Category: Uncategorized

What is Jesus like? The pages of the Bible tell us. One thing for sure. Jesus is free. I want to be free like Jesus. I want to be transformed into His wonderful, overcoming, victorious image.

Turn your eyes, Mark, upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace. Mmmm…To be like Jesus.

28 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.

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:28-39

It’s God’s will for His children to be conformed into the image of His Son, Jesus (verse 29). God works all things together for our good in order that we may learn to trust and rest in Him. And then, as learn that God is trustworthy, we can share this truth and joy with others as they are transformed into more and more of the image of Jesus. What a blessing. Nothing in our lives is wasted. God uses all of it to make us into Christ’s image. What a tremendous thing God is doing in us every minute of the day. To be like Christ and to help others know they can be set free in Christ as well. That’s the goal. Wow.

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:32

Free in Christ. What a gift. What love.

11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:11-13

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.

Annie and I were talking this Christmas morning. We concluded again, “Wow, where would our lives be without wonderful Jesus?”

What is Christmas about anyways? It’s really about the supernatural, immeasurable light and glory meaning is in the words the angels proclaimed to the shepherds out in the fields.

9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid! (Fear not!)” he said. “I bring you good news (glad tidings) that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
Luke 2:10-11

God sent Jesus into the world to save us, to redeem our lives from destruction, to set us free indeed to bring us His great joy.

Do you have fear? Weary? Hurt? Are you a worrier and do you have anger? Do you get jealous? Do have an unforgiving heart? Do you get careful about things? Anxious about your future? Discouraged? If so, then you’re the reason Jesus came into this world. God loved you so much that He sent His only Son to save you so you could have His great joy.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (From the ravages of sin).
John 3:16-17

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me (Jesus); because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
Isaiah 61:1-4

Don’t be afraid, for I (Your Savior) am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious (righteous) right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

Merry (Good tidings) Christmas, everyone!

God bless,

Mark

Jesus.  Our precious Prince of Peace. 

Take time to think about Jesus and Heaven today.  Mmmm…  

Doing so brings such deep, satisfying comfort, security, love, peace, rest and joy.

God bless each of you.

Mark

Ann and I choose Jesus every day. Now, our days might start out with some sort of faith failure, or we may get interrupted during the day with an attempt by the enemy to trip us up in our believing God, but we come right back to what we have come to believe, and that is, we cannot possibly make it in this life without our faith in Jesus, that God is in control, we love Him, and He’s always working all things together for our good. Always. And believing and experiencing that truth brings us great joy. Thank You, Jesus.

Keep choosing Jesus no matter how many times the enemy tries to trip you up. Jesus is always faithful to restore our joy in Him.

Happy Monday, everyone!

God bless,

Mark & Ann

And if we are children, then we are heirs:  heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.  I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:17-18

My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less
Christian Hymn by Edward Mote

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils (hides) His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness, alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

As you know, last week was a really painful one for me and Ann and we had to be diligent in our faith.  I had severe headaches, visual problems and was super weak physically and emotionally.  I was having difficulty breathing, a really hard time thinking, and my memory was failing me which can be typical of my migraine attacks and probably included some detoxing symptoms.  But, and this is so important to communicate to you, God kept telling me to keep praising Him and believing He was still in control of my life and that this weak time would lead to more faith and trust in Him.  He told me to see this situation through and that it would merely serve to instill in me (and Ann) more of His precious, life-liberating wisdom, compassion, rest, love, mercy, peace and joy.

Ann and I live to love Him.  We’re realizing more and more that we’re nothing without His Presence.

That being said…☺

Romans 8:28 allows me to look beyond right now and to remind me that God will work everything together for my good – Just like last week.  This keeps my faith stable and strong as I trust God into tomorrow and beyond.

What does it mean for me to be “in Christ?”  For one thing, eternal salvation.  On a day-to-day basis, in Christ means that Romans 8:28 is for real and that its truth (Jesus, really) will never fail me.  For me, in Christ means renewing my mind to His Word and having His victory in my thought life – this is paramount.  It means living with Him above the circumstances and conditions of this world and the lies of the devil that try to defeat the life I have come to know in Christ.  It means keeping my eye on Jesus and living in the shadow of the Most High by testing the spirit behind each thought, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Who has become the joy of my life.  This is how Ann and I live the victorious life Jesus is enabling us to walk and live in.

I’m eternally grateful to God for my precious wife who keeps reminding me of Jesus’ faithfulness by loving me with her unconditional love and support.  I can never thank Him enough for the marriage He’s allowed us to have in Him as we continue to daily encourage each other in the Lord of our lives, Jesus.

You can believe it when we (Ann and I) tell you that in Christ alone we stand…He’s truly teaching us that all other ground is sinking sand.

24Therefore whosoever (that’s you and me) heareth these sayings of mine (Jesus), and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not:  for it was founded upon a rock (Christ).

26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell:  and great was the fall of it.
Matthew 7:24-27

Jesus is available to all.  All other ground (depending on or trusting in anything other than Christ) is sinking sand.

God bless,

Mark

1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God:  for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old?  can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
John 3:1-5

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also:  and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
John 14:6-7

God bless,

Mark

In order to do His Father’s will on earth, Jesus had to get alone with the Father.  It’s how He looked up while He was on earth.  We can do the same by looking up to God throughout our days.  Looking up gives us the resources and insights we need from our Heavenly Father on a daily basis.

Look up today, and every day.  Getting God’s perspective makes all the difference in the world.

 

 

 

 

Please take to think about Heaven, about your Father.

God bless,

Mark

Jesus Is All The World To Me
By Will L. Thompson

Jesus is all the world to me,
My life, my joy, my all;
He is my strength from day to day,
Without Him I would fall.
When I am sad, to Him I go,
No other one can cheer me so;
When I am sad, He makes me glad,
He’s my Friend.

Jesus is all the world to me,
My Friend in trials sore;
I go to Him for blessings, and
He gives them o’er and o’er.
He sends the sunshine and the rain,
He sends the harvest’s golden grain;
Sunshine and rain, harvest of grain,
He’s my Friend.

Jesus is all the world to me,
And true to Him I’ll be;
Oh, how could I this Friend deny,
When He’s so true to me?
Following Him I know I’m right,
He watches o’er me day and night;
Following Him by day and night,
He’s my Friend.

Jesus is all the world to me,
I want no better Friend;
I trust Him now, I’ll trust Him when
Life’s fleeting days shall end.
Beautiful life with such a Friend,
Beautiful life that has no end;
Eternal life, eternal joy,
He’s my Friend.

Jesus and all of Heaven await us, precious people.  Take time to think about Heaven.  Eternal life, eternal joy! ☺

 

 

 

God bless,

Mark

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

“Sometimes when things are falling apart they are actually falling into place.”
Author Unknown

Thou (God, my Redeemer) preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies…
Psalm 23:5a

For decades, I’d been dining on the lies of my enemies and their poisoning, life-draining diet was killing me and my family.  My enemies, the miry clay (Psalm 40:2) I thought I would be forever stuck in – failing health, crushing circumstances, unrealized dreams and goals, thoroughly disheartened, bitterness, unforgiveness, mad at and questioning God, lost in the sea of trying to understand but getting no answers, confused, totally frustrated, doubt, anger, jealousy, fear, anxiety, panic, hopelessness, despair, etc. – were steamrolling me and my precious family to the point that I really thought about leaving my wonderful wife and daughters.  I was SO downtrodden that I really believed they’d be much better off without me in their lives.

At the time, I had no clue what God was up to…

All along, God was preparing a feast before me in the presence of my enemies. (Romans 8:28)

In time, He would have me dining on delicious self control, praise, belief, trust, joy, peace, rest, contentment, faith, and all in the very presence of what I thought were invincible enemies.

Dear ones, God does the same for all those who will follow Him long enough for Him to prepare His matchless, satiating table…in the very presence of their enemies.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35-39

God bless,

Mark

Why do we fall for so many lifestyles that really can’t bring us closer to God, to His peace, rest, love, and joy?  Why don’t we just come to God, Himself, the Author of love and life.  Why don’t we do things His way instead of every other “way” we sample to find peace, rest, love and joy?

I think it’s funny that most of us run from the very love that can truly set us free.  God is love.  He knows how to live life in His love.  He’ll show us how if we’re willing.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  John 14:6

If Jesus knew of another way to the truth and life, He would have told us so.  But God made it really simple for us.  He gave us one way to come to Him, one way to discover His peace, rest, love and joy.  No other way leads to our Heavenly Father, and all that He has for us.

My selfish, self-centered “ways” to live life that I thought were the right and widely-accepted ways were becoming a real burden to me and to those around me.  The “me first” attitude is so popular and easy to give in to, to fall prey to.

I needed to make a change.  At the time, I didn’t know it, but I needed to choose Jesus, His ways, every day in order to turn things around in my life…

Choosing Jesus Every Day means to first accept Jesus as my personal Savior because in John 3:3 the Bible tells us that we can’t even see the Kingdom of God until we’re born again.  Once I accept Jesus as my Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live on the inside of me, He comes into my heart to guide me into all of God’s truth.   (John 16:13)

Now, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, I let Jesus teach me how to live life the way He did.  For example, choosing Jesus’ way of living every day means exchanging my tendency to hate my enemy for Jesus’ truth that says to love my enemy.  It means to believe that God’s working all things for my good instead of becoming disgusted and throwing my hands up in the air every time some circumstance makes me upset.  Choosing to live like Jesus would have me live involves waiting on Him, letting His peace guide me and my decision-making processes.  It means talking things over with my wife in a gentle, patient, problem-solving manner.  It means listening more to my wife and seeking her important input.  It means trying to forgive those who’ve hurt me because doing so protects me from taking on bitterness and it shows others the mercy and love of God we all so desperately need.

Jesus taught us a lot about how to live this life (how to choose, every day, to live like He did) in the in Matthew chapter 5 in the Bible.  God knows the most blessed way to live.  That’s why He sent Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  To save us from the impact that sin (our way), is having on our lives.  Jesus can set us free, indeed.

5 And seeing the multitudes, he (Jesus) went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness (right living, His ways that bring me true life and liberty in Christ): for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:

35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

44 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 use you, and persecute you;

45 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.

46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep coming to the Father by Choosing Jesus Every Day.  =)

God bless,

Mark

Hello Saints In Jesus, Our Prince Of Peace –

Boy, I just love these teaching snippets from Jonathan.  What a blessing he is to the church at this time…☺  By the way, you can order complete teachings at Hopeoftheworld.org.

Jesus so desires that we dwell in the precious, all-protective place of the Most High.  He wants us to be so close to Him that we’re living in His shadow.  That’s why He encourages us to believe passages like Romans 8:28, John 14:27, Proverbs 3:5, Proverbs 3:25, 1 Peter 5:5b-7, Psalm 46:10 and the all of the rest of His life-transforming, refreshing and renewing Word…

God loves us so much and that’s why He motivates us to be “doers” of the Word, trusting that God is watching over His Word to make it’s promises a reality in our lives.  We must be living the Word in order for it to bring rest to our lives.

Jesus, have Your way with my life.  Help me to keep surrendering to Your will.  Show me how to build my life on You, The True Rock.  Then, I’ll all be able to Trust in You with all my heart as I dwell in the safest and most joy-filled place in the universe, within Your shadow, the shadow of the Most High.

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The Power of the Rock
How to build a life so strong it will stand no matter what happens in the world.

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God bless you as you dwell in Christ.

Helping all of us to build our houses on The Rock,

Mark and Ann

Did you know that a smile can be medicine?  It’s good for everyone involved.  It’s my favorite face.  It can chase away the grumpies and the blues.  A smile can change your whole day, really!

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine:
Proverbs 17:22a

A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.
Proverbs 15:13

I love how Jesus keeps showing me more and more about life and how to incorporate His ways in my life.

For instance, my uncle Gene was a really great guy, always helpful and maintained a positive, helpful demeanor even if everything in his life wasn’t going well.  One of the best things about him was that he always had a quick smile.

I walked into a local food store this morning and smiled at the first person I made eye contact with.  They immediately reflected my smile with one of their own.  The rest of my shopping time was spent smiling at folks.  It’s funny how many smiled back.  I can tell that even the ones who don’t smile back are left thinking about my smile.  You can often tell, when you smile at someone, that it helped them with whatever they’re dealing with.  It can really make someone’s day to simply smile.  =)

Often, when I meet one of the store employees who has a great smile, I’ll tell them they have a really wonderful smile.  It can really lift them and cause them to smile even more.  Sure is nice to give out smiles along our way.  And, one of the best things about it is that they can be so contagious.

Go ahead, smile…☺

God bless,

Mark