To Get or to Give????

Last week I was driving down the road an noticed a billboard with a woman walking down the mall with about 8 bags tossed over her shoulder. I couldn't help but think about the fact that Christmas was coming up and all the shopping that comes with it. Then I started getting a little bummed about all the gifts I had to get for people and realized that soon it would be me walking in the mall with bags tossed over my shoulder.

I then stopped and realized what I was thinking. Is Christmas about getting gifts for people, or is it a time when we can enjoy the gift that God gave to us and in turn give gifts to each other?

I decided this. That this year I am not "getting" gifts for people. Instead I'm going to be "giving" gifts to friends and family. I know it almost sounds the same, but in my heart it means something completely different. It takes the focus off of me and what I need to do and puts it on the one receiving the gift. And isn't that what it's all about? Now I can enjoy my time in the malls this year because it is all about the one who is getting the gift.

I challenge you this year to do the same. Don't think about all that you have to get for others this year. Instead think about all that you get to give this year. Understanding that you are blessed enough to be a blessing to others in this great season.

God was the ultimate giver when he gave his own son for us. He had us as the recipient in mind.

Enjoy your time finding that perfect gift for those that are close to you this year.

Mark :)

4yr Old Boy Claims Heaven Is For Real!

This is a neat Story. I love hearing about stuff like this.

What do you think about it?

Allow life to provide opportunities!!

A couple of Sunday's ago in church a video like this one was shown as part of an illustration to the message. After watching I couldn't help but think how sometimes life gets in the way of our grand plan. I'm sure that when Dick and his wife were expecting their new bundle of joy it was not in their plan to have to care for him in the way they have. But we see a beautiful thing take place. They chose to not let life get in the way. Instead they let this situation in theirs lives become an opportunity for their future.

I'm not sure about you, but my life plan has taken some turns in the past. Things happen that are unexpected. That's the world we live in. Sometimes the unexpected is great and other times it comes with some challenges. The beauty is that we get to choose whether the unexpected brings us down or propels us into a new life.

So let's allow life to provide opportunities for us and then take them with the strength that we have.

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."

Partnership with God!!

I've been thinking lately about the privilege we have to be in partnership with God.

It is nice to say that Jesus provided a great life for us by dying on the cross, but what does that mean in my day to day activities? What is it that I have to do? Where do I fit in this thing we call life?

If you look at the story of the Israelites when they went to capture the city of Jericho (Joshua 6), we find that there is a definite partnership between them and God.

In verse 2 God said that he had given the city to them. It was already done in God's mind. It would be easy for the the Israelites to relax at this point and not do anything. Why would they have to? God said he had given them the city. Wouldn't it make sense to just wait around for it to happen.

But wait, at this point in the story Jericho was not inhabited by Israel. They were still on the outside of the city walls and did not physically have possession of the city.

That is where the partnership comes in and we get to see the beauty of God working on their behalf. As we continue in the story, we see that God gave the Israelites a set of instructions to follow and when they did those things we saw God do a miracle in their lives. The walls of Jericho fell to the ground and the Israelites were able to take the city.

Our lives are quit similar. For example in John 10:10 we see that Jesus came to give us life and life more abundant. I would say that there are times in our lives that we do not feel like we are living in abundant life. Yet that is the promise that Jesus says to us.

This is where we get to experience the partnership like the Israelites. We have the blessing of being able to have a relationship with God through Jesus and with that He will give us instructions to help us through life. It is when we follow Him this way that we will begin to see miracles in our own lives.

And then we will all have our own story we can use in witnessing to people. We can all be great witnesses of what God has done in our lives.

Enjoy what God has for you today!!!!!!!

Mark

Why, why, why, why????????

Why, why, why, why????????

Have you ever heard anyone ask this question when faced with a difficulty in life? Perhaps that someone was or is you. I know I've ask myself this at times in the past.

There are times in our lives when things are not going the way we think they should. So we begin to ask the question, why.

Why am I sick?
Why am I broke?
Why did I have to get this ticket today?
Why is there a test tomorrow?
And so on...........

The problem with questions like these is they leave us powerless and week. Even if we were to get answers to these questions, there would still be no way out of the situation or help getting through it.

May I suggest that the problem is not the situation in our lives, but it's the question that we associate with it.

Jesus said that in this world we would endure trials. If you have been around longer than your 4th birthday I'm sure you can relate to the fact that this is not a perfect world that we live in. :) Stuff happens all the time that we are not happy with.

That being said, how do we get through the stuff in our lives that is hard?

We need to ask ourselves different question to get the empowering answers that will propel us through what we are in.

Yes, I'm sick. What can I learn about today that can help me through this next phase in my life? What does the bible say about the gift of healing that Jesus provided when dying on the cross and what does that mean for me?

Yes I'm broke. What one thing can I do today to make a little extra money? Jesus says that He became poor that we might become rich. What does that mean and how can I learn about where that fits into my life and my finances?

Can you see the difference in the questions now? They are harder questions, but with seeking out the answers to these we are left with more power to change the situations in our lives.

Rom 8:37 says that we are more than conquerors through Christ.

Life can throw some fast balls at us. With the help of Jesus we can turn it into a home run. :)

Thank You!!!!

Good day,

I've been doing some reading about Martyrs the last couple of days. When thinking about martyrs in the past, I would just think that this was something that they wanted to do and they felt great peace in doing it because they were choosing Jesus over life. I'm not sure why I thought that way. Maybe it was because I've never known anyone who became a martyr so it never hit home to me.

As I was reading, though, it hit me that these people were the same as me. They had great dreams for there lives, they wanted to get married, they wanted to be successful in life, etc. But they were willing to give it all that up to show the world that Jesus is real. This was very bold and must have been difficult for alot of people to do.

I then got thinking about our lives and the way we do things. Now, in North America, we are not at great risk of becoming martyrs because of the society that we live in. But when I think about the way we live our lives, I'm encouraged to see that so many Christians are willing to give up something for Jesus. Maybe it's not your whole life, but it's your time on a Sunday when you could be sleeping in or in the middle of the week when you volunteer somewhere to use the gifts the God has given you instead of hanging out with your friends. Or it's money that you could use for a new pair of shoes, but you choose to give it to the work of Jesus.

I am honored to be a part of a group of people that are willing to sacrifice for Jesus.

Thank you for all you do!!!!

You are truly blessed. :)

Loved by God!!!

After the baptism of Jesus we see a neat thing from God. He opens up the heavens and shouts down his love for his son.

Luke 3:22 says "You are my beloved son, and I am fully pleased with you."

After this we see Jesus begin to step into what he was put on this earth to do.

I wonder what would happen in our lives if we had a true understanding of how much God loved us and how he is pleased with us?

It reminds me of a typical dating relationship. You meet someone and then you put all your energy into wooing this other person. Why? Because you are not sure if they like you back or not. So you have to keep your game face on and push forward showing them that you care.

And then, the unthinkable happens.........

They let you know that they like you too. WOW!!!

Now what??? You are so excited that you begin doing things for them anyway because of the joy that is in your heart for the relationship you have together. :)

I feel sometimes the same way with God. Rom 3: 27-28 says:

"Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law."

We have not done anything to be accepted by God, nor can we do anything. Jesus did the work for us. We, in turn, get the privileged of knowing that God loves us in the first place. With that knowledge we can begin to go out and live the life that God has planned for us with the strength and knowledge that He is with us in all we do.

I challenge you this week to spend time with Jesus and ask Him to help you to see the love He has for you.

God is Awesome!!!!!!

It is finished????

I was thinking today about the love of God and what he did for us. That got me thinking about the finished work of Jesus. (John 19:30) What does that mean when he says "It is finished"?

I don't know about you but my life is not complete. I have not arrived in to what I feel like I'm called to be, yet Jesus says that what he did for me is finished. What gives?????????????

What I can see, is that everything around us is telling us that the status quo is normal. That there is no point in being to crazy about life because it is only going to let you down anyway. This is the feel I get when talking with some of the people I work with and see on a regular basis.

Yet everything inside of me is saying that there has to be more to this life than just the everyday routine that will get me a whole bunch of the same tomorrow as it did yesterday.

Jesus said that He came to give us live and life more abundant. (John 10:10) That is the life that I want to experience and also what I feel is trying to come out on the inside of me. And I love to see that come out in others as well.

The question is then, How do we get it to come out? Or maybe a better question is, What is holding it back?

As we grow in the knowledge of Jesus and spend time in prayer with Him he will reveal the plans and dreams he has laid out for our lives. Jeremiah 29:11 says the God knows the plans He has for us. When we start to see more clearly who we are and who God made us to be we can then move ahead in faith knowing that this is what God has called us to do.

Sometimes it is that step of faith that holds us back. Not knowing where our feet will land when we step out. It is this step that must be taken in order to see change in our lives.

It is a journey that we are all on and I challenge you to spend time with Him today. Take the time to learn how God speaks to you. And then join the great journey as we work out our salvation. (Phil 2:12,13)

Mark V.