Category: Husbands and Wives

But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man.
Isaiah 52:14

You may have already thought about this…

God wants us to know something really incredible. The Bible tells us Jesus was tempted in all ways like us yet without sin. Wait, Jesus was never tempted with polio, with being divorced, with all the other things that all of mankind has lived with throughout time? He didn’t live with losing a limb in war. He didn’t struggle with being a father, mother or being orphaned, right?

Temptation brings pressure on us. It bears down on our minds, emotions and souls trying to get us to give into the temptation and to sin.

Maybe not in the same exact way, but Jesus has felt every bit as much pressure to give into temptation as anyone ever has. The type of temptation isn’t the issue. The issue is the pressure to give in to sin.

On the cross, Jesus took on Himself the sin of the whole world. All of the temptation and sin that all of mankind would ever experience and give into was downloaded into Jesus’ life as He hung there on the cross. And, it was the supernatural, all-powerful love of God that kept Jesus alive on the cross until the very last sin that would ever be committed by man was placed in Jesus. No other power could have kept Jesus alive like that.

A jar of sour wine was sitting there. So they soaked a sponge in the wine, put it on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted it to His mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.
John 19:29-30

No one can take my (Jesus) life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”
John 10:18

No one killed Jesus. Satan can’t claim that victory. The very power of Almighty God kept Jesus alive on the cross – even after He’d been beaten so badly that the Bible records that He was not recognizable as a human being at that point – until “It was finished,” until all of sin, all of that pressure was placed on Him on the cross so it could be forgiven through His blood and death. It had to be this way for God’s plan of victory over the devil and death to be accomplished. At the very second Christ realized the last sin had hit Him, He said, “It is finished” and He gave up the Spirit. Jesus was Lord even over His own death. He is Lord of ALL. Satan didn’t kill Christ. Jesus was in control even to the point of rescuing all of mankind from sin through His timely death.

Satan did all he could to kill Jesus before all of the world’s sins could be placed on Jesus and be forgiven. Much to his dismay, the devil’s plan was foiled.

Truly, we are no longer the slaves of sin. We have been bought with the precious blood of The Lamb of God.

Hallelujah, Father! Thank You, SO MUCH, for the victory you gave us through Jesus’s cross. Thank You, Jesus, for being willing to face the type of cross You bore to make me free!

God bless,

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.

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1 Corinthians 2:9

Just how good of a deal is our salvation in Christ? Well, I’m finding it to be worth much more than anything and that it’s far beyond what I thought it could bring me like a peace of mind I never knew, and the insurpassable pleasure and joy of knowing God is working all things together for my good because He loves me. And, Ann and I know we’re just beginning to tap into how great this salvation in Christ really is. One of the most wonderful things about it is that salvation in Christ is infinite meaning that all of the wonderful blessings He brings to our lives just keep going deeper and more rich in their delivering, life-giving and life-changing power. Sure, there are some intense spiritual battles the enemy engages us in, but God is giving us more strength, determination, and spiritual stamina to be able to stand in and see the battles through with. We’re actually anticipating the joy at the battle’s end now and that’s a whole new area of amazing growth Jesus is giving us.

To Him who alone does great wonders, For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
Psalm 136:4

“For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.
Luke 1:49

18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Ephesians 1:18-23

Stay tuned…☺

God bless,

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.

Let go and let God. It’s more than just a nice expression.

The doing is in the believing…☺

When Ann and I finally began to be able to apply, believe and trust in the three keys God gave us, we found it much easier to let go and to let God realizing that He really is able to work all things together for our good. All things…

For example, yesterday, Ann and I met with a new doctor. Our other doctor left the medical group we used for years so he could take some time off.

When asked, I told the new doctor about any areas of my health I’d like to work on. He told me none of the three non life-threatening areas I shared with him were curable. Not exactly the news I wanted to hear.

But God…

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I (God) have overcome the world.
John 16:33

Ann and I constantly talk about the three keys of taking all thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, praising and thanking God in all things and believing that God truly is working all things together for our good.

I heard a famous person once say that if he goes down, he’s going down shouting, “In the Name of Jesus.”

The other day, the sweet, powerful Holy Spirit told me, “I want you to know that you’ll never go down. You’re going up.” Wow. that really spoke to me and gave me an incredible lift in the Lord.

God is so good all the time, and, all the time, God is good. It’s true and becomes a part of your believing when you learn to put the three keys into practice every day. That’s choosing Jesus every day.

We’re not going down, precious people. We’re going up!

Ah – To let go and let God. What an amazing blessing for those who love Him. Life only gets better from here on out.

In the Name of Jesus, we’re going up! How fun is that?!

God bless,

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.

So come on, let’s go and discover the life-changing life Jesus has for us today and this week. To be made into His image is everything. So rejoice. He’s working on our behalf and in our midst each day. Hallelujah!

Happy Monday, everybody!

God bless,

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.

1 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 34: 1-4

Thank You, precious, loving, reassuring, calming, restful Jesus…

God bless,

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.

The following is taken from Ravi’s youtube message titled, “Though The Fig Tree Does Not Bud – Stand Alone”

“If you go through the scriptures you will see some of the most passionate people who served with a very devoted heart had the toughest and the most emotionally driven questions. You know, faith is a perpetually defeated thing which survives all its conquerors. It will always be hammered. It will always be attacked, but the Bible will always rise up to outlive its pallbearers. Those who try to bury the Word find out it survives all those attacks.”
Ravi Zaharias quoting GK Chesterton

*******

17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.
Habakkuk 3:17-19

Amen!

God bless,

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.

Yesterday, I began taking on some of Satan’s lies. Didn’t know that was what was happening. He’s pretty clever at camouflaging his lies in half-truths. After having another nightmare last night, I woke up at about 2:30am and then got up at 3am. I was still taking on fear. Ann and I came out to have our morning coffee and began talking. That’s when I knew I had to begin fighting back against the devil’s lies, the heaviness I was experiencing. I put on the youtube video “The Resistance Secret” by Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn. After hearing that a couple of times, I began saying the 91st Psalm out loud over and over. Next, I said all of the verses God gave us while living in Oregon. Finally, the oppression began to subside. Thank You, Jesus!

Jesus commands us to use His Word like the mighty sword of the Spirit that it is (Ephesians 6:17). Say it out loud (swing it around at the enemy), and watch deliverance flow in your life. Because the enemy is a liar, he can’t stand God’s truth. He can’t be around it for long without it doing him major damage so he flees.

If we want to live free in God’s truth, sooner or later, we must learn to use His Word in the battle for our minds.

He (His Word in my mouth) brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings.
Psalm 40:2

Using God’s Word will set our feet upon a rock (Jesus) and establish our goings (our lives and what Jesus has for us to do in His Name.)

Self-pity trying to wreak havoc in your mind and life? Jesus wants us free from all defeating thoughts. That’s right – Free!

If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:31b-32

I don’t care what lies the enemy of our souls is trying to get you to accept, believe and live with. Don’t take fifteen cents worth of nothing off the devil! Don’t do it. Hallelujah!

How do you discern the devil’s lies?

If thoughts are oppressing, tormenting (squeezing your brain and clouding your thoughts with despair) you and making you feel defeated, weary, hopeless, like you’ll never get over your past, hurts, anger, etc., they’re lying thoughts. Believe Ann and me, those kinds of miry clay thoughts are not from Jesus. Jesus’ truthful thoughts – His Word – will set you free from Satan’s lies. Jesus’ thoughts will make you victorious, strong and courageous.

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 10:4-5

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

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

So come on, let’s go, and I’ll (Jesus) show you all the wonderful things and truths I have for you this week!

Happy Monday, everyone.

God bless,

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.

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
2 Corinthians 5:17-20

I read a list of “Who We Are In Christ” to Ann and myself each morning. The list is taken from one of Dr. Neil Anderson’s books. One item in the list caught Ann’s attention today. It says, “I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation.”

Ann said, “Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they would not be reconciled to all the trust, love, peace, rest and joy He knew He could give them.”

As Ann and I talked about being reconciled to God, it hit me that, just like the rest of scripture, Proverbs 3:5-6 and Romans 8:28 are inseparably linked by the love of God. We can trust in the Lord with all our heart because God is working all things together for our good. We can yield to the love God is reaching out to us with, and making available to us, through these two scriptures or we can choose not to yield to them and not experience a large part of His love, a large part of our Father.

God, Who is love, wants to reconcile us to Him, to all that He is. He does this so we can trust Him all the time. This is what faith is all about and why our faith is so important.

“Be reconciled to God.” What an immense declaration from God to attempt to bring us back into His love where we can trust Him and never feel the need to ever fear again. All we ever have to do is yield to Him, to His Word, to His amazing love.

For (Because) God so loved the world (that’s you and me) that He gave His only begotten Son (He held nothing back so that reconciliation with Him could happen), that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

For God so loved…Mmmm.

Reconciliation – Can you hear Him calling out to you today with His love? Trust Him. Rest in Him.

God bless,

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.

The thief (Satan) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy (our lives, our marriages, our testimonies, etc.): I (Jesus) am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John 10:10

I heard a pastor on a local Christian radio station yesterday morning while driving to Costco.  His words really ministered to me.  Here are some notes I jotted down when I got home.

God wants to give us His rest.  We tend to want to do things in our own strength.  That’s why we get so worn out.  We don’t take on Christ.  We don’t live “in Christ.”  Reminds me of why I do the three kingdom keys.  God wants to bless my life by showing me how to live “in Christ.”  As I apply God’s Word to my life, as I yield to His Word, I learn to live “in Christ.”  Otherwise, I’m living outside of Christ.

*******

I was getting ready to send out something else today, but I felt I needed to say the following instead.

Spiritual wickedness can be so powerful and deceptive meaning that we’re not even aware of how they’re working in our lives to bring their dark oppression to bare on us.

My wife said something this morning that really sparked a thought.  She said we’re not wrestling with flesh and blood, but with principalities.

Immediately, the Holy Spirit told me these principalities are the ones who kept me in pride, anger, unforgiveness, and all the rest.  They’re the ones who made sure I kept believing the lies (it’s truly amazing how the devil’s lies creep into our lives to make us miserable.  This is why Jesus tells us His truth will set us free from Satan’s lies.) that have held me captive in PTSD.  They kept me from believing and applying the three kingdom keys to my life.  They did this to keep me from being set free in Jesus.  They did not want me “in Christ.”  They know that outside of Christ, they can have their dark impact in our lives.

If you feel an antagonism towards the Word.  If, for whatever reason, you fight doing the Word, it’s most likely the principalities and powers that are keeping you bound somehow.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you break free from the influence of these principalities so you can be free and “in Christ.”

One symptom of the work of these principalities, powers and spiritual wickedness I’ve found in my own life is when I sense unrest in me.  I can become easily offended, antagonistic, not able to rest or to lay something down, I sense I need to defend myself, etc.  These are times when I turn to Jesus, when I know I need to get back “In Him.”

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Ephesians 6:12

And ye shall know the truth (Jesus), and the truth shall make you free (from Satan’s lies we accumulate over the years).
John 8:32

I hope this helps…

God bless,

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.

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

7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. (And, so on…)

By faith Mark and Ann, when we were getting beat up by the enemy in Oregon, finally took up The Word of God and began memorizing it, applying it to their daily lives and “standing” on it…
Hebrews 11:6-8

Yes, go ahead and add your names to the list in Hebrews chapter 11.  Stand.  Keep the list of the faithful growing and growing…

While living in Oregon, I gave up and gave in to the devil all the time.  We became so weak that it didn’t take much for me to cave into any pressure he brought against me and my precious family.  Finally, when it seemed we had nothing left to lose (all hope was gone by that time), God began to show us how to “stand” – how to not give up and to not give in to Satan’s lies and it all started with God showing us how to “DO” His Word.  He told us to apply The Word to our everyday lives.  Hence, “Choosing Jesus (Who is The Word) Every Day.”

God did allow us to get to the point where we got sick – really sick – of taking the devil’s lies on the chin and not knowing how to fight back.

Yes, you may stumble in your faith, you may get a stomach ache, shed tears, get migraines, deal with sickness, weakness,  experience loss, etc, standing for God.  But, still stand.  See it through with Jesus.  God is faithful!

I think a lot of us have to come to the point where we finally stand up to the devil’s bullying.  I pray that “point” comes sooner than later for all of us.  For Ann and me, that was where “faith” really began to take hold on our lives.  We stood up to the bullying with The Word of God – With Jesus!

Never Give Up, Never Give In
By Ernie Haase and Signature Sound

Shadrach, Mesach, Abednego… The king said bow down they said no.
No, they had to endure the burning flames…
But they were soon delivered when the fourth Man came…

Oh, never give up. (Never give up)
No never give in (Never give in)
Never will He fail you, leave you, turn you away. You can always count on Him.

The very same God of the Bible days is answering prayer like He did back then.

So, never give up (No, never give up)
No, never give in

Rough spots, roadblocks, troubled times…
Trials, let downs, uphill climbs.
No matter what test you have to face,
You will overcome it if you keep the faith!

Never give up. (No, never give up)
No, never give in (No, never give in)

Never will He fail you, leave you, turn away, you away…
You can always count on Him.

The very same God of the Bible days is answering prayer like He did back then
So, never give up, (No, never give up)
No, never give in

No, never give up!
No, never give up!
No, never give up!
No, never give up!
No, never give up!
Never give in (Never give in)

The very same God of the Bible days is answering prayer like He did back then
So, never give up (No, never give up)
Never give in (No, never give in)
No, never give up (No, never give up!)
Come on boy.  Sound off.
Never give up
Never give in.
No, never give up!

God bless,

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.

Jesus…

Just the awareness that He’s near right now calms me down. The Peace that passes understanding.

Mmmm. Sweet Jesus…

Keep “looking up” to Jesus, precious people.

Happy Monday.

So come on, let’s go!

“Thank You, Jesus, for all the wonderful things You’re going to show and teach me this week.”

God bless,

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.

“God, all of my questioning; all of my anger towards You; all of the pain; all of the humility; all of the brokenness and suffering; failures; thoughts of wanting to give up; all of the confusion; depression; oppression; torment; relentless, hopeless thoughts; self-pity; and shame…Why did You allow it? Why didn’t You do something about it? Why have you allowed me to feel and live so forsaken? How could You possibly use this? How can You help me? How can You heal me from the impact of all of the years spent living this way, Jesus?

Romans 8:28? What? Really? That’s it?

How?”

All I’ve ever heard Him say back to all those questions and awful decades is, “Trust Me.” And, I’ve found that when I think I’m done trusting Him, He asks me to trust Him more…And more…And more…And the trusting never ends.

…And then, a flicker of light appears. Then, more light. Then, He appears in the form of a trace of hope on the horizon. He comes walking across the angry seas of my life. I think, “Who is that?” “Is it real?” “Is that You, Jesus?”

And He says it’s okay for me to get out of my boat. My boat’s not much, but it’s familiar and it’s the only thing that’s kept me alive – so far. It’s the only life I’ve known.

He asks me to leave it to come to Him. I think, “Really? Can I trust Him? Can I trust anything any more? I don’t understand what it is, but something in me moves me to try. And when I try to walk on the waves, I begin to sink. He grabs me, helps me back in the boat, and calms the raging sea in me – for the moment.

He looks at me and says, “Where is your faith?” I tell Him my faith is gone. All of the years of my life have drained it out of my spirit.

His eyes seem to look through me in a way that makes me understand that He knows me better than I know myself, that He knows something I don’t know…

That’s when He tells me He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. “What does that even mean?” His words seem to bounce off my numb, faithless heart.

He tells me He has the power – the real power of His words penetrate me in a way I’ve not known before – to make everything in my life not just okay, that His plan isn’t just to bring me back to “even. No, His plan is to pour into my life His Way, His Truth, His Life. He will do a work in my life powerful enough to drive out the twisting, shifting, unsettling, angry seas – the very tool He’s allowed in my life for His purposes. And then, He’ll use it all – every drop – not just for my good, but beyond that to help deliver others as well.

I just sit there looking back out over the sea of my life He’s just stilled, and think, “How could that ever be? And yet something in me, just for a split second, says, “Yes, with Me it is possible.” ” In fact, one day,” He tells me, “you’ll convince others they too can trust Me.”

When I look back at Him He’s no where in sight. Has He left me all alone? Is the little, momentary hope He’s shared with me all I’m left with? What was that He said, again? The Way, The Truth and what? With Him gone, will the raging seas return? Oh Jesus, please don’t leave. Please come back. Please stay with me.”

That’s when I notice something new about my old, familiar boat as I lean over the back of the boat staring hard with what’s left of my strength to find Him. The name of my boat has changed – Instantly. And, it hasn’t been merely painted over. No, it’s completely new, fresh, almost glowing paint.

And, the old name,”Forsaken,” has been replaced with “Romans 8:28.”

And now – suddenly – there’s the tiniest, new awareness of what I can only describe as “hope” in my heart. And, although I can’t see Him, I sense He’s still near…

…”Behold, I make all things new!”

God bless,

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.

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

I don’t always know how God is going to work all things together for my good. I don’t need to know how He’s going to do it. That’s part of the surprise and excitement about being a Christian. It’s so wonderful to anticipate His work in and around our lives for our good.

God’s job is to see that all things work together for my good. With the encouragement of the Holy Spirit and fellow believers, my job is to trust Him through it all. ☺

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty (Yes, He is ALL-MIGHTY). I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Psalm 91:1-2

Mmmm…

God bless you all as you trust in Him…

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.

Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.
Acts 4:12

Salvation? Salvation from what?

“Yeah, I get it, Mark. I know I need to believe in Jesus and call on His Name is order to be saved from eternal damnation in hell. I’ve done that. I got that out of the way. I’ve accepted Jesus as my personal Savior.”

Asking Jesus into our lives so we can spend eternity in Heaven is just the beginning of our salvation. For instance, Jesus wants to save me from being a bad husband. He wants to show me more and more about how to love Annie better by the way I treat her and by the way I live every day with her. He wants to set me free from all the awful PTSD symptoms and accompanying lies I’ve believed about myself the devil used to cause me to be depressed, to be ineffective in my Christian witness, and to want to end life. Yeah, I was not doing well and Jesus wanted to show me how to turn my life around.

I don’t know exactly what you need to have Jesus save you from, but I know Him and I know – beyond a shadow of doubt – He wants to set us free in so many areas we either don’t recognize or that we refuse to let Him do His work in.

Let Jesus show you how to love your spouse better. Let Him show you how to be a better employee, how to overcome fear, disappointment, complaining, shame, pride – you name it. Let Him show you how to live above your circumstances like He showed the Apostle Paul to do. Let Jesus give you new life. He is The Gospel. He is the Good News. Let Him bring His wonderful, liberating, life-changing Life into you.

Don’t know how to get started with letting Jesus change you, with letting His great salvation begin to do its work in you? Well, one place you can start is by reading through all the links at ChoosingJesusEveryDay.com. Memorize and apply the verses God gave Ann and me that are displayed on the “Verses God Gave Us” tab on that site. Ask Jesus to do a mighty work in your life. He’ll do it. How do I know He will. Because He’s doing it in Ann and me.

I can tell you right now, the only reason for not letting Jesus change me was due to my own stubborn will and religious pride. Yes, the PTSD has been a very rough road, but I still needed to choose Jesus in order to have any kind of a chance to have His wonderful Life replace the one I was living.

Choose Jesus. Choose Life. You’ll never be the same.

We love you all.

God bless,

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.

What time I am afraid (when sudden fear or “care” try to tempt me to distrust my Jesus), I will (I will deliberately choose to) trust in thee (This is how and when I apply Romans 8:28 – Jesus – to my life). 4 In God I will praise his word (because He’s really “with me” to bring His loving comfort to me in all things), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear (because of His “Romans 8:28” promise to me) what flesh (what anyone, the devil, or anything this world can try to make me fear with) can do unto me.
Psalm 56:3-4

“So come on, let’s go and I’ll (Jesus) show you My boundless love for you today, My precious one.”

God bless,

Mark

My life was anything but still waters and green pastures. PTSD, alone, was wreaking havoc in me. But, as I’ve come to realize, that’s exactly what God allowed it to do. He was allowing it to do a work in me that would lead me to trust in Him with all my heart.

As I look back through the years, I can now see that, all along, He’d been leading me to still waters and green pastures. Now I trust Him more than I thought was possible…For in him we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17:28a). I live “in Him” and what a totally life-changing difference this has made in my life. Oh, I still get tempted to leave the still waters and green pastures from time to time. But now, it’s a much shorter trip back to the still waters and green pastures, back to Jesus, back to my Prince of Peace.

He leadeth me beside still waters.

Mmmm…Jesus.

God bless,

Mark

Trust in the Lord with all your heart…Green pastures and still waters.

God bless,

Mark

God just continues to amaze us. Sunday, God gave me something brand new for Annie and it really blessed me as well. He’s still revealing the meaning of His fresh word to us. I hope to share it with you soon.

Kimberly, our friend from Oklahoma, replied to yesterday’s choosingjesuseveryday email with the following. It went pretty much hand in hand with how God keeps revealing more and more of Himself to His children. There’s no end to our marvelous Heavenly Father, precious people. And, somehow, what He keeps sharing about Himself fills us with more and more of the love and wonder of Who He is. Amazing…

Here’s Kimberly’s reply –

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Just wanted to say that I never get tired of hearing Romans 8:28!
When we establish intimacy with GOD, every word HE speaks to us is fresh revelation…
even if it’s the same word every day!
I love the vision a minister at Rhema (a local church in Oklahoma) had of the seraphim that encircle our LORD’s throne proclaiming,
“Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD GOD Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”
As he (the minister) watched them repeating this declaration, one of them broke rank and approached this minister.
The minister had a question on his mind (maybe it’s the same question every human would have because of our limited perspective).
And he posed his question to the seraphim, “Don’t you get weary of saying the same words over and over?”
The seraphim was genuinely surprised!
“Don’t you know that every time we say these words we see a brand new quality, a new depth of character, a new facet to our KING?!”

Thank you for sharing fresh revelation every day!
New every morning!
Great is Thy Faithfulness, Oh LORD!

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God bless,

Mark and Annie

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