Two Common Thieves

November 7, 2012

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Wed, 7 Nov 2012 14:11:00 -0600

My mind is racing with what happens now and what ifs. My gut has been telling me for a while now that things will get worse before it gets better, so i had a feeling this was going to be the outcome. With that being said, IT'S YOUR FAULT!! Oh hold on there Misti, what are you saying I voted this way. NO that isn't what I am saying. It's my fault also. Here are my reasons why....

TOLERANCE, I have come to realize that is a nasty word. Think about what you tolerate in your lives. I could list numerous things that as a whole country we TOLERATE, all for the sake of political correctness and not to offend someone!! Political correctness has crippled this country, to the point where truth is no longer alive. Let me list a few things tolerated by the masses...

1. gay marriage
2. sex on television, sex in music, sex pretty much everywhere.
3. wife's disrespecting their husbands
4. husbnds disrespting their wifes
5. children not honoring their parents
6. poisoning our bodies with food, drugs, smoke, and alcohol
7. turning our faces from the needy
8. gossip
9. greed
10. let's live together before we are married, it'll be ok!!
the list goes on and on.

Is there any question in your mind, why has our country fallen. IT'S YOUR FAULT!! Let's let some atheist take prayer out of school, oh you offend my rights with the Ten Commandments where I can see them, don't protest in front of my clinic, I have rights!! I wanna smoke my Mary Jane, so I can get behind the wheel of a car and kill someone legally. Fact: anything other than oxygen will kill your cells, God made your cells to thrive on OXYGEN not SMOKE!! Wake up people, America has been going downhill, and it all starts with you... If you have morals and values, are you really putting forth the actions of those beliefs? Or are you tolerating SIN after SIN after SIN. Oh now Misti wait a minute, it's that being a little harsh? Ummm NO!! Tolerance in any form is a sin. We as a people need to rise up and be a ruthless warriors as King David was, with a swift sword to the throat of tolerance. Kill it. Stand and fight for your beliefs and the Truth of the ONE TRUE GOD. We must not sit on the fence being lukewarm. Time has come for the Army of God to take back what is rightfully ours, soldiers with one purpose. Stop whining and get off your lazy butts. War is in our mist, the devil will slay the weak. Put on the full armor of GOD Almighty. Do not sit back and think well I believe in Jesus, He'll just take care of everything. Yes He will, BUT You must move for Him to do so. Do not be ignorant of the times to come, prepare yourselves, the war has just begun.

If you TOLERATE the things of this world, You are contributing to it's downfall. I am guilty of this myself, no one is perfect, but now is the time to hit our knees, pray for forgiveness, and take action as the BODY OF CHRIST that we are suppose to be. Let our praise be our anthems in our cities and towns. Pray for our commander and chief, senate and the house. Love and tolerance are two different things. Do not mix these together. Jesus commanded us to love one another, not tolerate the devil lies.....

In God's Love
Misti

Blue Pill or Red Pill

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:14:00 -0500

"You take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes."--Morpheus

Is it possible that we live in a matrix? How about God's? Say God, Himself, presented you with a choice, blue pill, you stay in your reality, or red pill, the reality of God's universe. Which one would you pick?

First off, your thinking this is retarded, well not so much. Genesis 3:8-12, God has a whole conversation with Adam in the Garden, like you or I would be talking now if we were face to face. So that tells us since the beginning that God planned on us being able to see, hear and touch His reality. But in true man (man being human) fashion, it got all screwed up, Genesis 3. But even with this God, throughout time has let many see into the Spiritual world. For example Daniel 6:22, God sent Daniel an Angel. In 2 Kings 2:11, horses of fire and whirlwinds to heaven appear. Isaiah 6, Seraphim appear, these beings sing praises to God and look like winged fire. 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 Paul states briefly he knows someone went into the third heaven. Acts 9:3-6 Saul aka Paul gets knocked off his high horse and gets a visit from Jesus. Ephesians 6:10-18 speaks of war with spiritual host of wickedness, fiery darts and principalities. The devil himself shows up in Matthew 4, trying to tempt Jesus. Then angels came to minister to Jesus. Genesis 6:4-5 speak of giants, aka Nephilim, which were evil. I could go on with numerous accounts of spiritual realities in the Bible, but lets make this short.

I believe today, these sort of things are happening around and among us every minute of every day. Wars of Angels and demons, taking place ( kinda like the movie 300, is what i envision ) over my very soul and yours. Walking down the street, being able to see if a demon was following a person, whispering in their ear or at the playground seeing an Angel standing guard over a child. What a sight that would be! And how do you counter act spiritual evil. Well that is for another post..... but the first step is the question.

It remains the same, which pill would you chose?

Just a little food for thought, get you mind a wondering....

In God's Love

Misti

Gone to Long

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 21:11:00 -0500

Good Evening Friends,

We have been gone to long, over a year since we have blogged. Our times have had it's ups and downs, a hard season to go through, but we are coming out the other side, stronger in our Faith and bruised by our lessons. As Bill Johnson would say, "If you aren't running into the devil once in a while, then you maybe going the same direction as him." Well rest assured Mark and I have been running head-on with the devil for awhile now, and we are winning our battles with the good Lord's helping hand. Lessons learned are this, the good Lord's helping hand doesn't always do it your way. God's plan is definitely different than our own. God's plan is ALWAYS for the good, and after you realize it and your through it, His plan makes sense.

After some reflection and our battles, I am getting back to blogging about our ONE TRUE GOD and revelations He has shared with me. I believe some will love it and others will be offended. All in all it will be TRUTH. I have several topics on my mind and your the audience. Get ready, buckle up, and enjoy the ride.
My first post will be before the weekend is up! I am excited!!!

With all God's Love,
Misti

Inspirational Quote Of The Day #2

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 02:14:00 -0600

Some wish to hear the word of God, others wish to receive it.

Obedience And The Resulting Overflow

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 02:07:00 -0600

As some of you may know, I have been praying for a chance to be able to share my testimony and get involved with an outreach program. After figuring out that I had to give everything over to God, and really press in to Him, I was able to find a local Church that felt like home the minute I walked in the door. So, here is my story of obedience, and the resulting overflow in my life as well as in the life of others around me at this Church.

As I was sitting at home one day, I was just really sick and tired of being in the same old Christian boat! I said I was saved, but most of the time I did not really feel like it. I had always wanted to share my testimony and get involved in a Church, but it seemed that everywhere I went I was turned away. I had decided that enough was enough. I spoke with a friend on Facebook, and she was able to give me some words of encouragement (God Bless you! you know who you are!), and I stepped outside of my little box that I had been in for so long, and found a guy that had a similar testimony to mine and was at a local Church.

He had his number listed on Facebook, so I just cold called him. I told him who I was, and that I had seen his testimony. I explained that it looked as if he and I had alot in common. He was very upbeat, and offered to have breakfast with me the following morning. We went and had breakfast the next day, and near the end of our meal he told me that the holy spirit was going to have him pray for a gentleman that was sitting near us. Well, to make a long story short, the guy knew something was up, and really wanted nothing to do with being prayed for. He left the restaurant and left all his belongings on the table! My new friend said he would wait for him to return outside. Sure enough, a few minutes later, the guy comes back thinking we were gone, but we were right there waiting on him! My new friend immediately told him that the Lord had a word just for him. In about 30 seconds the guy started spilling his guts about how he was on the street leading a double life and doing drugs, his heart was convicted!. My friend and I both prayed for him right there. I was beginning to get interested in this guys home Church.

I found out that he goes to a church called Celebration of Life, and he told me it was the home church of Leeland. I immediately started going to this Church to see what they were all about! As soon as I walked in, i felt at home. What an awesome atmosphere. None of the fake feelings that I have had at other Churches, and not too big. I spoke with the pastor within the first week in a private meeting and explained to him who I was, where I had been, and what I was looking for in a Church. The Pastor spent 2 hours with me, and listened to everything that I said! He offered some well thought out advice, and encouraged me to get involved in everything that I wanted to do at this Church! WOW.....no one has EVER told me that at a Church! I told him that I was going to hold him to that.

I have only been at Celebration of Life a little over a month now I believe, and I am already involved with the youth program as a youth leader, I am on the Street Ministry Team, I volunteer at the church food pantry, and I have been helping to do odd jobs at the Church as well (painting, helping with garage sales, serving meals, etc). So God, along with Celebration of Life has done in one month what no other Church seemed to be able to do in several years! So just by being obedient and listening to God for once, I was able to get out of my box and hook up with an excellent Church!

I have been blessed to be able to go out with the Street Ministry team and pray for people out on the street, and I have also been blessed and allowed to help out with the youth! My wife and I worked at the food pantry about 2 weeks ago, and right after we left the Church she was blessed with a job after being unemployed for 2 years! She did not even have to interview for the job, it was simply given to her! I worked at the food pantry this past week and was blessed to be able to pray for a couple that I later found out was homeless. Neither one of them had a job, and she was pregnant. Over the course of 3 days the Lord used our Church ministry, through me, to bless them with a Motel room for 7 days, financial blessings, job interviews, clothes, and the list goes on! God has blessed this couple so much, that there is no doubt that it is him! The Lord also blessed my family with a substantial financial blessing after I had helped this couple for only one day!

Lord I thank you for finally allowing me to share my testimony, and to start helping others!

Praise God!!!!!

Mark

Revival and Fire

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Mon, 7 Feb 2011 00:06:00 -0600

I attended a service at my home Church recently that was so Holy Ghost filled that I could feel the power of the Holy Spirit as the pastor walked among the congregation laying hands on people. All this was prefaced by a short history lesson on the Azusa St. Revival by another Church member earlier in the service. Well let me just tell you how the Holy Spirit decided to show up and put the fire into almost everyone that was there to receive it! Until you experience the Holy Spirit up close and personal when a faith filled, Holy Ghost filled person lays hands on you, I cannot adequately describe the feeling for you.....it is something that you have to want, and that you have to experience for yourself! So, I though that a little history lesson on the primary catalyst for the spread of Pentecostalism in the 20th Century could not hurt, and I though I would share it with you! So, here goes.....

First some quick facts:

The Azusa Street revival took place in Los Angeles, CA.
It began with a meeting on April 14, 1906 and did not end until roughly 1915!
The Revival was led by William J. Seymour, a one eyed African American, and a son of former slaves

Now, being an African American at that time in our history, Pastor Seymour already had the odds stacked against him. Segregation was a common practice in that day and time, but as you will see, the Lord is able to transcend ALL boundaries! Amazingly enough, Pastor Seymour was an interim Pastor for a small Church in Houston, TX in 1905 (which is very close to where I live). Pastor Seymour was preaching about the baptism of the Holy Spirit evidenced in speaking in tongues already, and even though he had not experienced this himself, he knew that was what the Bible said and was determined to preach about it. He received an invitation to a small Church in Los Angeles to preach after a lady had heard him preach in Houston. Pastor Seymour arrived in California in February of 1906, and during his first sermon at the Church he preached on speaking in tongues. The following Sunday he returned to the Church to find the doors locked. The elders of the Church rejected his teachings. Yet not all who heard him were so quick to dismiss what he was saying.

He was invited to stay at the home of a Church member, and he began to hold Bible studies there, as well as prayer meetings. Then the miraculous started to happen. People from all over started to come to the meetings at this home. People of all races. After weeks of preaching, prayer, and fasting for the all of them to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit several of them, including Pastor Seymour spoke in tongues for the first time. Eventually the crowds grew very large, and were full of people speaking in tongues, shouting, and singing. They were going to need a bigger venue! They found an old building for rent at 312 Azusa St. The building had been many things formerly, but most recently had been a stable for horses. The building was cleaned up and services began there on April 14, 1906.

By mid May of that same year, there were typically 300-1500 people that would attempt to fit into a 4,800 sq. ft. building! The backgrounds of the attendees were very diverse, as well as the ages. Everyone wanted to get in on what the Pastor and his congregation had! The worship at Azusa st. was frequent and spontaneous, and often lasted around the clock. No collections were taken, no instruments were used, no choir......the Holy Ghost was in charge, and everyone knew it! The media, as well as other church leaders in the community sharply criticized what was going on here.....mainly because they did not understand it, and had not received the Holy Spirit themselves!

Here is just a sample of the reports of miracles that were seen at the Azusa St. Revival:

The blind having their sight restored
Many diseases cured instantly
Immigrants from many different countries being spoken to in their native languages by uneducated black members
Body parts that were missing altogether, miraculously growing back in place

The core membership of the Azusa St. Mission (as it became known), was only about 50-60 individuals, with hundreds of thousands of people visiting or staying temporarily throughout the years. By 1913 the revival had lost its momentum, and most of the crowds had left. Seymour and his wife remained there and pastored a church. By the end of 1906 most of the leaders from the Azusa St. Revival had spun off to form other congregations, mostly in the Southeast US. The Azusa St. Revival is commonly regarded as the beginning of the modern day Pentecostal movement.

What would it take for that kind of revival to happen today? Would there be enough people willing to go the distance and leave the "world" behind in order for revival to happen on a scale this large? Pastor Seymour believed and obeyed God....and was richly rewarded for his faith. what will it take for us to have the hunger to get a hold of this kind of fire?

Mark

Inspirational Quote Of The Day #1

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Sat, 5 Feb 2011 09:56:00 -0600

I plan on throwing these out there from time to time, let me know what you think!

"One reason that the school of Christ is so tough is that you get the test first and the lesson later." - Unknown

How true is this one? I hope that this day finds the Sun shining on your face, and finds you and your family blessed!

Mark

Comments

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Sat, 5 Feb 2011 08:16:00 -0600

I hope that this post finds you and your families well and blessed! I have been watching the traffic on my site and was really hoping to get some feedback from those of you that come here and read the blog. I would really love to see some feedback on the posts that you read......bad or good! If you stop in and one of the posts I have written helps you out in any way, please share it in the comments section. You can do so with an anonymous comment if you wish! Let me know if they impact your life so I can pray for you or with you! I am looking forward to hearing from you!

Mark

Dominion

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Fri, 4 Feb 2011 13:30:00 -0600

Do-min-ion (n.) Rule;Authority;a sphere of influence, or territory of control;sovereignty.

Above is the definition of dominion, and it is often something that we do not exercise in our lives. In this post I am going to talk about dominion over Sin, and dominion over Satan in our lives. I believe that we are all somewhat alike, in the fact that we have not always exercised our given right to dominion over Sin in our lives. Let's be honest here, how many of you have ever really sat and thought about having dominion over the Sin in your life?

So, dominion over Sin, what does the Bible say about it?

Romans 6:14 - "For Sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under Grace."

This is probably the most direct statement from the Bible that tells you that Sin is not your master, that it has no dominion over you. That verse above does not say that maybe you will have dominion, or that Sin will be your master until you do something out of the ordinary....NO. It says Sin SHALL NOT be your master! So don't walk around all day thinking that there is nothing you can do about your sinning lifestyle, because there is. You have dominion over Sin, you have the capability to beat Sin! We are never going to be Sin free while we are in these temporary bodies in a temporary world, but you do have the power and authority to combat it. You DO have dominion over it!

Romans 6:6 - "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of Sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to Sin."

So when Christ died on the cross, he gave you dominion over Sin. So we have to believe in Faith that we can conquer Sin! Saying in our daily lives that Sin is just too hard...I can't beat it, is just like giving up and throwing in the towel. We have to look at what Jesus did for us on the Cross, and honor and treasure that! We have to receive it! Otherwise, we are just slaves to Sin!

Romans 6:7 - "Because anyone who has died has been freed from Sin."

So we have to die to our worldly ways, and follow the ways of Jesus, to be able to have dominion over Sin. Why would we not want this? The benefits are awesome...right?! Everyone has free will, which means that you have to make a decision to follow the Lord and have dominion over Sin in your life. If you cannot do this you will constantly deal with Sin, and all its repercussions.

Let's talk about beating the Devil, and having authority and dominion over him.

Luke 10:19 - "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you."

The Lord has given you all the power you need to overcome the enemy, in the above passage it says that he has given you the authority.If you look at the definition of dominion one of the first things you will see is the word authority. All you have to do is speak the word.....the word has power. As the demons were afraid of Jesus, and fled when He commanded them to go, they must also obey us when we speak with faith and authority (dominion) in the name of Jesus. The Holy record reports that the Devil's power was broken and evil spirits had to surrender to the commands of a spirit filled servant of God!

In closing, we all need to work on this everyday. The Devil and his fallen angels are not taking a break, so why should we? So wake up out there, and claim your dominion over Sin and the Devil!

Prayer

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 05:53:00 -0600

My family and I could use your prayers right now. We have found out that my father has a rare form of skin cancer. I believe that it was caught early, and God willing we will make it through this! Thanks!

Radical Faith - But How?

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:00:00 -0600

We all deal with the devil telling us that our faith is no good, and that we are not worthy of what God has to offer us, but that is a lie! We are children of the most high! So why is it we are not able to tap into the radical faith that we so desperately want and need?

Lets talk about our daily living. Up until about a month ago I would say I was a Christian....and I believed in God, in the Bible and all that it says, but that is not what makes a Christian (even the devil believes and understands scripture!). When is the last time you donated time to your Church? When is the last time you shared the word of God with someone? When is the last time you did a random act of kindness for a stranger and gave all the Glory to God?

Somewhere along the way we have missed what is radical about our faith and replaced it with what is comfortable to us. The truth hurts, huh?

Let me use a quote from the book Radical by David Platt. "We are settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves." Wow, sounds like the majority of us that call ourselves Christians, do so at the expense of the central message of Christianity. So why do we do this? Because we are "of" the world....because we have become accustomed to all that is in the world....what is comfortable for us. Jesus makes it clear that if we are to follow him, that we are to abandon everything. That may seem harsh, but it is the truth! Look at Luke 9:57-62. The Lord is talking to several men about following him, but they all have something else to do first. Now take a look at Mark 10:17-25. What must we do to have eternal life? Jesus said to follow the 10 commandments, and the man was ecstatic because he had followed all the commandments. Then Jesus told him to sell all his possessions, and give the money to the poor and to come follow him. The man walked away with a heavy heart because he knew he was not willing to do it. How often do we go to Walmart, or somewhere else and get things that we really don't need? If you added up all the money you have spent on frivolous items that really have no meaning in your life and were unnecessary, what could you have done with it towards the Kingdom of God?

So, if God told you to sell everything you had (including your home), quit your job, and rely on him to provide for you and your family.....would you do it? Up until about a month ago I would have said you were crazy....but not now. I have to admit...I would be so scared, but I would do it if I really thought he was telling me to! Are we afraid of what it might mean for our lives? You bet, but that is where radical faith comes in to play! When we hear these kinds of things do we try and rationalize them in our own minds and say "What Jesus really meant was..". Now you are starting to redefine Christianity. You are starting to make the Gospel and what the Lord is telling you more comfortable and palatable.

Again, quoting from the book Radical, "A nice, middle class American Jesus. A Jesus who doesn't mind materialism and who would never call us to give away everything we have." So are we molding Jesus into our comfortable image when we do this? YES! So what can you do to fix all this? Stop letting the world dictate who you are and what you do first of all. Stop being selfish and start thinking about what you can do to find your identity in Christ and what you can start doing to further his kingdom. Start thinking of how you can share your faith with others. This is not an easy process. Most of us have been addicted to the "world" like some people are addicted to drugs! You have to make a conscious decision to want to change yourself and the world! Don't get left behind! Make the decision to have radical faith today!

What Are You Doing Here - It's Your Call

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 03:27:00 -0600

I have just started the book "What Are You Doing Here - It's Your Call" by Gary Barkalow. It is about discovering God's calling for your life. I will let you know how it is when I am done!

Every Waking Moment

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 04:03:00 -0600

As I work on my walk with the Lord this year, I have found that it helps me to constantly speak to the Lord. I am one of those people that puts in 100% in whatever it is I am doing.....until I move to something else. I work on many projects, and have many interests in life, so it is easy to have my attention diverted away from where it should be. I have to make a conscious effort to keep talking to the Lord through out my day....that is what works for me. What works best for you?

I am also one of those people that tends to stick close to the Lord and remain excited about my Christian walk when I am around like minded people, and when I am involved with projects or teams at church. It is sad to say, but without those things in my life right now, I would probably be taken over by other interests in my life....and that sounds bad. We are all just human, and none of us are perfect. So, that is why I make it a priority to try to just talk to the Lord several times a day. Keep Him first in your life!

The Christian Atheist

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 21:20:00 -0600

This is the book that I am currently reading, so far it is pretty good.

Disciples

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Wed, 5 Jan 2011 21:46:00 -0600

I am going to post something on here that I posted to my Facebook page and would like you guys to give me your thoughts on it. Here goes....

In a culture where bigger is always better, and flashy is always more effective, Jesus beckons each of us to plainly, humbly, and quietly focus our lives on people. If the Son of God thought it necessary to focus his life on a small group of men, why is it that we think we can mass produce disciples? Ask yourself this question. Are you a person that says you are a Christian, but your impact on the world is little more, if any, than before you were saved? These are the types of questions that we should be asking ourselves! An afterwords, start actually doing something about it!

Damon Thompson - Mediocre Faith

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Mon, 3 Jan 2011 23:14:00 -0600

It appears that this video was removed from Youtube due to copyright infringement, but it talked about mediocre faith. It talked about thinking you are good in your walk with the Lord, but in reality you may not be. I will see what I can find on this sermon and post it here. Click on the title of this post to go to Damon Thompson's website.

Mark

Radical

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Mon, 3 Jan 2011 22:26:00 -0600

This book is awesome! If you really want to do Gods will, then get Radical! Click on the post title to read reviews and to order!

Street Ministry

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Mon, 3 Jan 2011 21:47:00 -0600

The Lord saw fit for me to be able to attend a street ministry on New Years Eve! I hooked up with a group of on fire Christian men and we prayed and praised for an hour prior to going out. WOW...the power of the Holy Spirit was evident! we went out to an older part of the town that we live in, and hit a local bar in that part of town as well. we were able to minister and witness to several people. For me, it was a first, and there was something very powerful happening when you pray with someone out in front of the bar where everyone can see! The power of the Lord was with us, and I am grateful for being allowed to go. I want to say thanks to the Celebration of Life street ministry team for having me! You guys know who you are! All the Glory to God!

Mark

New Beginnings

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Mon, 3 Jan 2011 21:37:00 -0600

I have found a new Church to attend that I feel very comfortable at, but most important, they believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God! I will be posting about my experiences there. I am blessed to have found a new Church home!

Mark

The Fabric Of Life

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Mon, 3 Jan 2011 21:33:00 -0600

This is another one that I posted a while back that I feel like I needed to re-post.

The Fabric of Life: How To Unravel It!

It seems like I get lost in the fabric of life alot. I mean, I can be on the right track, and then before I even recognize it, I have weaved myself right back into the very spot I had just got out of! In simple terms, I fall off the Jesus wagon quite often. That's insane! let's look at the definition of Insanity:

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

WOW...is that what I do......YES IT IS.

So, when I say the "fabric" of life, I am talking about all the little things put together that make up your life. They are all interwoven, like fabric is. It is very easy to get lost in the "fabric" when our focus and eyes are not on Jesus. I have been guilty of this.

So, what makes it so easy to fall off the "wagon'? For me it is just everyday things that I am involved in taking more precedence than they should. In other words, I should be putting God first, and everything else second, and alot of times I don't. I have become aware that the fabric has been pulled over my eyes. I found this comment while searching for something appropriate from scripture about this.

"If we justify valuing material possessions because "everyone does it" or "other people do it more," our self-justification will blind us to the truth of our disobedience and affect our whole relationship with God"

So, the value and attention that I have paid to my material possessions and other "strands" of the fabric of my life have blinded me and have affected my relationship with God. I believe that this statement is true. There is a way that we can all see through this fabric, and it is by putting God and the Kingdom of God first and foremost in our lives everyday.

Look, I am no genius, and I don't have all the answers, but I do know that I have to keep trying and not give up! Jesus did not give up on me while he was walking the Via Dolorosa, so I should not give up on him! I will continue to try and find ways to win the battle with the devil for my soul....I have to. So the next time life gets hectic, and things seem like they are coming unwound....LET IT HAPPEN!

The White Devil

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Mon, 3 Jan 2011 21:23:00 -0600

I really felt led to re-post one of my fist posts on this blog. I hope it helps someone out there that is struggling with addiction!

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the term "Addicted to Coca Cola"? Do you think of the popular soft drink that is mass marketed? For some of you out there, that is not far from the truth...LOL....put down the 20 oz.

Actually what I am referring to is what I used to call the white devil, Cocaine. Cocaine is known by many names, and comes in many forms. And for those of you that have never been addicted to it, it is a very powerful and manipulating drug. The image above is a very powerful one, it represents a struggle that addicts go through on a regular basis, alot of them daily. Most of these people that are addicted are hard core, all or nothing drug users. That is what I was.

Let me give you a short and sweet, to the point description of what Cocaine makes you feel like. There is a rush involved before it even touches your nose, lips, or any vein (depending on how you use it). I used to get a rush, or contact high I guess, from just handling the Cocaine and preparing it for use. When a drug can give you a rush by just looking at it, or preparing it for use or consumption, that is one bad drug! When you first get a taste of it, it is like you just had forbidden fruit or something.....it is absolutely electric. You feel the effects of Cocaine within about 5 seconds of using it if inhaled (I was an inhaler, and have smoked some on marijuana on occasion). Immediately you feel like everything in your body is awake and tingling, your heart rate shoots up to who knows what, your throat and mouth go numb, your throat actually fells as if it is constricting, and that would be alarming to most people, but you learn that this is just part of the effect of the drug. Not long after you snort a couple of lines, you feel very euphoric, you feel....well, 10 foot tall and bulletproof. You talk constantly, and you are very jittery and fidgety. You cannot sit still, and your mouth starts to become like cotton. Alot of users will snort small amounts of water up their nose to get all the last bits of Cocaine out of the nasal passages (I did). A couple of lines would keep me going for about 20-25 minutes.....then the addiction rears it's ugly head. You are still high, but you feel the need to do more, because in your mind you feel that you are coming down. So, you continue to do Cocaine until it is all gone. Eventually during your use, you plateau, where you cannot get any higher. Yet you will continue to use, knowing that it is not working. Then comes the crash. When the party is over, all the other drug users are gone, and there is no more Cocaine......it is just you and your demons. I am here to tell you that those were some of the scariest times of my life. Being alone and coming down off Cocaine is no fun at all. The devil and all his demons begin to talk to you, it is not good I assure you.

So now that we know all about Cocaine, you are probably asking yourself, "that's great Mark. Now, what do we do to get rid of the addiction?". I wish I had a single, all purpose answer for you, but I don't. It will be different things for different people, for me it was quitting cold turkey and sucking it up. There is one common denominator in all of this though, Jesus loves all of us....even the coke head. I quit before I knew Jesus, but I can tell you for a fact, he was watching over me the entire time, otherwise I would be dead with all the things I have done (maybe I will tell you one day). If you are reading this, and you are addicted to drugs.....any drug, not just Cocaine, please.....ask God to come into you and cleanse you from the inside out. Ask him for forgiveness of your sins, and then stand up and tell the devil that he has no more power over you, and in Jesus name for him to leave you alone. But you can't stop there. You have to change all your habits my friend, you have to get rid of all those dope head friends of yours and stay away from them. If you are anything like me, you cannot even be around it at all. I will be the first to admit, I cannot even be in the same room with Cocaine without feeling it "calling" out to me. I have been in that situation since I quit, and it is not any fun. If you need prayer, or if you need a sponsor, or someone just to talk to that has been there, please drop me a line here on the blog. I believe that my calling is going to be to minister to those that are addicted to drugs, I really have a burning passion to help those people that are afflicted with drug addiction. If you know of any ministries that would give me a shot at doing that, I would appreciate a kind word.

Let me close by giving you a prayer to say right now:

Father, in the name of Jesus, I break the hold that the devil has on me right now. I speak healing of my body and mind, in the name of Jesus. Lord, please come into my heart and save me, I am a sinner and an addict and I need your help. Devil, you no longer have authority here, in Jesus name I say get thee behind me satan and come no more. Father, I ask that you heal this addiction that I have, and make it so right now, in the Holy name of Jesus.

If you prayed that prayer, please drop me a note and let me know, so that I can celebrate your new life in Jesus.

May God keep you safe.

Mark

Jesus - The Reason For The Season

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:40:00 -0600

With the holiday's here, I have been working alot of hours at work since September! I will be glad when things slow down! I hope that all of you are doing well, and that you and your families have been blessed this year. So, from my family to yours......Merry Christmas! I hope that the new year brings blessings, healings, and a renewed spirit!

God Bless You!

Mark and Misti

The Crown Of Glory

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 21:10:00 -0500

This crown is earned by the teaching of others (through words and actions) about the Lord.

1 Peter 5:1-4 - ¹To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: ²Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; ³not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. ⁴And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

So the previous passage talks about being shepherds of the flock, and not because you have to, but because you want to. It also speaks of being a good example to the flock. To always be an example is difficult for most of us, but the ones that we teach watch our every move....so make sure you are teaching the right thing.

The Crown of Glory is only mentioned once in the New Testament, but is mentioned four times in the Old Testament. They are as follows;

Proverbs 16:31 - The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness

Isaiah 28:5 - In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people

Isaiah 62:3 - Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the land of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God

1 Peter 5:4 - And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away (this is my favorite)

So, this crown can be obtained by being a teacher, a leader, and watching over your flock. This does not only apply to Pastors by the way.....if you are a Father or Mother, you have a flock to watch over and teach. You have been doing that....right?? LOL.

This is the fifth and final crown, and ends this series. I hope you have enjoyed it, and that it has blessed you in some way. Everything that we do here will echo in eternity, so we should use our time wisely! Please leave me some feedback, and share these posts with others.

God Bless!

The Crown Of Joy

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 20:48:00 -0500

This is the soul winning crown! Have you ever led anyone to the Lord? Then you may have already earned this crown!

Luke 15:1-10 -

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. ²But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

³Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' ⁷I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

⁸"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' ¹⁰In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

It looks like there is alot of rejoicing over the conversion of just one sinner in Heaven!

The Great Commission is that all Christians should spread the word of God all over the world....to all four corners of the Earth! God desires to use us as his spokesperson, and wants us to lead people to him. alot of times this is difficult for us because we feel embarrassed, or we ourselves are not in the right place just yet! So what can you do to get your Crown of joy? here's how to get started!

Be excited about your faith and what you are doing! If you are not excited, how can you expect others to be excited?
Be a good friend. Being a good friend will enable you to be there when they are ready to make a commitment to the Lord.
Be consistent in your Christian lifestyle. You can't be wishy washy, so to speak...lol.
Don't get discouraged when someone does not want to hear about your faith (and this will happen). Pray about it, and put it in the Lord's hands. It is your place to tell them about the Lord....you cannot make their decision for them!

So, get out there and claim your Crown of Joy!

The Crown Of Righteousness

mistib200@yahoo.com (Mark n Misti) — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 20:23:00 -0500

This crown is not rewarded without lifelong effort on your part, and striving to live a righteous life. It is also associated with fighting the good fight, keeping the faith, and loving the return of the Lord. This is a tough crown to obtain!

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 - ¹³Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. ¹⁴We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸Therefore encourage each other with these words.

The previous verses describe the return of Christ, or the Rapture. You will not find the word Rapture in the Bible, it has a Latin origin, and it means "carried away". As Christians, we should be excited about the coming Rapture and the return of Christ....not scared or confused! Ask yourself this question, "Am I so wrapped up in my earthly daily activities, that I really don't want the Lord to come back just yet"? If you answered yes to that question, then it is time to re-think what is important in your life, and get back to putting Jesus first in your life! Sounds like it may be time to get rid of all the distractions in your life!

2 Timothy 4:8 - ⁸Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Are you living a righteous life? Are you being a soldier for God?

The word Righteousness comes from the Greek word "dikaiosune" which would mean, Integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking, feeling, and acting--or the doctrine concerning the way in which man may attain a state approved of God.

We should all look forward to the day when we will be together with Jesus. Just think about it....no sickness, no time, no more pain or death. To gain the Crown Of Righteousness, we must constantly evaluate our lives and make sure that we are on the right path, and remain excited about the coming of the Lord!