Author: Mark

Hubby to the greatest gal, Pastor of an amazing community, brother to a bunch of people called my family, lover of God, follower of Jesus.

Praying for Hmong Pastors

On By MarkIn GRACE, Pray, Thailand1 Comment

After a full day of ministry, we ended our time by praying for pastors and leaders. At the close of my teaching, I asked for any pastors that wanted prayer to stand and we’d come and pray for God’s peace and power to encourage them.

We’ve been teaching at a high level the past couple of days and we have more for tomorrow.  It was my turn to speak tonight, and my fellow pastors agreed that the men may need some encouragement.  You see, persecution is not a foreign thing to them. I’ve not lived through the same kind of persecution as they have experienced. Truth is, we know life is hard and the enemy is still working full time to hinder the gospel no matter where you serve Him.  But these guys really are facing tough issues.  So, we prayed.  We prayed individually over many tonight.  It was humbling to think of who I prayed for, the cost of ministry for them, the people they lead and teach. I was blessed to come before Jesus on their behalf and ask God to continue to strengthen them and keep them focused on Him and the amazing mission of grace we’re all called to be a part of!

Tomorrow we each lead one more session, then close out this part of the trip tomorrow evening and Friday morning.  It’s been good.  And we’re all tired. But it’s a good tired.

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power 2Thes 1:11

Grace and the persecuted life

On By MarkIn God's Glory, GRACE, Thailand, Thanks1 Comment

I’m not even sure how to write this evening (morning in Flagstaff).  The people I met and what I learned today is of the kind that can change a person’s life.  It will take some time for me to process.

My main assignment is to do what I love and that is speaking on grace.  However, I’m asking myself why I am the one up front doing the teaching. I’m speaking to men who have experienced great persecutions.  I talked to people today who are not allowed to own property in their particular country because they are Christians.  I met a man who spent over 2 years in prison, because he is a Christian.  I need to find out what I can and cannot say about the men I met with today from an underground church movement. The numbers blow me away.  These are humble men.

And I’m the one teaching them about grace.  I should just sit down and shut up.

But, by God’s grace and in obedience to Him, I’ll keep teaching what I know. And, I’ll also continue to sit and listen to the stories.

I’m not going to lie, I’m tired.

And grateful.

Thank you Lord, for letting me have the mic on this needed topic of grace. And Lord, bless these dear men.  Help me to learn from them in our time together.  I’m so grateful #T2RS

Snowy Flagstaff

On By MarkIn Pray, Teaching, Thailand, TravelLeave a comment

It’s Monday morning and we’re soon on our way to the pastor’s conference to begin the teaching today through Thursday.  Yesterday we were able to visit another of the Children’s homes of Bahn Immanuel.  The young man that leads it was raised in the first one and now married with two kids is running a home in a small village not far from town.

I woke up early to see several messages on my phone.  The big snow has arrived in Flagstaff causing a few changes.  I’ve been thinking of you all and praying for you as the day is winding down for you.  Grateful for Laurie’s family visiting and helping her out in my absence.  Who doesn’t want to run a snowblower while vacationing on Spring Break?  Yikers.

Thanks for praying for us as we travel today and begin the conference.  I hope to check in this evening.

Day One in Thailand

On By MarkIn Thailand, TravelLeave a comment

We arrived in Bangkok at 5:30 am Saturday. Now it’s 6:30 pm, and I’m a little anxious for bedtime. The plane was very nice, so no complaining, but I’m looking forward to a bed. I won’t even count the hours. Glad to be here in Chiang Rai for a couple of days before the conference starts. Honey, look what I had for lunch!

It was a privilege to meet up with Ron Miller at Baan Immanuel here in the city.  It’s a wonderful children’s home.  I was very impressed with what the Lord has done in this place!

The guys are waiting for me, so I’ll post more later.  Thanks for your prayers, I’m very thankful to the Lord for safe travels and good health! #T2RS

Requesting Prayer for Thailand

On By MarkIn TeachingLeave a comment

As many of you know, today I leave for a 15 day trip to Thailand with Pastors Paul Hayes and Dan Holgate both of Calvary Community in Phoenix.  We will meet up in just a few hours and fly to LAX, then begins our 18 hour flight to Bangkok, followed by another hour or so to our destination for the first week.  The three of us will be teaching a pastor’s conference the first week.

I’ve been to the doctors twice this past week, just dealing with the normal junk that get’s passed around this time of year. I’m praying the flight over will give some rest and not an irritation to those around me.

Pray for my sweetheart as she keeps things rolling here at home.  This might be the longest time we’ve been a part.  No matter how busy each of us are, it’s just not the same.

I’ll do my best to keep my blog updated throughout the trip. So, please watch for that, and pray for our time traveling and ministering to the pastors.

Give Thanks through Resurrection Sunday

On By MarkIn church, GRACE, ThanksLeave a comment

Ps 107:1-3,8

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble

3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

8  Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of men!

A few weeks ago I spoke on the passage in Luke where Jesus healed ten lepers and only one came back to say thanks.  In yet another creative fashion to teach his onlooking disciples  he asked about the other nine.  I’m pretty sure He wanted us to know that He noticed.  The text doesn’t tell us much more about the other nine, so no need to speculate.

One of the principles I gained from that account was that Jesus notices our praise.  Psalm 103 and 107 give us great examples of ‘blessing the Lord’ for Who He is and all that He has done.

In that light, I challenged our church to come back and give God praise for all He is doing and for Who He is!  How often do we pray and ask for something, only to forget to come back and acknowledge that the answer in fact came from God?  Or how many things could you think of in the next 30 seconds that you are very grateful for, but haven’t mentioned it in a long time.

On April 8th we’ll celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus like we do each and every week.  With it being such a significant day in the life of our church, I asked our church to intentionally come back and give God thanks each and everyday up through Resurrection Sunday.  Or, Thanks To (until) Resurrection Sunday, thus #T2RS

So, go ahead. Start now. Use facebook, twitter, your email, IM, or write it on a note, in a letter, but tell someone about what God is doing and for what you are giving Him thanks.

Feel free to use the comment section here.

For me: #T2RS I’m thankful to God for the people that helped lay the foundation of what is today Grace Community Church. It was such a joy to meet up with some dear friends this past Sunday who faithfully served and loved in the early days of Grace.  Our hearts were full.

Be a Doer aka Part 2

On By MarkIn church, PreachingLeave a comment

This is the short version of part two from this past weeks sermon:

Building your life in obedience to Jesus. James 1:19-25

This is about sanctification, how we live the Christian life. We have been saved and now we hear the word (look into the mirror) and we respond. As followers of Jesus, we are secure in our salvation and His grace.

Be an active ‘doer’ not a forgetful ‘hearer’:

I appreciate what Warren Wiersbe adds: “It is not sufficient, however, to receive the Word; one must respond to it in active obedience. One must “become,” or “keep on becoming” a doer of the Word and not just a hearer. The growing numbers of sermon-sippers who flit from one doctrinal dessert to another like helpless hummingbirds are deceiving themselves. “Deceiving” is from a verb used only here and in Col 2:4, means “to cheat or deceive by false reasoning.” The deception comes from thinking they have done all that is necessary when actually listening to the Word is only the beginning.”

The word for “looks into” means “to stoop down” in order to have a good close look.

The “Law that gives freedom” seems like a paradox. Law seems to imply restraint and therefore a lack of freedom. Not so with God’s Law. His perfect Law provides true freedom. “Hold to My teaching,” Christ said, “then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).

This life he brings us is an ‘abundant life’. We’re free to take His word and make application and thus be doers, bringing Him glory!

So what is it God’s calling you to “do”?

 

Of preaching and pie

On By MarkIn Baptism, Pie!, Preaching, Salvation1 Comment

Yesterday I began my sermon with four things I really like. We had just baptized three individuals with beautiful stories of grace written all over them. So I said, “there are four things I really like: baptisms (whether I’m the one dunking or not), seeing people saved (whether I’m leading or not), preaching, and pie.” Not always in that order!

Before the day was over I experienced all four!
I preached one of those unusual sermons that pastors love to preach.  You can read more about it tomorrow.  Or you can hear it here and see the notes.

Before the service was over we saw 3 people stand and confess Jesus as Savior and Lord! It was awesome. Our church exploded in applause. As did heaven’s angels.

And because God is awesome and actually created us to laugh and enjoy pie, later that afternoon Laurie and I joined up with one of our fabulous Grace Groups and they offered PIE!  There you go. Day complete. I can go home now.

 

Of course I love Jesus.

On By MarkIn GRACE, Jesus!Leave a comment

This past Sunday in our series “Q&A with Jesus” we looked at the passage where Jesus asks Peter if he loved him. You can find the audio and sermon notes here.

Who wouldn’t answer that question right, especially right to Jesus’ face? Yes, I love you. Sure do.  “Then”, Jesus says, “here’s what I want you to do.”

For most that are familiar with the passage, we have taken a safe kind of liberty in our interpretations to read into the passage that Jesus may in fact be affirming his forgiveness towards Peter for the gaff on the eve of his crucifixion.  Peter denied knowing Jesus three times, just as Jesus warned. And here in John 21, Jesus asks Peter of his love followed by a ‘here’s what you do then’ three times.  Whether this is an affirmation of forgiveness or a sense of “let’s deal with this and get on with it” either way, Jesus is saying to Peter, it’s time and I do in fact have something I need you to be a part of.

One of the applications that comes from this study is this: Is there something in your past that’s keeping you from accepting the forgiveness of Christ and moving forward with a life that centers on Him?

Jesus knows that Peter is forgiven. He’s never been about holding a grudge, he’s always about the present tense relationship. Consider even His name, “I AM”.  Not, “I will be, as soon as you make up for your mess or prove to me that you’ll not drop the ball again”, but “I AM”.

Relationships take time. They take understanding and even effort. But mostly, they take grace. Jesus knew he’d have an amazing relationship with Peter, through the Holy Spirit, but Peter probably didn’t know that!

I wonder what Peter’s ministry in Acts would have looked like had Jesus not had this chat with him.  I wonder how many of us need to have a similar chat with the Lord.  He loves you, has completely forgiven you, and He needs you to accept His forgiveness, get over your past and move forward in the relationship that He came to establish.

Winter Vacation

On By MarkIn Family, Flagstaff, GRACE, LaurieLeave a comment

Not sure I’ve done this before, but I’m writing from my iPad to see if I can blog my way through some vacation highlights. We’re in Long Beach anticipating our week on a big boat with a few hundred people, ok, probably a few thousand. Looking forward to some extended time with Laurie, some good food and great sights. It’ll be great to spend the week with the Johnson family as they break us into this lifestyle of life on the sea.

Yesterday was an amazing day @Grace. I devoted some extended time to cast the vision for our church family for this new year. It was a great way to start 2012! I’m pretty sure the recorded sermon and brief notes are available on our website allaboutgrace.com

This may be the last post for the week, or I may find time to stay updated. Either way, Happy New Year and have a great first week!