Category Archives: Insights and personal views

Back in Brazil

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When people ask me, “What’s your favorite country that you’ve been in?” I’ve often said “Brazil”. I was here 20 years ago and now I’m back to do recordings for the video series I do. It’s a funny feeling, almost like meeting a girlfriend from your past that you actually really liked and hit it off with but somehow it just didn’t work out. Still, you parted as good friends.

Twenty years ago Brazil virtually amazed me as one of the happiest, friendliest, most sincerely Christian places I’d ever been in. It was almost like, “What can I do here? I think almost everyone is saved, filled with the Holy Ghost and rejoicing in the Lord.” Of course I knew it wasn’t really, totally like that. But it was striking how many people in Brazil had a real peace and joy in the Lord.

So, like meeting that girlfriend after 20 years, you wonder how it will be and how she will be. And of course, Brazil, like the hypothetical girlfriend, has changed. The country had years of what can be called Leftist leadership which ended up not turning out very well. Recently they’ve followed the pattern in countries around the world in electing a Conservative, pro-business president.

Still, I definitely can feel that tingle and aura I felt here before. Meeting old friends from earlier times, seeing how they’re doing, how they’re keeping the faith and dealing with the vicissitudes of life, it impresses me how their spiritual roots remain deep in the Lord. There’s like a depth and stability about the people here that I don’t often find other places.

But there are still big problems. One of the main ones is simply armed crime. “Stick-ups”. There’s a large class of very poor people and often crime seems to them to be the only solution. So you pull up to the stop light with your window down and the guy comes up to you with a gun. He’s say something like, “Sir, I’m sorry. Give me your money or I will shoot you.” Some folks even have $50 or so they keep in their car for these emergencies. You give it to the guy, he thanks you, apologies again and you drive off. And then sometimes it doesn’t work out as nicely and simply as that.

This is not a panegyric for Brazil. The heart of man is the same the world over and people have sin in their lives and heart, everywhere. And yet, as the Bible says, some peoples and nations stay closer to the Lord. There is “an evil and adulterous generation” (Matthew 12:39) as Jesus said of those who were in His times. But then David said “God is in the generation of the righteous” (Psalm 14:5).

My impression is that Brazilians in many ways are still holding on to the faith and truth that they have in the Lord perhaps better and more faithfully than some of the other modern nations of the world. And so the Lord can and does bless them for this.

There’s just something about genuine faith in God, or the lack of it. It even says in the Bible, amazingly, about Jesus, “He could do no might works there because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 13:58) The Son of God Himself was hindered by the unbelief He encountered. But equally and conversely, He often eliminated all but only His most believing disciples from some place before He raised the dead or did other miracles. And this works on a larger scale. “Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)

Here in Brazil there’s just a lot of faith in God and love for the Lord. Yes, there is stark poverty, crime, and violence as well as endemic illiteracy. And yet…, and yet there are these other more ethereal intangibles in the way of faith, joy and warmth that are so often noticed and appreciated by people like me who come from afar and who sense that these rather heavenly essences are strong here.

Well, the recording I came to do has been going well and I’ll soon be on my way again. I don’t really have any great lesson or teaching to share in this post. I just try to keep friends aware of what’s going on with me from time to time and that’s what this post is.

I guess we all know things about ourselves to some degree, our strengths as well as weaknesses. And I think the thing is, the people of Brazil are perhaps strong in areas that I don’t feel are my strong points. So often things come down to the heart and soul, not the mind. I find people here to have a pretty good mix of those three, heart, soul and mind. They seem to be relaxed but at the same time not really lazy.

Therefore it’s almost a little like going to a kind of school of life here for me , while also being idyllic in climate and geography. Forgive me if I’m just being too positive. There definitely are problems here but also it’s got a touch and taste of heaven that I don’t often find in other places.

Daily habits

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Daily habits at times can seem to be a pointless routine, a of rut of drudgery that we fall into. But this morning I was struck by how thankful I am that I have some daily spiritual habits that have become a part of my life and that they have been for my good.

Some of us just like spontaneity. We’re skeptical of almost any established thing and we just want to kick over the traditions and have a really good cleansing revolution! But then many find that it’s a whole lot easier to be opposed to something and to find fault than it is to really find something truly better. And then, next, to steadfastly go that better way, building up a better life, a better structure and better system than the one we so vehemently originally opposed.

And often it can start with person daily habits. When we were kids, if we had good parents, they taught us such simple things as brushing our teeth, taking a bath, looking both ways before crossing the street, tiny little seemingly insignificant things. But often it’s those habits that make up our lives for the most part and the importance of little things done daily is so often a theme in the Bible.

For me, having daily devotions is a fundamental part of my life. Spending decades on the mission field, working closely with other Christian disciples, you just find that it’s essential to start the day off with prayer, devotion and some time in God’s Word. And now, although I’m not working as closely as I did with others years ago, I still just don’t have a day go by without a time of morning devotions.

I have music that I listen to, songs of faith, that help me start the day. Then, after breakfast, I have several devotional books that have readings for each day of the year that I go through. I have two of the books from “Streams in the Desert” by Mrs. Cowman which have been such a blessing. I read daily from A. B. Simpson’s “Days of Heaven on Earth”. I listen to Spurgen’s “Morning and Evening” thoughts. And a highpoint for me has been to listen to readings of J. C. Ryle’s thoughts on the gospel of Luke.

After this devotion time is finished, I go out to the extended back yard we have on this property on the countryside and take some time in prayer and getting quiet and pouring out my heart before the Lord. Several of the blog articles I’ve written came from thoughts that came to me during this time out in the back. “Green Leaves Hanging On” and “Cardinals in the Winter” are two like that.

And actually, when you read the Bible, you find that this experience of daily habits that the Lord wants us to have has been a constant for thousands of years. Daniel was accustomed to praying 3 times a day and this is what his adversaries used to accuse him to the king of Persia that he was worshiping contrary to the King’s decrees. Of course the whole Law of Moses was full of edicts and guidelines on how the Jews should worship God, in the temple as well as in almost every aspect of their lives.

Can it all turn into tradition and meaningless formalism? It certainly can and sadly often does. The Bible and history is full of that happening. But what’s probably even worse is that, repulsed by empty traditions, many people commit an even greater sin. They “throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

They root out the wheat with the tares, to use the analogy that Jesus shared. Yes, of course: empty, meaningless tradition and formalism is nothing but husks in our teeth. But often there originally were sustaining, invigorating eternal truths that were the basis of the traditions and habits that once had such significance.

So we’ve to come full circle to the beginning again. For me, I have a daily routine that has been good for me. I have daily devotions. I have time in God’s Word. I even review around 40 Bible verses every day of the large number of ones I memorized in my first few years as a Christian. I sing songs of dedication and love for the Lord. I go out in nature and take time with the Lord, probably not very differently from what Isaac did nearly 4000 years ago when he “went out into the field to meditate at eventide.” (Genesis 24:63)

And I hope you have some healthy, sustaining daily habits. We have to not just take care of ourselves physically but we have to cultivate healthy, Godly daily habits as the Lord has been leading His people to do since the beginning. God help us all to not through the baby out with the bathwater. May He help us to maintain Godly “traditions” and routines which keep us on the straight and narrow path of life and His will.

The problem with addictions

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Folks, I was an addict. Yes, it was decades ago but it very nearly killed me and sent me to the indescribable torments of hell. I’ve written about this in places but I’m coming up to the anniversary of my very nearly dying and being carried by Satan out of my body and into the nether worlds. It was probably the most intense, searing, indescribable event I’ve ever experienced and I remember it extremely well.

But it came through addiction. In this case, it wasn’t a physical addiction like alcohol or some opiad-based addictions can be. It was psychedelics, and it was a psychological addiction rather than a physical one. This was long ago and I’ve had a wonderful, sustained deliverance from those things. As Jesus said to one man, “Go and sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee.” (John 5:14)

In my case “Godly sorrow worked repentance to salvation, not to be repented of…” (II Corinthians 7:10). I learned my lesson and never wanted to have that session repeated again. And probably it never would have been because I’m sure that was my very last chance as I hung by less than a thread over the indescribable consuming fires of eternal hell.

I get a kick out of the folks who say there is no hell. I usually don’t reply to those things but I just say in my heart, “Buddy, I’ve been there, I’ve experience it in eternity and I can tell you, the words we use don’t really do the subject justice of just how bad it is.”

But for me, it came through addiction. And sadly, as my adult life has gone on, I’ve lost several good friends through addiction, dear and close friends, even missionaries who “bore the burden and the heat of the day” (Matthew 20:12) and yet their lives were ended, most of the time through alcohol. I can think of three good friends, I mean good friends, close friends who at one time had been missionaries on the foreign mission field with me who ended up dying through the curse of alcohol.

How can that happen? How can addiction so claim and destroy a life like that? A Godly life, a saved life, a Christian life? Well, addiction can somehow bring a false peace, a false contentment and a calmness that is nice at times but it just isn’t really the real thing. Maybe you’ve had a glass of wine sometimes. Then maybe on rare occasion you’ve had two? You know that feeling? Feeling kind of relaxed? Not thinking about those things you were before? Not worried anymore? In a good place? Want to keep getting back to that place?

This is really personal for me. Those dear friends spring to mind, and I know there are more, who ended up taking their own lives or dying of alcohol poisoning. In my personal case, this was long ago and I wasn’t saved. But somehow the drugs took me into levels of consciousness that I’d never known. But Jesus said, “He that enters not by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” (John 10:1)

That’s what I was doing, “climbing up some other way.” Trying to gain insight and spirituality through drugs, rather than by “The door”. Jesus said of Himself, “I am the door, by Me if any man enter in he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9) But drugs and alcohol are “climbing up some other way.”

I don’t care how much insight and clarity you think the drugs give you, how much they boost your confidence, or how much the alcohol chills you out and makes you mellow and easier to be around, there’s a real and strongly present danger in it. When it comes to drugs, psychedelics, or opium-based drugs, friends… it’s just too much and I’m thankful I haven’t touched that stuff since I was 20 years old.

Just don’t do it. Don’t try it. Don’t experiment with it. No, you are not strong enough. No, just once will indeed hurt. Take it from me. It’s only by the absolute miracle working power of God that I was delivered from those things, utterly miraculous. But for every one like me, there are hundreds and even thousands whose lives were forever ruined by drug addiction.

Alcohol? It’s not exactly the same thing. I drink wine from time to time. Psalm 104 says “And wine that makes glad the heart of man…” As most know, even Jesus made wine (John 2). But like I said, I can immediately name close, dear friends whose lives were destroyed by alcohol and they ultimately died from it.

We just have to be aware of how bad things can get, how strong sin is in the lives of even those who have committed their lives to Him. It is falsehood. It’s a false peace, a false revelation, as the fruits of sin always are. The Bible talks about “the pleasures of sin for a season.” (Hebrews 11:25) Addiction is one of the worst killers there is and it’s as rampant as ever.

Turn to the Lord with all your heart; pour out your heart before the Lord in vehement prayer for strength to fight addiction. Also, Solomon said, “He that walks with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” (Proverbs 13:20) After I nearly died on drugs but was saved at the last moment, I knew immediately and instinctively that I needed to get away from my old friends that I’d done drugs with, even though I grew up with them, and to find some new and Godly friends. In my case the Lord did just that as I went out to search for Him. I was led to some truly Godly young Christians and my life began anew from there.

I hope this is some help to someone. Addiction, drug addiction or old fashion alcoholism, is as rampant and consuming as it has ever been. And as trite as it may sound, the only solution I found was to come to the Lord and to the power and name of Jesus.

Is it a sin?

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Lord forgive me, sometimes it gets to me a bit when I hear some folks constantly asking, “Is it a sin to…?” Is it a sin to wear make-up? Is it a sin to watch TV? Is it a sin to eat pig? It honestly seems like this is almost the overriding thought on the minds of some people.

Well, thank God. I guess I could also look at it like at least they’re trying to please God by not sinning or doing something wrong. There are far, far more people in the world who are like what it says in Proverbs, “Fools make a mock at sin.” (Proverbs 14:9) For the unbelieving, the whole concept of sin is utterly foreign and abhorrent to them and they reject the whole idea. That’s what I wrote about in the article “What is sin?”.

But there are some Christians who evidently have come to a place where their overriding thought process is to be so fearful of sin and its power in their lives that questions of what is a sin in every affair of everyday life makes this their continual conversation. I find that sad and a misplaced understanding of things.

Is it good to have a tender conscience? Of course, absolutely. Is it good to want to “not be ignorant of the enemy’s devices”? (II Cor. 2:11) Certainly so. We definitely should be on guard in our conscience against sin and not have a light attitude towards the evils in the world or even the sins that rather easily spring up in our own hearts and minds.

But it seems to me that some Christians have not gotten very far in a Scriptural understanding of what sin is. A few verses come to mind among the many on the subject and I’ll share them here. For one, Jesus said, “Not that which enters into the mouth defiles a man, but that which comes out of the mouth defiles a man.” (Mat. 15:11) Or it’s like the verse, “The kingdom of God is not in meat and drink but righteous, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Rom. 14:17) Fundamentally it has rather little to do with what you eat or don’t eat and what you wear or don’t wear.

One of the greatest chapters on the whole subject, which I often think about when I see again the outflow of questions about “Is it a sin…?” is Romans 14. Paul says, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Rom. 14:23) Think about that!

Is it a sin for a woman to wear make-up? Is it a sin to drink beer? The principles in Romans 14 can and should be applied to so many things. Some things can be done in one situation and among some people which would not be appropriate or fitting in another and could be a sin. Paul said, “It is good neither to eat meat or anything whereby your brother is stumbled or is offended.” (Romans 14:21)

Of course, sadly, some people are offended pretty easily and they should be taught to grow up some and to have a more full understanding of the ways of the Lord. Paul said some eat meat and others being weak, only eat herbs. I can’t quote the whole chapter here but I suggest, if you feel you may have questions along this line, to do a real study on Romans 14.

The clinching verses at the end of the chapter say, “Have you faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is the man who condemns not himself in that thing which he allows. And he that eats [or wears make-up or anything else like this] is dammed if he eats if he eats not of faith. For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Rom. 14:22 & 23)

But this whole thing can get to be a downward spiral of fear, confusion and particularly condemnation and it ends up being disastrous to your spiritual life. I went through some things like this in my early Christian life and they were really some battles. I wrote about these things in “Conviction or Condemnation”, you might find some things in that article that are pertinent to this subject.

The Bible says we should “Walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4), not walk in a foreboding gloom and cloud of fear that at any second we’re going to be defeated by sin.

That’s not the perspective taught in the New Testament. Again, let me just say, it definitely is good to be aware of “the enemy who goes about as a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour.” (I Pet. 5:8) And it’s certainly true that we need to remain aware of “the sins which do so easily beset us.” (Heb. 12:1)

But even more we need to be mindful of “the blood of Christ which cleanses us from all sin.” (I John 1:7) Instead of constantly voicing our fears and worries about our sins, it would be more fruitful and Godly to praise God for the victories He’s given us over all sin and then to get busy following the prompting of the Holy Spirit as He leads us into all truth and shows us those around us who need our love and friendship.

Maybe some folks need to memorize the verse about “He that is begotten of God keeps himself and that wicked one touches him not.” (I John 5:18) God said in one place, “I also kept you from sinning against me.” (Genesis 20:6) Overemphasizing and accentuating sin is just not what the Lord really wants from us. It’s not “looking unto Jesus”; it’s looking unto our own “old man”, our sinful self instead of the Lord.

So I have gotten that off my heart. I hope it is a help to someone and will help you to have more peace, joy, freedom and power to get going with God instead of dwelling in the valley of your own sinful self. We’re all sinful; we all have battles, that’s why we have so many victories, because we have to keep bringing it all to the Lord. “Cast your burden upon the Lord and he will sustain you, He will never suffer the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22) “Looking unto Jesus…!” (Hebrews 12:2) Not your sinful self.

“The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen”

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What a dream I just had! I was racing up the stairs of a large apartment complex, right behind a friend of mine who was basically running for his life. Because also running up the stairs was another man who was out to probably kill the first man. Both men were professional athletes, on the brink of being very rich and successful men.

But in the dream, the younger man, maybe he was 19, had been messing around with the girlfriend of the man chasing him up the stairs. This enraged man, he was like maybe 28, was utterly beside himself with anger, chased the young man to the top landing of the apartment building and found the young man hiding.

In my dream, there was an extremely tense confrontation between these two men and it seemed like at any moment it would explode into what would probably be a fight to the death. The older man’s eyes were really bulging out with an almost insane look of fury and I tried to reason with him that he shouldn’t throw his life and career away by killing the young man for what he’d done.

But then suddenly one of their friends, a woman who had also raced up the stairs, was on her knees in front of the enraged older man, begging him with all her heart to let it go and to not let this incident be the end of both of the men in some fight to the death.

It was a very intense scene for me and, as dreams can sometimes be, it seemed utterly real at the time. The young woman was between the two men, begging with all her heart for the man to not avenge himself and attack the young man he’d chased up the stairs.

Then, almost strangely, the older athlete relented and backed off a little. I was really, really surprised that the woman’s pleas had been listened to by the angry man because he had just been hell-bent for violence in his fury. He backed off some feet away, still full of emotion.

And at that point I went up to him, also full of emotion because I knew these two guys and really didn’t want to see them throw their life away. And I said to the aggrieved man, “That’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen” and I gave him a hug.

And it was; it was extremely beautiful because I was so thankful that the man had listen to the woman on her knees who’d begged him with all her heart to not kill the younger athlete. He made the right decision; he listened to her wisdom and reasoning. He was right at the brink of throwing his life away in wreaking vengeance on the man who’d messed around with his girlfriend.

It was a very intense dream and a very beautiful outcome. Though he still was extremely upset, he’d made the right decision. Even if it wasn’t a matter of forgiving the young man, who evidently was apologetic, the older man had listened to the restraint and reasoning of the girl rather than his passion. He had avoided killing the young man when they both were right at the cusp of professional athletic stardom.

The Bible says that, “Jealousy is the rage of a man and he will not be appeased though you give many gifts.” (Proverbs 6:34 & 35) How many lives are ruined in some moment of rage and passion; promising, beautiful, even blessed young lives are ruined forever  over what seems to be an unforgivable wrong.

How difficult and rare it is to listen to the voice of reason in times like that or even to have the voice of reason there to still speak to you at that moment. But this young woman friend of theirs was on her knees, matching her passion with his, begging him not to throw his life away in killing his friend over his foolishness.

It was beautiful, it was rare, it was someone making the right decision when it really didn’t seem like he would. Solomon said “The discretion of a man defers his anger and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.” (Proverbs 19:11) I was so happy that one moment of foolishness on the part of the young athlete didn’t lead to another greater moment of greater foolishness which would have ended up destroying the lives of both of them, either by death or by prosecution.

Well, it was only a dream but it woke me up, long before I normal get up and I knew I should write it all down. Some dreams are just strong, meaningful and have a point to them. I’m not going through anything right now like those two young men but I’m sure it’s happening to many people. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, which I told to the man who’d deferred his anger. He didn’t yield to his rage, as “reasonable” as it had seemed at the time. He in a sense saved his own life by not taking the other man’s life.  “Every man shall kiss his lips that gives a right answer” (Proverbs 24:26)  and I just had to tell my friend how beautiful it was that he’d not thrown his life away in a moment of rage. And I gave him a hug.

Maybe there’s someone, somewhere who’s going through the same thing because it happens all the time, all over the world. Maybe you’re like the woman on her knees, begging your friend to not yield to rage. Maybe you’re like the young man who was running up the stairs, knowing you’d done a foolish thing by messing with another man’s girlfriend. Or maybe you’re like the older athlete, full of seemingly righteous fury and about to kill someone. But wisdom won the day. One sin didn’t lead on to a greater one. It was beautiful, surprising and unexpected.

Please don’t avenge yourself, no matter what has happened and how you’ve been wronged. Listen to reason; listen to the restrainer which is often the very voice of God, begging you to turn from your foolishness. “Brethren, avenge not yourselves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, I will replay.” (Romans 12:19)

Judge not?

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Many people have heard what Jesus said in one place, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” (Matthew 7:1) And then they’ll say, “Who are we to judge?” Personally I believe that these thoughts have been overused and misapplied to where believers have become emasculated and led to think that passive acquiescence to evil is what they’re called to do.

So let me share some less well known verses which may bring some balance on this subject. In I Corinthians chapter 5, Paul had just effectively excommunicated someone from the Corinthian body of believers for what was a vile wrongdoing. But then, in the next chapter, he went on to reprove and admonish the Corinthian Christians, saying this, “Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life?” (I Corinthians 6:2 & 3)

It seems clear from this passage that the well known admonition of “Judge not” that Jesus taught was not to be taken so broadly and universally that it was to hinder believers from “judging righteous judgment”, another of the Lord’s teachings.

In fact, in that verse in John 7:24, He tells us that we actually should judge. The verse in full says, “Judge not according to appearance but judge righteous judgment.” As is so often the case, one passage in Scripture has been seized upon and used out of context to sadly make an imbalanced view of some admonition from God so that it ends up conveying the almost totally wrong idea.

“But Mark, Jesus did say “Judge not”. Are you contradicting Christ, Mark?”

No, of course I am not. Jesus went on to say in that passage, “with what judgment you judge you shall be judged”. And James the Lord’s brother also spoke on this saying, “He shall have judgment without mercy that has showed no mercy. And mercy rejoices against judgment.” (James 2:13) Harsh, hypocritical, myopic judgment was what Jesus was speaking against in Matthew 7.

Jesus was not teaching that we should just all utterly wimp out to where we end up being spineless neutrals, “who-am-I-to-judge”, string-for-a-backbone milquetoasts. But millions of Christians are convinced that this is the proper understanding of Jesus’ words and that “pardon-me-for-living” convictions are some kind of testimony of the love of God.

What a device of the devil! How Satan has disarmed and imprisoned so many children of the Most High to where they are rendered almost utterly useless in the battle that rages about us for the souls of men, for the morals of our nations, for the very lives and hearts of our children. I believe with all within me that the body of Christ around the world should be awake, galvanized and properly trained to be, not spectators but active participants at the forefront of the battle for right or wrong, light or darkness and God or Satan that is raging and intensifying every day.

But if your mantra is, “Who am I to judge?”, you’re already almost eliminated from being the player for God that He so desperately needs you to be.

“But Mark, who am I? I don’t have a seminary degree, Mark! I don’t know what to say, Mark! I tried it one time and someone said something that I didn’t know the answer to!  Mark, that’s what our pastor is for! He’s the one that is supposed to lead souls to Christ, not me! Mark, if people want to know about God, let them go to church!”

That’s why I sadly believe that the Lord will ultimately allow great suffering and tribulation to come upon the nominally Christian nations of the world. They may be saved but the vast majority of Christians are already defeated and disarmed. I believe many millions have saving faith; but for the most part, they’ve gone only a little further.

They may be believers, but very few can be called disciples. Of course there are exceptions to this and there are many who are more broken now, more desperate now that the powers of darkness have taken the high ground so clearly throughout much of the once Christian nations. Some are waking up. Some are fighting back and standing up for the Lord. But it’s a very small minority.

Elijah thought that he was the only one left of the Lord’s true people and he told the Lord that. But the Lord said at that time to him that “there are 7000 in Israel who’ve not bowed the knee to Baal” (I Kings 19:18). And then the Lord in effect told Elijah to get busy. God had someone of the next generation that He wanted Elijah to train, the upcoming prophet Elisha, who actually went on to do twice as many miracles as Elijah.

We just have to stand on the Rock, hold on to our crowns and continue to do all that we can, every single day for the Lord to not just be weak, passive “believers” but active, alive discipleship Christians, truly serving the Lord daily. That’s one thing we can do, we can do what we can to be faithful in our generation. God has to do the miracle; He has to bring the awakening. Or the judgment.

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine and in fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. And daily in the temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” (Acts 2:42 & 5:42)

Christmas and prophecy

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No other event from 2000 years ago holds the attention of the world like Christmas and the birth of Jesus does. On the other hand, some might say of Christmas, “Not again!”. Or their words might be, “Some unwed teenager has a baby in some shed and we all go crazy!”

But I can tell you one element that’s almost always left out about the story of Christmas which originally was virtually paramount to those who first heard it in the time of ancient Israel. “What’s that?” you ask? Here’s what: Christmas. Was. Prophesied! It’s that important and now virtually unknown. I’ll attempt to explain.

As much as some castigate Christmas, it’s helped make it so that the events of Jesus’ birth are known far and wide and are celebrated yearly, as they have been for 2000 years. People all over the world, Christian or otherwise, often know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. You may be a kid in Baluchistan or in a yeshiva in Brooklyn. But if you ask your teacher, “What’s this thing about Christmas?”, they’ll probably be able to tell you what Christmas is.

But almost no one knows why it matters that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, much less the circumstances of His mother, Mary. And that’s because fulfilled Biblical prophecy has become one of the unknown phenomenon of our enlightened times. Has there been a conspiracy or intentional cover-up to remove Bible prophecy from our knowledge? I don’t think it’s actually that. Nevertheless the plain fulfillment of prophecy is one of the greatest proofs of a supernatural God who has a plan for mankind and is steering events toward an ultimate showdown between Light and Darkness.

“Great, Mark; so what was prophesied about Christmas?”

First, Bethlehem itself was predicted specifically by God through the mouth of the prophet Micah to be the birthplace of the coming King of the Jews, over 700 years before Jesus’ birth. It says in Micah 5:2, (God speaking to the town of Bethlehem), “But you Bethlehem, though you be small among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth the one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose going forth is from old, from everlasting.”

The Jews of Jesus’ time knew exactly what this meant and even used it to try to prove Jesus was not the Messiah. Jesus was born in Bethlehem but grew up in Nazareth. So the unbelieving Jews knew Jesus was from Nazareth and said, “Has not Scripture said that Christ shall come from the seed of David and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” (John 7:42) But Christ did come from the town of Bethlehem; He was born there although he grew up in Nazareth. I guess those folks who were trying to use this against Him hadn’t done their research.

What does that mean about “the seed of David and the town of Bethlehem, where David was”? Again, it was majorly significant to people 2000 years ago, but virtually not at all to us now. The Messiah to come for the Jews  was to be a direct descendant of King David, Israel’s greatest king. And, like we’ve read, the Messiah was to be from Bethlehem. Now, 2000 years later, folks still know Jesus was born in Bethlehem. But the significance of this has been erased from the story.

It was prophesied, foretold and every Israeli at that time knew it! They also knew the Messiah was to be a descendant of King David. Was Jesus a physical descendant of David? Absolutely. The opening 16 verses of the book of Matthew traces the linage of “the Virgin Mary” directly back to King David. “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Matthew 1:1)

And what about that “Virgin Mary” thing? Please, humor me here but… It. Was. Prophesied! It was prophesied of the Messiah to come that He would be born of a virgin. Isaiah 7:14 says, “The Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel.” And Emmanuel means “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)

The Messiah that every Jew back then looked for would be born in Bethlehem, born of the linage of David and born of a virgin. That’s why Christmas is so important, because Jesus was not some ordinary little baby born to an unmarried teen. He was and is the Messiah promised to Israel.

There’s more. The Roman world of that day knew already that a King was about to be born to the Jews because the knowledge of the prophecies of Daniel was known to some degree throughout the world of that day. In ancient Roman writings can be found places where they knew that Rome was “the fourth kingdom” (Daniel 2:40 & 7:23) and that at that time God would “set up a kingdom that would never be destroyed”. (Daniel 2:44)

If your Christmas has been whittled down to some quick meal like at a fast food joint, if the ingredient of fulfilled prophecy has been eliminated from your spiritual meal, then you surely aren’t getting what was originally there. I just get incensed at how spiritually weak, depleted and malnourished the people of this world have become because they’ve lost the knowledge of God’s mighty power and willingness to foretell the key events of our existence and future here in this world. Christmas was not only a historical event; it was one of the most prophesied events in the history of mankind. But that’s been virtually lost to us.

I hope you have a merry Christmas. But I also hope you “grow in grace and knowledge” (II Peter 3:18)  and are “strengthened in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16) by the power of the truth and Word of God, so much of which is so distant and foreign to the vast majority of those of us in these times. God help us all! Merry Christmas.

Green leaves hanging on

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It’s December, way past Fall, right? But some green leaves are still hanging on. They’re still green, not even turning yellow yet. How’s that happening? I guess they must have a real good grip on the branch. And also they probably were having a good connection with the sap all Spring, Summer and even Fall. Admittedly, there are not many of them. And you can be sure that sooner or later they’ll begin to turn yellow and eventually fall from the tree, like the vast number of other leaves.

Still, it gives one pause for thought. Why do some last longer than others? Why are some still alive and green when all their friends have turned yellow and been blown away? Maybe it’s genetics. Maybe those leaves just got “the luck of the draw” and were “blessed by nature”, as some say, to last longer than others. That might have something to do with it. Even the Bible talks about chance and says “time and chance happen to them all”. (Ecclesiastes 9:11)

I’m no arborist so I don’t totally know why this happens. But just the knowledge I do have, simple things that we can all relate to like “holding on”. The Lord told us to “Hold fast that which you have, that no man take your crown” (Revelation 3:11). Well, those leaves have still got the look of summer to them against the cold blue skies of winter because they are holding on.

Jesus said, “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can you except you abide in Me.” (John 15:4) I think those green leaves still holding on have probably been doing a good job of really abiding in that tree. They still have life in them. The flow is still there, they are even still producing photosynthesis as they cling to the branch, sending food back to the tree and nourishing it, even in December.

King David said of a person of God, “He shall be like a tree, planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he shall do shall prosper.”(Psalm 1:3)  So those green leaves, still hanging on in December are a visible example of how God wants us to be.

This little lesson for me happened in basically the same spot in our far backyard this morning as did a similar one around a year ago when I saw a bright red cardinal in the same area, bringing color and cheer against the background of the death of winter. That lesson was called “Cardinals in the winter”.

Of course, as I’ve written elsewhere before, in fact almost many times, “Everything means something“. This is what Paul said in Romans 1:20, “The invisible things from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and godhead.” King David understood this also and said in Psalm 19, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork. Day unto day utters speech and night unto night shows knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.” (Psalm 19:1-3)

There is so much information all around us, so many lessons that speak to our hearts through the day if we’re going slow enough to hear them. Paul said, “There are so many voices in the world and none of them is without signification.” (I Corinthians 14:10) Like those leaves. They are holding on. They are still green and full of sap. They haven’t even turned yellow yet.

Maybe it’s even something that could apply to the vision of the future that Bible prophecy points to. One of the signs of the future times is a great “falling away” (II Thessalonians 2:3) and of course many believe we’ve already crossed that bridge a good while back. Formerly strong Christian nations have fallen so far away that true Christianity is in retreat and almost gone in many nations. The “leaves”, the people of faith (what few remain), have mostly turned a pale green or fully yellow, ready to fall away.

And yet, the Word and plan of God says there will still be green leaves on the tree, even in the darkest winter to come, the final days before the return of the Lord. The Bible says there’ll still be green leaves on the seemingly dead tree of Christian faith. “The people who do know there God shall be strong and do exploits. And they who understand amoung the people shall instruct many. ” (Daniel 11:32 & 33), even during the worst onslaughts against Christian faith that ever will happen.

And, strangely, taking the analogy further, the Bible says that some of those last green leaves on the tree will remain until the Spring of all Springs, the glorious return of Jesus “in the clouds with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).

How do I know? Because the Bible says so. It says that at His coming, in that spring of all springs, not only will “the dead in Christ rise first”, but also “we which are alive and remain shall be caught up with Him in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air” (I Thessalonians 4:16 & 17). Green leaves holding on till the spring, holding on through the winter, the worst winter ever for the people of faith.

Some will hold on, abiding in the vine to welcome the great King into the glorious Millennial Kingdom of God to come. Lord help us all still holding on to the Branch and abiding in the vine to continue to stay alive and flourishing for Him. Praise God. “They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.” (Psalm 92:14)

Suicide

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To me, suicide is a terrible, horrible thing. I’ve had times in my life where that thought came to me but there were just too many reasons not to do it. But it does seem to claim many lives in our times. Despair and hopelessness come upon us in mighty waves and to end our life seems to be the only way out. But what stopped me was to consider the effect it would have on others, particularly my children.

The Bible says, “None of us lives to himself and no man dies to himself.” (Romans 14:7) We all have influence. We are all in one way or the other tied to each other. “If one member suffers, the whole body suffers.” (I Corinthians 12:26) I’ve known people who’ve committed suicide. Some of them were good friends, others were people I knew or heard about. I have friends who had a parent who committed suicide when they were a kid. They didn’t talk about it much but I could tell it had a deep and severe effect on them.

Suicidal thoughts make you feel utterly separated from everyone else. In my view, it’s similar to those who commit murder, only in this case the person you kill is yourself, rather than someone else. But it comes back to utter hopelessness, utter despair and an outlook that life has turned out so bad that there’s no reason left to live at all. But like I said, when I got to that point a few times, it was thinking about my children and the legacy it would leave them that turned me away from doing it.

Also, for those of us who believe in God and in Jesus, we just know better about the realities of life than to be taken over by such horrendously hopeless thoughts. If you know God and if you know His Word, you just know that however bad things look right now, it’s not really the end. No matter how much you blew it, no matter how much people mistreat you or abuse you or hate you, there’s Someone much greater than our present circumstances, no matter how bad they are.

The psalms of David, which are mostly prayers, are some of the most comforting and strengthening passages in the Bible. David certainly knew the utter depths of despair, hopelessness and even dread. He was very human, he said things he shouldn’t have said and did things that he shouldn’t have done. But still through it all the Lord never gave up on David and ended up mightily blessing his life. David said this one time,

My sore ran in the night and did not stop; my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God and was troubled; I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed. You, God, keep my eyes awake. I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I called to remembrance my song in the night. I commune with my own heart and my spirit made diligent search.  Will the Lord cast off forever? Will he be favorable no more? Is His mercy completely gone forever? Do His promises fail for evermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? And I said, “This is my infirmity. But I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the Lord, surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will meditate also of all Your work and talk of Your doings.” (Psalm 77:2-12)

King David knew the depths of despair and hopelessness. But what did he do in this prayer? He turned. He turned from a stream of hopelessness and began to say, “But I will remember…”, he actually says that three times in a row. David started to get his mind and train of thought on the faithfulness of God and God’s plan for his life, rather than the incredibly difficult circumstances he was in.

Let me change this around for a moment. I want to talk to you, from me to you. Are you being spoken to by thoughts of suicide? Maybe off and on for a long time? My friend, fight it. Or if you think you’re too weak to fight it, call out to God to deliver you. It’s not too big for Him.

If someone evil broke into your house and tried to carry off your children or even your dog, you’d fight them. Well, it’s worse than that. Someone has broken into the house of your mind and is trying to carry you off to your death.

And maybe you don’t even love yourself anymore but I venture to say others do. Others will miss you terribly. Others will be soul-struck that you are no longer here, that you are no longer part of their lives.

And even if you think you don’t have any friends or family, God Himself has got better ideas and plans for you than that you take your life. Why not give your life to help others? God specializes in using weak things, little things, nothings that He can make something out of. God usually has to make absolutely nothing out of someone before He can use them. Maybe that’s where you are now.

But the devil comes along (and, yes, that’s who it is, the devil) and tries to tell you that it’s too late, you’re washed up and there’s nothing left to do but kill yourself. Jesus said of the devil that he was a murderer from the beginning and he’s trying to get you to commit murder, your own.

DON’T DO IT. Get help. Are you on some medication? A lot of those have side effects that bring on suicidal thoughts. You might need to check that out. Pour out your heart to God. Read the Bible, maybe the Psalms of David and let God’s Word speak to your heart. Fill your mind and heart with positive, encouraging, faith-building thoughts from the Word of God.

If your willpower doesn’t seem to work, try your “won’t power”. If you can’t find a way forward, at least you don’t have to start going backwards. Just slam on the breaks and sit tight in prayer and reading the Word until the storm passes. It will. It did for me. I’ve been through this and I’m mighty glad I didn’t take my life in times of some of my darkest despair.

You are valuable to others and to God. You are loved and needed and you mater. Hold on. It can and will get better and you can go on to the light of a brighter day that will make the present darkness be something you eventually no longer remember. Hold on. You are loved and needed.

Intimacy in Cyberspace ?

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Intimacy. Let’s admit it: we all want that. Physically, yes; but even as much or more that union of heart with heart with another kindred soul. Jesus prayed to His Father, “That they all may be one, as You, Father are in me and I in you.” (John 17:21) Some have it in their families, mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, the special feeling you have with your grandparents.

Intimacy is one of the most desired, sought and even most needed things we have in our lives. And now in our times we have the internet and cyberspace which has made it possible to be in contact basically with nearly anyone anywhere in the world. It’s certainly been a huge thing in my life to where much of my time is based around the material I post on line and communications I have all over the world with people I work with or with ones who’ve viewed or read my material

But am I enjoying intimacy in these settings? Is cyberspace satisfying the deepest desires of my soul and heart? In one sense I can definitely say no. On the other hand, equally I also have to say that some of my interactions with this vast assembly of friends and acquaintances have definitely been very satisfying and encouraging.

Maybe it comes down to what it takes to really satisfy each individual. Some know what real intimacy is like. It can be pinnacle experiences you’ve had in your relationship with God and Christ. It can be those incredible moments of bonding and unity with your mate, where you know you are truly loving that person and are being loved. Even times with your best friend, sharing your heart, being listened to and understood, even that can be a form of intimacy. And of course the interactions we have with our families, when things are going really well, is also a degree of intimacy that can sometimes be sustained over many years.

So how does cyberspace work as being an avenue of intimacy? While it’s been truly fantastic for me personally in being able to reach out across continents to where I’m getting to know folks in places like Rwanda, Dagestan, Nagaland and even remote towns where there are no roads to those places, it still doesn’t beat the real thing.

Real time. Face time. Human to human, right-in-front-of-you where you can see their face, hold their hand, hear their voice. That still is the benchmark of intimacy. We’re not cyborgs. We’re flesh and blood human beings who know the true and full reality when we see it. Cyberspace has been an incredible blessing. But for me it’s not been able to replace the need for traditional reality that humanity has known for millennia.

So, like for probably millions of people, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.” In the Lord I certainly have. “You are complete in Him.” (Colossians 2:10) But it’s also true that, “It is not good for man to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18) Even when Adam had God with him in the Garden in a closeness most of us can’t even imagine, God still knew that Adam needed someone like himself beside him. And it’s still the same today.

While I’m thankful for the mass of friends and acquaintances I’ve come to have through the internet, I have to be honest and say that this other aspect of my life, real-time, face-time traditional reality intimacy with others is still pretty lacking in some respects and I feel it a lot.

I can imagine that very many people have turned to cyberspace to try to satisfy the aching void so many feel of the need for real closeness, even true intimacy. I don’t know if you could compare it to those who turn to alcohol or drugs to relieve their heartache but maybe there’s a comparison. But on the internet, you’re mostly interacting with someone real, an actual individual at the other end of a Facebook chat or your email message. So it’s not like alcohol really in that sense. But it can only go so far.

Does intimacy imply ecstasy? No. Solomon said, “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart, so does the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty council.” (Proverbs 27:9) It’s like what I wrote about in “Jonathan, son of Saul”. Evidently King David and Saul’s son Jonathan had a very deep and strong friendship. But there never was any hint of anything physical about it.

Every person needs real, deep intimacy. That’s what we have with God through Jesus. “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (I Timothy 2:5) We are restored, we are reconciled to God in Christ. And those things can bring joys and emotions that words sometimes can’t really reach.

And yet…, and yet we who are still here in this world most of the time still need others. We also need human love. Unity, contact, oneness. It says in the Bible, “Now we know in part, but then shall we know, even as we are known.” (I Corinthians 13:12)

It sounds like, in heaven, intimacy will be the coinage of the realm, intimacy with Christ and God but also with an incredible oneness with each other. But here…? Well, thank God for the internet and the good that has come of it. Still, for me at least I yet yearn and long for intimacy in this world and I know that is not really going to come through cyberspace.

It’s going to have to happen in real time, traditional reality. “The greatest of these is love.” (I Corinthians 13:13) God help us to continue in Him and His love. And, if it be His will, love with another human being, even real time intimacy.