liberty) He’s producing in my life as I cooperate with His work in me.  And, I need to extend that same grace to others who desire to renew their minds to Christ.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.  Amen.
2 Peter 3:18

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32

And this is my prayer:  that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and profound insight,
Philippians 1:9

And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone else, just as our love for you overflows, so that He may establish your hearts in blamelessness and holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.  Amen
1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

God bless,

Mark

Wow, Jonathan’s talk “The Way Of The Lord” is really good.  I was sitting here before listening to Jonathan’s talk, and I was thinking about doing something else with my time.  Then, a calm, peaceful love and desire for God came on me in a really gentle way.  I felt like nothing in this life compares with being with Him, spending time with Him, gleaning more of Him.  My life hasn’t always been that way.  I wanted other things more than Him and let other things keep me from knowing Him more.  It’s like I’m realizing deep in my heart that, truly, nothing else can satisfy like Him.  Nothing’s as sweet or endearing as His Presence…Nothing.  While none of us will ever be perfect in this life, we can learn to let the things of earth grow strangely dim by getting to know Him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhkLkFCoMUk&t=1584s

Here are just a couple of the precious statements Jonathan makes in the above video:  “In the present tense (at the time), it was a rotten experience (any wilderness experience we encounter), but after it was over, we said, “Hey, we did it.”  And often what happens, you see, you’re dealing with a hard thing in your life and you’re dealing with the wilderness, but after it’s over, it’s a different story because you’re not focusing so much on all that other stuff.  Now, you’re focusing on what God did through it.  And God fulfilled something in your life.  It may not be easy, but it was what was needed.  And when you look back you say, “I was glad, I’m glad cause look at all You (God) did from that.”  That’s the truth in your life.  The wilderness ends up enriching your life…

…God wants us to come to the wilderness to be with Him so He can give us something we don’t have right now.”

Jonathan goes on to say that wilderness times aren’t mistakes.  They’re planned by God.  He’s pursuing and wooing us.  He’s using wilderness times to bring us closer to Him so we can learn the wonderful blessing of learning to lean on Him (Song of Solomon 8:5).

God bless,

Mark

It doesn’t matter what you’re facing or doing, God’s in it somehow.  He’ll work through all situations to show us He’s in control, that He’s never left us nor forsaken us, and that He’s working all things together for our good.  Honestly, God’s better to us than we are to ourselves (2 Timothy 2:13).  It’s true, and staying in relationship with God as we walk with Him in this life will always bear that out.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways
Psalm 91:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 16:11

If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
2 Timothy 2:13

Happy Monday, everyone!

God bless,

Mark

behold, I (The angel of the Lord) bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to “all” people.

And, that wonderful proclamation was made to shepherds, “regular, everyday” people just like you and me…

7 And she (Mary) brought forth her firstborn son (Jesus), and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds (regular folks like you and me) abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night (just going about their business like you and I do).

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:  and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not:  for (because), behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to “all” people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour (to save us from everything the devil had planned for us since the fall like your past, discouragement, disappointment, depression, hopelessness, emptiness, pride, hate, greed, lust, anger, fear, you name it), which is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:7-11

Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.  Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.
1 Chronicles 16:10-11

Jesus, the Saviour, is for everyone.  He can redeem anyone from the plans of the evil one.  Jesus is not just for those who go to church, who appear to be religious, who wear long robes and seem kind of other-worldly or mysterious.  No, He came to set the captives free – That’s you and me.  We’re like the shepherds in the story above – we’re regular people just like they were.

And, we’re all captives.  We became captives as a result of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden.  We’re all captive to sin (Romans 3:23), to seeking our own way, to living familiar, marginalized, compromised lives (having some of the world’s ways and some of God’s ways operating in our lives), to living apart from God’s ways.  Jesus came to bring us all back into the close relationship with God Adam and Eve enjoyed and thrived in before the fall.  Jesus came to deliver us from evil, from fear, stress, distrust, unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, insecurity and all of the other “ashes.”  He came to take our ashes and replace them with His beautiful, delivering love.  He came to show us the power of His might.

To all who mourn in Israel (or anywhere else you happen to be), he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair.  In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory.
Isaiah 61:3

God bless,

Mark

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;
Philippians 1:9-10

Teach me good discernment and knowledge, For I believe in Your commandments.
Psalm 119:66

Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them For the ways of the LORD are right, And the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble in them.
Hosea 14:9

Once Jesus begins to show you His liberty, you want more and more of it.

Boy, I want to be as free as possible while on earth.  I want the Lord to show me where I’m deceived, where I might be limited in my understanding of His ways, areas of my life where I’m still bound in some way.  I want to live free and tell others about the possibilities the Lord can present us with in this life.  Settle for nothing less, folks.  God is good and He’s still showing His great power to those who seek Him and all that He has for them.

so that you may approve the things that are excellent…☺

God bless,

Mark

The battle for our minds is super intense and we must do all we can to follow Jesus into the victory for our minds.  Maintaining joy in the fray is such a valuable part of the moving forward in securing the liberty Christ has for us in our thought life.

Joy as a verb, an action we can and should choose to take.  Wow, that’s really powerful.  Joy is such an important, offensive weapon in the Christian’s arsenal in the battle for the mind.  In my own life, I started to see joy as a defensive mechanism I could use when the enemy attacked me.  Then, I began to see joy as an offensive weapon to keep the enemy at bay and to move into his territory and to chase him out.  Instead of using joy as a defensive mechanism like a wall, I was beginning to see it as an offensive weapon like a tank or fighter jet.  Really.  God was showing me how to attack the enemy and his victims with joy to help captives be free.  Then, they would do the same for others, and so on, and so on.

I hope you’ll give the following your full attention.  In my own life I’ve found it to be true and it has saved me from enemy lies and traps time and time again.

*******
The Radical Secret Of Joy
By Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn

Everyone seeks fulfillment, happiness, or joy.  But how do we find a life of joy?  First, we must be saved.  Without salvation, there’s no real basis for a joyful life.  But after that, how do we need to live as believers to find a life of joy?

In English, when we speak of joy or happiness, we are almost always centering on a “noun.”  We view joy as a “thing.”  And in modern culture, we see it as a commodity – something we either have or do not have.  And if we do not have it, we have to get it, or somehow procure it.

Further, in order to get joy we believe we have to get something else that will allow us to have it.  In order to get joy, we have to get married, or success, or a house, or a car, or a thing.  We have to get joy indirectly by getting something else.

But the way of joy as given in God’s Word is radically different.

Fits, in order to live a life of joy, we have to not spend our lives pursuing it.  We are to live pursuing something else – The Kingdom of God and His righteousness.  And then all these other things will be added to us.

Second, we are not to find joy by seeking to acquire something else that will then give us joy – We are to get joy directly.

Third, the key doesn’t lie in joy as a thing or commodity.  The key is not in relating to joy primarily as a noun – but relating to it, as it often appears in the original Hebrew of the Bible – as a verb.

In other words, if joy is simply a noun, something you have or have not, then if you don’t have it, you’re pretty much stuck.  But if joy is a verb, then it doesn’t matter what you have in this world or don’t have – it’s something you do.

So the Word of God does not instruct us to have or get joy – but rather to rejoice.  In fact, it tells us to rejoice always.  In order to rejoice always, your joy has to be unconditional and not based on anything in this world.  The only way to rejoice always is to rejoice in that which is not of this world – to rejoice in the Lord.

It is that unconditional joy by which Paul and Silas could praise and worship God in the midst of a prison cell.  In fact, it was in a prison cell that Paul wrote the words “Rejoice in the Lord always!”  For the child of God, joy is a choice, a choice that must be made at all times and in all circumstances.  But it is a joy that overcomes the world.  For the way of the Lord is the way of joy, a joy that comes not by running after it, but by choosing it in light of the unconditionally present reason of the Good News of great joy!

Choose to rejoice this month no matter what.  And may God greatly bless you as you do!

“But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God:  yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.”
Psalm 68:3

Your brother and co-laborer in His love and service,

Jonathan

*******

I’ve found that the more joy I use in my thought life, the more free I’m becoming.  It takes an effort to use joy in all circumstances like the Apostle Paul did, but when you get used to using it no matter what you’re going through, you begin to be really set free in Jesus.  When circumstances no longer matter, you’re well on your way to being free, indeed.  John 8:36

God bless,

Mark

Happy Monday!

When I realize that God knows all of my days, and that He’s not rattled by what He knows about my future, then I can live without being rattled as well.  I can lay my tendency to be “rattled” down at the foot of the cross trusting in His plans for me, letting His peace reign in my heart.

You (God) saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
Psalm 139:16

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD.  “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

God bless,

Mark

Are you like me?  Are you a “Martha” trying to become more like “Mary?”

Today, it’s really easy to become like Martha in that famous Bible story in the book of Luke.  It’s easy to rationalize being really busy, to take on unnecessary stress or fear, to get so caught up in and carried away with the “day-to-day” that I become more and more distracted and distant from the peace and order sitting at Jesus’ feet gives me.  Thankfully, Jesus reminds me of my need for Him and brings me back into close fellowship with Him like Mary in that same Bible story.  Jesus is what’s needful.  There’s nothing like dwelling with Him.

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.  Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!”  “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42

God bless,

Mark

Jesus is the Word so the way to get to know Him better is to spend time with Him.  Reading the Word, the Bible, helps me to get better acquainted with Jesus, to find out what He’s really like.

I like to say verses of scripture out loud.  I like to say them (like the 23 Psalm, for instance) until I begin to say them slower.  I find that when that occurs, I’m having more peace, and trusting more in Jesus.  It helps me unwind.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:  he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:  for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:  thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:  and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Psalm 23

It’s so good to remind myself of Jesus’ love and care for me, that He’s in control and that nothing that happens during my day is outside His watchful eye and attention.  Truly, Jesus is my Shepherd.

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.  Mmmm – Such a  peaceful, restful place…

God bless,

Mark

I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him (Jesus) from the dead.  I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!  I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection.  But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.  No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing:  Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Philippians 3:10-14

God bless,

Mark

Well, I’ve been having a number of migraines again – Nope, this isn’t a pity party email.  Migraines can leave me feeling pretty feeble, lost and scared.  Probably why I need Jesus as much as I do. ☺

Anyway, after having another migraine attack Saturday, I’d been pretty scared about life and wondering, timidly, about our future.  I shared this with Ann who was lying in bed with a fever and achy all over.  She reminded me of a really neat entry in one of Sarah Young’s daily devotionals.  It really hit home with me, and even though I didn’t feel any different, I knew what she was sharing was truth.  We stand on truth, precious people, not feelings.

Here’s Sarah’s entry in her Jesus Calling daily devotional.

*******

Do not let fears and worries about the future slow you down now, live in the present.  Just let all of your fears and worries go into His Arms and His Light. He will rid you of them.  There is no need to worry about the future because He is with you always.  You are picturing the future without Him whether you realize it or not.  Because He is the same today and tomorrow and forever He will always be taking care of you.  He is the only one who really knows your future.  So just quit worrying.

Anytime a worry about the future pops into your head, just push it away into the Light that God is shining upon you.  “Say to yourself, ‘Jesus will be with me then and there.  With His help, I can cope!'”  Return your mind to the present time and moment where Jesus is always living!

Luke 12:22-26 (NLT)
Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear.  For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens.  They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them.  And you are far more valuable to him than any birds!  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT)
So be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid and do not panic before them.  For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you.  He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 (NLT)
We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God.  We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

*******

The gist of Sarah’s writing is that Jesus is with us.  I needed to stop seeing the future alone, without my precious Jesus. Jesus is with us right now, a minute from now, an hour from now, a day, week, month, year or decade from now.  He’s always with us!  He holds the future in His Almighty hands and has never failed me.  Always picture the future with Christ.

God bless,

Mark

When I read this verse, it reminds me to take a deep breath and to let God be God.  Through this precious passage, He reminds me that He’s still in control…

God bless,

Mark

Well, I found that if I didn’t praise Him, I was tempted to get upset, frustrated, worried, bitter, etc.  I’ve found that praising God brings Him on the scene and calms me down.  I’m open to His voice at that time.  The other reason I praise Him is that the Bible commands me to do so in many verses.

For me, it was difficult at first to praise God in all things.  I wasn’t willing to do it.  I found out that I was really holding a grudge against God for not working things out the way I wanted Him to in my life.  Not good.  Once I began praising Him in all things, I found, more and more, that I wanted to surrender my will to His plan for my life.  That’s really good to do, and although it involves waiting for His plans for my life to be unveiled, I trust Him when I praise Him.  Keeps me living with the right perspective.  I don’t know what He’s up to a lot of the time, but I know He’s working all things together for my good because He knows I love Him.

I will praise the Lord no matter what happens.  I will constantly speak of his glories and grace.  I will boast of all his kindness to me.  Let all who are discouraged take heart.  Let us praise the Lord together and exalt his name.
Psalm 34:1-3

God bless,

Mark

The following is taken from “GotQuestions.Org.”

Question:  “How is God our refuge?”

Answer:  What does the word refuge make you think of Maybe an imposing building with locks on the doors, maybe a thick-walled fortress, or perhaps something as simple as a canopy to keep you dry in a rainstorm.  Whatever picture comes to mind, it can be agreed that a refuge is a safe place.  When the Bible describes God as our refuge, it is saying that God is our safe place when we need protection from something.

Knowing God as our refuge enables us to trust Him more freely.  We need not fear situations or people who threaten our well-being, whether in a physical or spiritual sense.  There is no situation we will ever face that is out of God’s control, so the best place to be, always, is right with Him.  “The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10).

A question that arises is “how do I make God my refuge?”  It’s easy to picture a physical refuge protecting us from some danger, but how can we make God—whom we can’t see—our refuge?

David is a great example of someone who knew God as his refuge.  At different points in his life, David was on the run from people who literally wanted to kill him, but he always found safety in God.  “My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.  Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:7–8).  An easy way to make God our refuge is to simply ask Him to be.  David said, “Pour out your hearts to him;” that’s what David did all the time.  He poured out his heart to God about what was going on in his life and asked God to intervene on his behalf.  When we turn to God for help or protection, we begin to know Him as our refuge.

In contrast to David’s faith, the leaders of Israel in Isaiah’s day tried to find security in things other than God.  In Isaiah 28:15, the Lord rebukes them for making “a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place.”  God then offers them a true refuge:  “See I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.  I will make justice the measuring line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place” (Isaiah 28:16–18).  We may be tempted to look for safety in things other than God, but such things can only provide a false sense of security.  God is the only real refuge we’ll ever find.

God is our refuge.  However, that does not mean He will never lead us into difficult or dangerous situations.  Jesus led the disciples into a boat, knowing full well that a violent storm was brewing; the disciples were terrified, but Jesus, their refuge, calmed the storm (Matthew 8:23–27).  When we are in God’s will, we can face even the most dangerous situations with confidence, because God is with us.

Countless times, God led the Israelites into battles against armies much more powerful than they, yet when they trusted God and obeyed Him, they always came out victorious (see Joshua chapters 6 and 8 for some examples).  Jesus told us, “In me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

No matter what our circumstance, the safest place to be is always in the center of God’s will.  He promises to be our refuge:  “‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’  So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5–6).

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Psalm 46:1-2

God bless,

Mark

Happy Monday!

The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
Lamentations 3:25

The Lord is good unto them that wait for him…The Lord blesses our lives with so many wonderful spiritual blessings as we wait on Him.  In my own life, God has used waiting on Him to iron out the wrinkles in me.  I don’t know of another Heavenly exercise that can teach us His contentment like waiting can. ☺

God bless,

Mark

A story is told of a man with two pickers.  One pocket has a hole that he never repairs.  The other pocket has no holes, and if a hole develops, he gets it sown up immediately.

Throughout the day, whenever he experiences something negative, he puts it in the pocket with a hole.  But every food thing he experiences, he places in the pocket without the hole.  Every evening, he empties our his pocket and all he has are blessings.

Too many of us put all the good in our lives in the pocket with holes.  We take them for granted, forget them, and don’t treasure them.  Yet, all the negative things we deal with – our problems, frustrations, and worries – we place in the pocket with no holes.  Then, at the end of the day, we empty our pockets and find all sorts of problems and no blessings.

Learn to let go of all the bad and hold fast to all the good so that, at the end of the day and the end of your life, you’ll find yourself with no worries – just a pocket full of blessings.

Today’s Mission:  Today, see, notice, dwell on, treasure, and give thanks for all the blessings and let go of what is not.

Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing.  My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
James 3:10 KJV

And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth.  Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!
James 3:10 NLT

God bless,

Mark

Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn – Hope Of The World.org.  Taken from his “Sapphires” daily devotional and excerpted from his message titled, “The Unconditionally Joyful Life,” #2176.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour (uproar; tumult; loud, confused noise), and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice (revenge; ill will; intention or desire to do evil):  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:31-32

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (maliciously spiteful manner) use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven:  for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Matthew 5:44-45

I love these two passages of scripture.  If you apply them to your life, they can really have a Godly impact on you by keeping you from becoming unforgiving, bitter, and resentful following a hurtful, offensive situation.  We all encounter those types of hurtful, offensive circumstances and God wants to show us how to handle them His way.

And then blessing others, especially when they’ve hurt you, gives God an opportunity to work in both your life and theirs.  It keeps your heart from becoming hard and keeps you open to more of the beautiful, rich, spiritual blessings God has in store for you and releases God to work in the other person’s life as well.

As one of our dear Oregon pastor’s said in a recent teaching, we can forgive others and bless them as we yield to the love of God and what He’s forgiven us for and how He’s loved us when we didn’t necessarily deserve to be forgiven and loved.

That ye may be the children of your Father.  That’s the goal.  When we’re being the children of our Father, we’re living in the peaceful, restful, loving, joyful dwelling place of the Most High.  That’s a blessing unlike any other.

God bless,

Mark

The following is taken from our “Choosing Jesus Every Day” site.  Ann and I have found the three keys to be imperative in our walk with the Lord.

Three Keys To The Kingdom

Renewing our minds:

Years ago, the Lord impressed upon my (Mark) heart three important elements we needed to pay particular attention to.  God stressed the fact that we couldn’t be nonchalant about our Christianity in order to follow His leading in our lives.

The devil will do everything he can to discourage you from truly believing and acting upon these three keys.  But, if you persist and renew your mind to these three scripture truths, you’ll be well on your way to discovering an abiding peace and true liberty in Christ.

Often we combine all three, but there are also times when one or two of them come to mind just when we need them.

The first key was to learn to take thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 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 10:3-5

I was having so many defeating thoughts and didn’t feel like I could overcome them.  Jesus taught me to “change the channel” (take thoughts captive) whenever harmful thoughts came to mind.  For instance, when we were on food stamps and welfare, I felt so ashamed, embarrassed and worthless.  Jesus told me that when those negative thoughts attacked me that I was to say or think Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  Doing so would take my mind off the attacking, lacking thought and remind me that God would provide for us.  This verse gave me a way of extinguishing the enemy’s fiery darts.  If the fiery dart was regarding my past or hope for my future, I was to remember Romans 8:28 and the fact that God would and could use anything for my good.

By showing me this second Kingdom key, God was going to add more liberty to my thought life by helping me to always remember that He’s working all things (like welfare, ill health, or a questionable future) for my good even though I could not understand how He was going to do it at the time.  I believe that when a Christian has this rich truth developed in their heart, that it produces a liberty and peace of mind beyond words.  The protection that the power behind this verse contains is so supernatural and freeing.

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

Romans 8:28 can bring great deliverance to a person who’s dealing with panic disorder and anxiety disease.  It has the power to disarm fear and change anyone’s outlook by turning any situation into an opportunity to cast care on Jesus.  I really believe this verse leads to perfect love casting out fear (1 John 4:18).  Just writing this puts a Holy Spirit smile on my face.

The third key is praising God in all things.  Praising God no matter the circumstance can bring His Presence on the scene and intercept enemy attacks of hopelessness and despair.  At times, when I have trouble sleeping, I begin praising God and the next thing I know, I’m waking up after having fallen asleep.  I also use praise to intercept satanic lies.  Praising puts me in a God frame of mind.  Never forget, satan wants our attention and tries to grab it with his fiery darts.  Praising God can instantly place our attention back onto God and His faithfulness.

In every thing give thanks:  for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
2 Thessalonians 5:18

I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psalm 34:1

1.  Take thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ
2.  Remember that God Almighty is working all things for your good
3.  Praise God in all things

Happy Monday!

God bless,

Mark

Nothing ceases my striving, calms me down, stills my anxious heart, brings me back into God’s peace, love, and care like this precious piece of scripture…It keeps me safe and resting in the dwelling place of the Most High.

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

God bless,

Mark