All posts by markkharris55

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About markkharris55

Mark K. Harris is an officer in United States Coast Guard who has enjoyed over 16 years of active duty naval engineering assignments. He is married to his beautiful wife Vanessa for 8 years; they have three children Joshua, Andrew and Hannah. They are actively involved with our church and other community based activities. Having had the opportunity to both learn and lead during his career on both Coast Guard Cutters and high level Naval Engineering units, Harris’ intention is to continue in the Coast Guard for or beyond twenty years. After that, we will reevaluate family, ministry and career priorities to determine all opportunities that might be available to us.

Love Always Outshines Hate

God Loves You

Matt 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

As I was looking on the internet today I saw yet another article about a Pastor nearly threatening homosexuals from the pulpit.  I must say I will forever believe the bible and what it teaches us about homosexuality and sexual sin.  I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, and just because I believe this does not mean I am homophobic.  What I cannot understand is why many Christians take parts of the bible and use them to emphasize on our pet peeves, yet completely go against other biblical principles as if they do not exist.  It is often hard for some to understand that we were all born with a sin nature and that all sin is just that; SIN (no hierarchy).

Jesus told us that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves and love our enemies as well.  Why not spend our time in the pulpit telling and teaching people about Jesus Christ, who He is, what He has done for ALL of us and all that He has empowered us to enjoy.  I currently live in CA (in the process of moving), so I’ve seen and heard much more than I’ve ever wanted regarding many LGBT agendas.  Even with that being said, it is clear to me that there is only one thing which will win the heart of a sinner, and that is the Love of Jesus Christ.  Let’s give people life and a chance to be introduced to the lover of our souls.  When we do this, we may be like Paul, doing all that he could to evangelize; “by all means save some (1 Cor 9:20-22).”

Jesus said to love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.  He then uses the conjunction that, to show us why we should show this love.

  1. To Be His Sons:  [that you may be sons of your Father in heaven] The word be in this text means (to become, come into existence, begin to be, receive being), we become a Son of God when we accept Jesus Christ as Savior, but sinners do not see that.  What do sinners see?  Love, when it comes from someone that they hate, don’t trust or are afraid of.  You become a Son of God, the very Jesus that they cannot see, when you love rather than spew hatred and ignorance.  Most unsaved people respect Christians that actions & words align.  Jesus would never say some of the things that we are hearing from Christians pulpits today.   When we apply His word, it speaks volumes even to our enemies.  Be a Son to those who need to see one.
  2. To Be His Blessings:  for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust Jesus reminds us a few things here, He (The Triune God) makes the Sun rise and the rain fall for everyone not just Christians but sinners also.  The sun always represents some aspect of Jesus’ character and the rain always represents the Holy Spirit.  It is a good thing too, because we were not always saved and had He not shined and rained on us, we would still be in the same category as other sinners (including unsaved homosexuals).  But check this out, when we love our enemies we are a blessing to them and give an opportunity for our enemies to experience the same sun & rain.  Bless those who we know need Jesus, because hate only brings about death (Matt 5:21-22).

Remember, we did not love Christ first; He loved us and then died for ALL of our sins.  He loves homosexuals just as much as He loves us so let’s get on His page and off our “high horse”.  I’m not telling you to go and participate in the many antics and presentations of the LGBT movement, nor to embrace their values.  We do not have to agree, but we certainly do not need to hate either.  We will never win a single homosexual to Christ by way of hate, but if our goal is not to lead them to Christ, we may need to reevaluate our purpose.  Just some food for thought!

Love ya!

IT IS FINISHED!!!

God Loves You, Spiritual Food

John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

On Friday we remembered the night that Jesus was unjustly arrested, disrespectfully slapped, viciously beaten, wrongly accused, disgustingly spit on, illegally convicted, and hung on a Cross and left to die like a criminal.  Yet with all of that being done to Him, there was only one thing on His mind at the time.  Finishing His assignment, completing the work that He was sent to do; publically displaying the LOVE that He had for each of us (we were on His mind; you, me & everyone).  But on that night, what exactly did Jesus finish?

1.  Life under the LAW: God gave the LAW to Moses on Mt. Sinai, this LAW was a covenant that God made with the Children of Israel.  The LAW was a set of rules that all had to completely uphold in order to be in right standing with God.  If for any reason any one of these rules were broken, then it was as if all of them were broken and only a sacrifice could be made in order restore one’s standing with the most Holy God.  God had put in place a standard where man would be judged by his own righteousness, a righteousness the bible reminds us in Isaiah “(Isa 64:6) but we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.”  How could this be fair, there was no way for anyone to keep this LAW, why would God make such a covenant?
We need God, and the best possible way to see our need, is to measure ourselves to this unbelievably high standard, a standard nobody but God could attain.  Jesus came to fulfill this LAW, so that we could stop trying to work for His attention and start trusting in Him as our true & loving Savior.  When Jesus yelled It is finished on Calvary’s Cross, He let us know that the LAW was no longer.  He had become our High Priest and when we accept Him as Lord “(Heb 8:6)…He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.”  This New Covenant, well let me just let God tell you Himself “(Heb 8:10) For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”  The LAW, It is finished.

2.  Judgment for Sin:  Judgment is used 254 times in the bible (NKJV), God’s Judgment is simply put, God’s punishment for sin.  The bible shows us that God’s punishment for sin was shown numerous times, when Adam and Eve banished from the Garden; Able was sent away as a vagabond; the great flood came in Noah’s Day; 3000 died the day the LAW was given; the Children of Israel (including Moses) were not able to see the promised land; David’s son to an adulterous affair died; Israel was overtaken by the Babylonians and even the book of Romans tells us “(Rom 6:23) For the wages of sin is death.”  Yet, Jesus not only fulfilled the LAW but He also received every one of our sins on that dark day.  As if it were not bad enough, all of the beatings and ill treatment he received before crucifixion, while on the Cross all our sins, sicknesses and diseases were placed on him, “(Isa 53:6)…And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”  Jesus knew that He was coming to the earth to die and be judged for our sin, yet he did it anyway.  His love for us and for His Father is amazing and was on display “Phil 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
Jesus yelled out Tetelestai, the Greek term for It is finished, the tem meant that a debt has been fully paid.  It signified that whatever someone once owed had at that very moment just been completely paid for.  God’s judgment for all of our past, present and future sins had come, He lashed it out on His only begotten Son, and even after all that Jesus was alive (He’s a powerful and awesome Savior) to let us all know that everything we would ever owe (be required to pay) was indeed PAID IN FUL!!!.  Judgment for Sin, It is finished.

3.  Condemnation:  Jesus told Nicodemus of his purpose for coming into the world, “John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  His purpose was to save us and not condemn us.  Paul also tells us this awesome truth for believers “Rom 8:1 there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.”  Condemnation is the Greek word “Krima” meaning judgment or damnation; essentially it means declaring an evil doer guilty.  Satan uses condemnation trick believers into thinking that God disapproves, blames or is angry with us because we have sinned.  We have often felt so guilty that we give up on living for Christ and choose to live sinful lifestyles.  Even worse we begin to hide condemnation so deep in our hearts that the guilt impacts our health, we begin to see sickness in our bodies, depression in our minds and pain in our hearts.  All Lies!!!
God is just and Jesus received all of God’s judgment for our sin on the Cross, everything past, present and future sin.  If we were still being judged for our sin today, then it would mean a.) God would be unjust (can’t happen), b.) Jesus’ sacrifice was not good enough (not possible), c.) We are just so bad that God is not smart enough to figure out how to cover our sin (really??).  God’s word is true, it will always be accurate, and will accomplish everything is has set out to do.  God’s salvation plan in Jesus Christ, was more than enough to cover all our sins and allow us to be loved and adored by God forever; “(Jude 24) Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise,Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever.  Amen.”  All Condemnation, It is finished.

Seeing Like Never Before

Spiritual Food

Mark 10:46-52  Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  48 Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” 50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  51 So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”  The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”  52 Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

This is a very familiar text with so much meat; Jesus heals a blind man, proving that the blind can see.  A beggar named Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by and believed that Jesus could help him see.  This story is multifaceted because it speaks to both non-believers as well as believers, but what is it saying?

For the Non-Believer:  Bartimaeus represents the man/woman that does not yet know Jesus and remains in sin.  He comes to a point in life where he realizes that life as he knows it is not how he wants to live.  Many are living life without Jesus Christ as their Savior and are far from satisfied in life.  They will prayerfully come to the same realization that Bartimaeus did, Jesus can bring light to the darkest of situations.  If you have not accepted the Loving Savior, who died on Calvary’s Cross so that all of your sins could be forgiven, Jesus is your salvation.  He did everything so that all you have to do is believe in His sacrifice for you.

For the Believer:  Bartimaeus was the son of Timaeus, which means “highly prized.”  He was therefore a son of significance, yet still could not see.  There are times in our Christian journey, where we as sons/daughters of the “King of Glory” cannot see Jesus as He is.  Jesus is so much to behold that we will never be able to comprehend Him fully, at least not until He comes back to get us.  Blindness is hindrance to sight and when our sight is hindered, we are unable to fully grasp the truth found in 1 John 4:17, “as He (Jesus) is, so are we (every believer) in this world.”  When we are unable to SEE who Jesus really is, we limit our ability to have a fulfilled life here on earth.  Bartimaeus needed more, his life was limited not just because of his blindness, but because he had not seen all that Jesus had to offer.  How we view Jesus will determine how we view ourselves and how well we live our lives every day.

We recently took the kids down to Disneyland; you know the happiest place on earth.  While there, we had a ball and one of our favorite things to do was to go to their 3-D theater shows.  The interesting thing about these shows is that Disney had to provide us special eye-wear in order for us to fully enjoy the show.  Had we watched the show with our own eyes, we would not be able to see the show the way the producer designed it.  Our vision would be blurry and unable to clearly make out what was on the screen, things would not appear to us as they really were.  Bartimaeus was given his sight, but also allowed to see the most beautiful sight ever known to man, JESUS.  The very first thing Bartimaeus saw when his eyes were opened was the “Alpha & Omega,” he received so much more than just healing.  Jesus always wants to show us more of him, and like Bartimaeus we will not only receive what we ask for but our eyes are opened to see Jesus clearly.  We see His Love, His Power, His Mercy, His Wisdom, His Favor, His Friendship, His Protection, His Omnipresence/Omniscience/Omnipotence, and our Savior.   Enjoy seeing Jesus like never before.

 

Love That Speaks Volumes

Family Ministry

Eph 5:28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

Are your actions really saying what your heart believes?  What should you do when your actions say things to your spouse other than the words you speak?  Communication is one of the common issues that spring up in marriage; it really becomes a barometer of the health of a marriage.  When the communication is good, a marriage thrives; but when communication is bad a marriage struggles.  I’ve had my challenges in this area.  I’m improving…but I still have a ways to go.

Paul tells us here in Ephesians that we (husbands) are to love our wives as much as (or more than) we love ourselves.  A very important part of loving someone is communicating that love.  I can communicate love by my words, and also by my actions, but there is a problem when the two are not aligned.  The other night I was the MC for a fundraiser at my job.  It was the first of this magnitude so I wanted my family there to share with me, especially since I would be there all day missing a family function.  Just before the event, things really began to pick up and before I knew it we were well into the bulk of the program.  I had not even as much as greeted my wife and family (maybe brief eye contact).

This obviously did not communicate to Vanessa how glad I was that they made it and that I was extremely happy to see them there in support.  When I finally came over to the table they were preparing to leave; not ideal for spending time with those most important to me.  As I walked them out to the car I could definitely tell that Vanessa wished they hadn’t ever come.  When we finally wrapped up and I was on my way home, I called and Vanessa shared something that really blew me away; “this is what you always do” she said.  This was not the first time that I had acted in a similar manner which continued to communicate to her was that she and our family were not as important as I’ve stated.  As would be imagined, I was hurt not because of what she said but what my actions said to her and my kids.  As a husband and father it is important to me that they know my heart towards them and if that is not being communicated then there is no way that I am loving my own wife as my own body.

So why am I sharing this?  Because after hearing my wife’s heart I realized that something needed to change.  I was reminded by the Holy Spirit of a message taught by Frank Wilson at a men’s conference in Philadelphia (10 yrs ago).  He talked about how to show your wife that she is the most important person in your life.  He spoke about how he shows his wife, Bunny, just how important she is to him, specifically when he is serving or working in some capacity.  “The minute Bunny walks in the room and I see her, I stop whatever I’m doing and go to her; this acknowledges her presence.  I then check to see if there is anything she needs from me and if so I do it or I assure her that it will be dealt with.”  This ensured his wife Bunny knew that she was indeed the most important person in his life.

Now I am not Frank Wilson, and may never get to where he and Bunny are in their marriage, but I at least have something to shoot for.  My help in communicating my love is the Holy Spirit, you see Jesus knows me and my wife, therefore as I look to Him for wisdom He will direct my path. I encourage you (brothers) that what you say has to match what you do and if the two don’t align, then it has to be dealt with immediately.  Jesus will help you deal with the issues in your marriage, and show you how to make all of your communication consistent.  While letting Jesus help your communication you will begin to love your own wives as your own bodies, and by doing so your marriage will thrive.

God Bless You!

Hold Me Lord

God Loves You

Matt 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Hold me Lord, when my feet will not stay,
and my only thoughts are to go astray.

Hold me Lord, when I slip and when I fall,
and Your Glory & Righteousness seem way too tall.

Hold me Lord, when all I want is to let go,
when things seem so tough that quitting is the only thing I know.

Hold me Lord, when the weight just ain’t fair,
and I feel like the pain is just too much to bare.

Hold me Lord, when life is going great,
and I need to feel like we are on a date.

Hold me Lord, every single day,
so that I can lead & others can see The Way.

Hold me Lord, so I won’t ever let go,
and with your favor wisdom & favor every day I’ll grow.

Hold me Lord, I need You to hold me!

Happy Anniversary

Family Ministry

Mark 10:7 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,8 and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.9 Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

            Yesterday marked nine years of marriage to my beautiful wife Vanessa.   We have been blessed tremendously during the past 3204 days to include three wonderful children, health and employment, along with so many other intangibles.  We have had two major moves and are currently preparing for the next one.  I can honestly say that I love her more today than I did the day I said “I do.”  That being said, let me make this crystal clear: everyday has not been a bed of roses.  There have been many days that have felt more like a bed of nails (like in the old Kung-Fu movies); but there has been a common thread throughout our marriage that has knitted our hearts closer than we ever would/could.

I’ve quoted a familiar scripture from the Gospels.  The content is very important as God has shared a few things that have helped us succeed thus far in marriage.

1.  Roles:  For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife.  When we made up in our minds we were getting married we determined that our current roles (son, daughter, sister or brother) had to change.  We had to prioritize our new roles as husband and wife, and by doing so, ensure that only the Holy Spirit is an outside decision maker in our marriage.  Ultimately, doing this did not make everyone happy, but we set a precedent for the health of our marriage.

2. Realization:  and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  In man’s economy 1+1=2 and in most marriages it sometimes equals 6 or more, while in God’s economy 1+1=1.  We had to realize that Jesus has to have center stage in our marriage so when we married we became one.  Achieving this is not easy and definitely something I started learning early on.  There is another important realization: Vanessa and I are a team, not enemies.  It’s difficult to remember at times but after the emotions explode, we have to fall back and remember that we are a team.  This way we battle the enemy (Satan) that is out to destroy everything we stand for and not each other.

3. Reality: Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.  Our reality is that our marriage was put together by God and we are not allowed to break it up.  Our role in this marriage is to trust the Lord more than ever and listen to Him about how to stay together.  We need to know when to push and when to give; when to shout and when to listen; when to love and when to fight; when to get help and when to keep it in house.  Our reality is that marriage is not easy but with God all things are possible, including our marriage.  This is your reality also.  Your marriage may be tough, but with God even your marriage can succeed.

These are a few things that have and continue to help us, but God will give you your keys to success.  We continue to love one another after nine years, but we have so much further to go.  As we continue to live and trust these keys God has given us we will see many more years together.  We are praying that you allow God to do the same in your marriage.  As we celebrate our anniversary today we also celebrate God’s goodness and presence in our marriage.  God bless you all.

It’s Time to Fight

Family Ministry, Uncategorized

1 Sam 30:8 So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”

Every February, businesses and entrepreneurs alike, flood stores, internet and even the busiest street corners with red roses, plush teddy bears, sweet chocolate and many other tokens representing love and affection.  Unfortunately for many, all of these romantic trinkets will not do anything to mend the hurt, anger and hate that have filled the hearts of so many spouses.   Statistics show that well over 70% of marriages fail and a majority of pre-marital relationships seldom end in matrimony.  The fact is, our enemy the devil, is attacking relationships.  He always has and always will.  The sad thing is that he is not always working solo.  Many have made poor choices that have opened the door for him to enter into relationships and wreak havoc in the lives of so many families.

My wife and kids mean so much to me and I can assure you that if I lost them my LIFE would be drastically impaired.  Divorce is an unbearable reality that many families are dealing with today.  David had an unbearable reality to deal with, but the Lord used his situation to give us wisdom to help many marriages today.  David along with his mighty men returned to their families in Ziklag only to find that the Amalekites had ravaged their homes taking captive their wives and children.  An enemy had literally just destroyed their lives.  David lost everything and the very people he led were ready to kill him.  He was devastated and downtrodden but he had a decision to make.

This February, you too have a decision to make!!  Will you sit back while the enemy steals, kills and destroys your family?  While the enemy picks apart the life you and your spouse have built together, will you sit in disappointment and disbelief or will you follow David’s example and “FIGHT TO GET YOUR LIFE BACK”.  Let’s see what he did.

  1. Strengthened Himself:  vs 6 … But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. This familiar verse is quoted often and there’s a great reason for it.  David was devastated; he was at his lowest point and David had many low points in his life.  Many people going through serious marital problems often find themselves feeling as low as David did.  David understood that he was dealing with something that no counselor, friend or family member was going to be able to help with.  He had to get his strength from the only source that gives power.  Jesus is waiting for us to tap into His power and strength.  Marriages need Jesus in their center, that is the bottom line.  Regardless of the situation your marriage is in, you can gain strength by trusting in Jesus and walking in the strength He has given you.
  2. Worshiped His Savior:  vs 7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.  After David was strengthened he went right into worship.  He later donned the linen ephod which was worn originally by the High Priest then by ordinary priests.  They wore it before going into the temple to worship so David wore it so that he could worship the Lord.  David was all out of sorts and confused yet realized that before he could do anything about this situation, he needed to worship the Lord.  Worship is focusing our affection on Jesus.  When we do that we cannot think about or even see anything but Jesus and His amazing Love for us.  Stop looking at the faults of your spouse…worship the Lord.  Rather than trying to fix things that you don’t know how to…worship the Lord.  Worship Jesus and get your focus back.  Remember who God is, all that He has done for you, how much He loves you and all that He is able to do.  When we worship, we place our focus on our solution (Jesus).
  3. Inquired Direction:  vs 8 So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?”.…  After David worshiped he was ready to get God’s direction.  Now that David’s focus was clear, he needed to know what to do next.  In marriage we often ask everyone else (other people who have their own problems), before we ask the One who has all of the solutions.  Jesus knows what we need to do, when we need to do it and just how it needs to be done.  Inquire of the Lord and ask about your next step in marriage.  Ask about what you should learn, how you can be better, how can you love better, how can you serve better. Whatever you need to know, ask Jesus first.  After all “we have not because we ask not.”
  4. Pursued His Enemy:  vs 8 …And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men…  When David got the word from God, he took immediate action.  You see he asked God what to do and God told him to pursue.  Pursue means to go after with vigor, chase or persecute.  God, in essence, told David to fight; fight for his family and the very life which had just been destroyed.  This is the same word for you today.  Don’t let the enemy get away with the destruction he has caused, FIGHT.  Why?  God told David to fight in answer to the question he asked, but the Lord being omnipotent also answered a question that David did not ask: why he should fight?  “My life will be better without them.” “They are not willing to work so why should I?”  “Is it even worth it?”  These are all questions that will often come right after Jesus prompts us to fight for our marriages.  Since He knew this, He gave the answer in advance.  The Lord said “for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”  Without fail, because Jesus is with you everything will be recovered:  the love of your life, your best friend, the intimacy both physically and emotionally;  it will all be recovered.  You will get everything back, just trust the Lord to do the heavy lifting on your behalf.  You believe, Jesus will achieve and in the end you and your spouse will be relieved (I could not resist).
  5. Triumphed Beyond Victory: vs 20 Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”  After David recovered everything that had been stolen by the enemy, he realized that God had given him more.  When we triumph with God, it is always exceedingly and abundantly more than we can imagine.  David not only recovered all that he lost, but he received extra (some would say he got his with interest).  The text states Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”  Jesus always leaves us better off, than we originally were, in David’s case, he received the spoil.  In your case, you marriage will be more exciting, intimate and stronger than it ever was.  You and your children will become closer and more transparent as well.  You can trust God like David did, he triumphed beyond victory, regaining everything that he lost and more.  Trust Him….and recover your better life.

Conclusion: This February make up in your mind that you will believe the Lord and FIGHT, as you do you will recover all.  You will be better, your marriage, your children, even those around you will benefit.  Remember this; it is not your actions that are changing your situation, but the actions of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross years ago.  Victory was given to us all when He defeated death and Satan by standing in our place.  You can rest assured that what He did was more than enough for us to have victory, as we FIGHT for our marriages and families.  FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE TODAY!!

2012 is a New Year

Spiritual Food

2 Cor 5:17-18 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation…

In case you were not aware 2011 is over.  It has passed away and there is no going back.  Yes, there were some horrible things that happened last year, but there were also some great things.  One of those great things was that you made it.  Many people did not, some gave up, some simply gave out and numerous were just not able to hold on.  But you made it and it was only because of God’s precious Grace, given to us in His beautiful Son Jesus.  If you are or would dare to be IN Christ I have a few things to share with you about 2012.
First, IN is the Greek word En, which means to be inside or with, it is a primary preposition denoting (a fixed) position. When we are inside and with Jesus Christ, then we are where He is and are given the authority that He has.  In 2012 you are seated at God’s right hand, in heavenly places (Eph 1:20 & Heb 8:1) and you have been given all authority in the earth (Matt 28:18; 1 Cor 15:24: Titus 2:15).  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ:

  1. We Become New: “he is a new creation.”  As we move into 2012, it is important to remember that when we are IN Christ you are a new creation. Kainos is the Greek word for new used in this text meaning recently made, fresh or unused.  Although each of us has a past, we have been made brand new; no damage, no cracks.  While our flesh may look the same (a few cracks here and there), we (our inner man) are made new, because we are IN (inside, with) Christ.  Now because we know we are new, our 2012 will be exciting.
  2. The Past is Finished: “old things have passed away.”  Many people will continue to bring up our past, the person we once were and even what we did in 2011.  Just remember, everything that happened has passed away, it is over, has perished and was dealt with by God.  You see everything that is in our past, Jesus bore on His own body when He died on the cross (1 Pet 2:24).  Because of Jesus and His finished work on the Cross, all of our past has passed away, and there is no condemnation for any of it (Rom 8:1).  Going into 2012, remember, the past is finished.
  3. The Future is Bright: “all things have become new.”  With all of the old passing away, what will happen in our future?  The Greek word for become means to come into existence, to begin to be, to receive; 2012 will be brand new.  Our Future is new because the Lord has carefully planned it out for us (Jer 29:11) and aspart of that plan God reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ (vs 18) and He has given us the ministry of reconciliation.  Our future is bright because God desires that others see our relationship with Him and He uses us to introduce others to Him.  Get ready to “bling” in 2012, because God plans to put you in the spotlight!!

Conclusions:  The past has faded away and will no longer cause us any harm, there is nothing we can do about it, except allow the Lord to teach and heal us from it.  Go into 2012 knowing that God is going to make it bright, not just for us but for His Glory.  This means His light in us will shine brighter than ever and it will be seen by God’s unmerited favor on our lives.  We will see open doors, new relationships, divine protection and provision, great wisdom and the revelation of God’s love toward each one of us.  I hope you are ready to shine in 2012, BEHOLD all things have become new.

God Was Thinking of You on Christmas

God Loves You

Matt 1:22-23 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

As Christmas nears, many prepare to celebrate with family and friends, while others attempt to hold it together because of the sadness this time brings.  Regardless of which side of the fence you stand on I want you to know that God is always thinking about you.  This Christmas as we remember that Jesus is the reason for the season, I propose to you that God would say that You are the reason for the season.  What?? You arrogant, selfish, blankety-blank!!!  Hold on, give a brother a chance and hear me out…..

God had you on His mind when He created Christmas, you were the reason He sent His Son; let’s look at Matthew’s Gospel:

  1. Christmas Fulfilled the Word: So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord.  The prophet Isaiah declared a Word which was spoken by the Lord over 700 years prior to what we celebrate every year.  It is amazing, the glorious plan that God put in place for each one of us so long ago.  Isaiah’s prophecy was not the only Word from God that has been (will be) fulfilled because Jesus came on that day we would come to know as Christmas.  Lives were saved, bodies were healed, hearts were restored and miracles were witnessed just as it was previously declared, God’s word was fulfilled because Jesus came.  Christ’s birth initiated the fulfillment of a series of Old Testament scriptures, which includes the day He declared you would become His child.  Oh, you have not accepted Him as Savior yet?  Don’t worry; Scripture is still being fulfilled as you read, so it is just a matter of time.
  2. Christmas Fascinated the World: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son.  Have you ever heard of a virgin having a child?  Neither had Joseph and Mary, or anyone else for that matter.  But this would not be His only mind boggling miracle, He would continue to blow the minds of everyone you could imagine. I know that He blows my mind all of the time.  Jesus fascinated the Wise Men and Shepherds the day He was born, then later He has fascinated so many by feeding thousands with a couple of fish; stopped a hurricane with a simple word; told a dead man to get up; took a wretch like me and declared me righteous, his miracles never cease.  Oh, He hasn’t fascinated you yet?  Don’t worry minds are still being blown as you read; yours will too.
  3. Christmas Finished the Work: and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”  Because God Himself came to live with us, we no longer have to continue to work for God’s presence.  You see there was a time before Christ that we were required to uphold a set of regulations larger than the entire constitution, just to be considered in good standing with God.  We could not keep all but one and be in good standing.  Nope, if we failed to do one we were condemned.  All of the good we could even think to do would not matter because when Adam sinned we had nothing to offer.  Paul said like this in Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells.  Most know these as the commandments, but God would refer to them as the “Ministry of Death.”  Oh, but on Christmas, it is God with us  that allowed a way for all work to be finished; our sins covered forever and the Law to be fulfilled.  We never have to work for God’s acceptance, because He is with us.  Before Jesus came we needed a mediator, but when He came everything has shifted. Oh, you’re still working to get to God?  Don’t worry I have some good news for you, Christ finished that work for you on Calvary.

Conclusion:  As you prepare to celebrate Christmas, never forget God had this day in mind as the beginning of a great plan that we now are able to receive as a gift today.  It is a gift that keeps on giving to us, and they shall call His name Immanuel.  Merry Christmas!!!  Jesus is the reason we celebrate but we are the reason that God did initiate.