First things first...

We have new life in and through Jesus Christ. What a promise! What an encouragement! What a truth! As we seek to live out our lives, often times so busy that we just drop in bed at night, we MUST slow down and remember who it is that we get our true strength from: GOD OUR FATHER. Our relationship with Him, through Jesus Christ with the help provided for by the Holy Spirit, has to be the most important thing in our lives. It is so easy to get caught up in the many things this world has to offer. I do not feel that these things are bad, most of the things that I have I do really enjoy, but to what extent? How important are the things that I have? I do not want them to ever become more important than my relationship with my creator, Lord, savior and friend. I want to use the things that I have on this earth to bring me to a closer relationship with my Father, not draw me away. I echo what Paul wrote in Ephesians 1: "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe." The key to true life, true joy and true fullness in this life is remaining connected to our Father. We have an enemy who seeks at every turn to guide us, ever so gently, away from that purpose and goal in our Christian walk. We must be on guard, we must be aware and we must be attuned to the soft whispering voice of our loving Father and the gentle persuasion of His wonderful Spirit in our lives. Put God first. Today. Grace and peace to you this day through our blessed savior Jesus Christ! Mark

The difference in "talking about" and "talking to"...

Karen and I start our mornings together. It is a blessing. We take time to have breakfast together, pray together and read (in German) several chapters in God's word. Understand that this is our hope, each day, to be able to do this, but sometimes the schedules get crossed and we have to miss a day doing this. Today we made this time together. It is a GREAT way for us to start our day. We actually have time to talk to one another when we start our day this way. On the days when we don't get/take the time to share together, we, more often than not, share with the people that we meet with in the day about the things that are going on in our life. So, you ask yourself, where in the world are you going with this line of thinking? It comes down to relationship. To have a relationship we have to do more than just talk about someone, we have to spend time with someone. We have to talk to that someone. Okay, now you are probably saying to yourself, DUH! That is a no brainer, of course we have to talk to someone, spend time with someone, invest ourselves in the other person if we want to have a relationship, develop a relationship or deepen the relationship that we have with that person. Like I said, a no brainer. Here is the catch. It is the same with our relationship with God. Oh, now it gets a little tougher huh? I am thankful that we have, as a Christian community, so many opportunities to spend time together reading and studying God's word. Getting to know who God is and how He is and especially what He expects/wants from us as His followers. But as we seek to come to "know" more about God, we have to remember that He is seeking a relationship with us, not just that we know a bunch of facts about Him, but that we KNOW Him. As we live out of lives as Christians we have to do more than talk about God, we have to talk to God. We have to spend time in His presence. So, ultimately my thought for you today is simple. How is your walk with God? Yes, I know, I am getting personal, but we serve a personal God. He took it so personal, that he sent His son to this earth. He sent him to live, breath, suffer, die, be resurrected and ascend back to heaven, with the promise to return for his followers... and he did it all for us, His creation! Are you talking about God or are you talking to God. Hopefully both! But before you can truly talk about God to others in a way that is going to make a lasting (eternal) difference in their lives, you MUST be talking to God first. It is often times so easy to get so busy doing GOOD things that we neglect the time with our Father. Seems a little backwards doesn't it. God is our lifeline. He is our support. He is our strength. He is our source of power. And yet, so often we run off each day to do our jobs, ministries, etc. without first spending the time with the one person (Being) who has more effect on what goes on in our day than anyone else. Seems a little... hmmm, for lack of a better word (even though it does sound harsh) stupid. Yes, that fits, it is just plain stupid not to take the time we need each day with our Father. Yes, I did say THAT WE NEED. God doesn't us, He WANTS US. And He wants us to grow closer to Him in our relationship with Him. I really miss those mornings that I do not get to spend with Karen. The mornings that I do get to spend with her are incredible relationship building times. How much more true is that of the relationship that I am seeking to have with my Father, that He is seeking to have with me? I really do not intend to beat you up. I do not want you to feel like I am kicking you because you are not spending enough time with God. What I want to do is challenge you to think... think about your relationship with your Father. Everything that we do flows out of that relationship... or at least it should. Put God first on your list. He will handle the rest of the day. It is His world, His creation and you are His child.

I'm just saying...

As Karen and I were finishing breakfast this morning, we read our two chapters (in Germany) out of the Bible and then began to discuss the things that we needed to work on today. We are discussing our topics for the classes that we will teach at the Bible camp next month. As you can imagine, this lead us many different directions as we shared our ideas and thoughts that we are working on refining so that we can share them with the others at this camp. What hit me this morning as we were discussing different things about the church... is the church. Okay, that sounds a bit funny, but bear with me a minute. Think back. Jesus was on the earth. He went around teaching people, seeking to bring them to God, to a deeper relationship with the Father through Him. He sought to show them what relationship was, not what religion was (is). He came, he lived, he died and he ascended back to heaven. Then on Pentecost the Holy Spirit came on the Apostles in a very special way. Peter stood up to talk to the very people who had crucified Jesus. He said to them, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." The church, the family of God, the followers of Jesus and his teachings... began that day. Luke continues by giving us a picture of how they were after this time, he says starting in vs. 42: "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Two things here. First, we see that they started out from the beginning by seeing how important community was. They were devoted to the things the apostles taught them to do. Second, GOD ADDED MORE PEOPLE TO HIS FAMILY. Okay, now on to my real thought for the day. The church. Regardless of what your definition of the church is... depending on your culture, how you were raised and what you have been taught, you must admit, it is pretty cool that after over 2000 years, we still have the church today. Yes, it has had and still has many faces, but it is still here. It looks very different in different countries, ha, in different cities... but it is still here. What most of us see as "church" looks very different than what we read in the last set of scriptures above... okay in principle we seek to form a community with these ideas as the foundation of why we do the things we do... but it does look different. It has to, it is a different culture, a different time and so on. But it is still THE LORD'S CHURCH and He is still ADDING THOSE THAT COME TO HIM, after 2000 years. I am thankful the it is God's church, His family. I am thankful that after so many years that people are still trying to live out what they read in the Bible and share it with other people. I am glad that God has an impact on my life and hopefully I can have an impact on other peoples lives. I am thankful that God established the church as a way for us to help each other. We live our lives and we try to be a good example of what it means to live our lives for Jesus and the church is there as a support and to hold us accountable too. How cool is that? I come form a business background. In my life I have seen business that started out very small turn into unbelievable conglomerations. Ha, I think of Walmart for example. But business, ever how great they are, come and go. Walmart will not be here forever. Sorry. The church is not a business, it is an organism. It is alive and living and growing. It is the family of God. It has been around for over 2000 years and still going strong. I am encouraged today when I think about my brothers and sisters, worldwide, that are seeking to live and be the Christians that our Father wants us to be. I am thankful for family. I am thankful for my Father. Maybe Sunday, when you walk in that "church building" again, you will look at what is going on that morning in a different way. Maybe you will stop and take note that this is the family of God meeting together seeking to bring glory to our Father and encouragement to each other while reaching out the world world that does not yet know God and seeking to be a reflection of Jesus to them. Taking a step back and realize how incredible it is that we have the church here, today! Hope my ramblings make a little sense to you. I hope you can stop and appreciate what a gift we have been given by God our Father in being added to His family, the church. God's blessings on you this day. Mark

Just some thoughts...

I talked to a dear friend on Sunday and she made the comment that I had not blogged in quite a while... seems like I have a pattern of that. The internet is great! We have blogs, Facebook, news from any country in the world and our own websites. The problem is... keeping up with all of it. I know, I know, those of you with a smart phone have the possibility of keeping up with it through your phone. Shocker! I do not have a smart phone. :-) I do have an Ipod, that is pretty cool if you ask me, but still limits my access. But maybe, that is good. Sometimes we just need time away from all of our electronic devices. Don't fall over in your chair! Yes, Mark Abercrombie just wrote that last sentence. It is on the record and is available for the whole world to see. Ha. But really, it is true. It is so easy to get caught up in catching up with friends, family and issues and situations going on in the world that we get so busy using our electronics that we forget to be STILL. I believe that in most societies stillness is underrated. What I mean is that stillness is seen as someone being lazy. It is, from an outwardly worldly view, a waste of time. But from a Christian view, it is a time of recharging. It is a time of listening for and to God. When we are so busy (even when we are doing good things) we do not take the time just to be still and listen. Try something today. Call it your challenge for the day. Find 15 minutes today when you can just go in a room alone. No computer, no TV, no radio, no humans, no animals, No DISTRACTIONS and just grab your Bible and take a seat. Spend the first 5 minutes in prayer to your Father. Ask Him to speak to you this day. Don't say a word. Open your Bible to whatever page happens to open. Read a short section and then just stop... sit in silence thinking about what you have read. Do not seek to analyze it for the information's sake, seek to let what it is saying sink into your innermost being. Think about why it is in the scripture. This is God's word. He gave it to us because He wants to reveal Himself to us. Why is it in this collection of writings? What is God trying to share through this short passage? What does it mean for you today? NOW LISTEN!! I know, I repeat, I know it will not be easy. It goes against the very existence that we have become used to... we want/have to be busy doing something. But try, for the next 5-10 minutes, just sit and think about what you have read, and try to hear God's direction. Just relax, it will not come like a bolt of lightening. we are told it scripture that it often comes in a whisper. Listen for your whisper. I think if you make a regular practice of this, it becomes easier to hear God's voice, direction. We need that. God's word is more than just information about God, it is what God wanted us to have and know about Him. The Bible is not our God, God is our God. He wants a relationship with us, He doesn't want us to have a "relationship" with His word. His word is so that we can draw closer to Him. Use God's word to guide you towards God. Think I am crazy? Try it. You will see that I am not. As we live in this world, we seek to show the world God. God showed us the best example of who He is through Jesus Christ. We have the opportunity to show people who God is through our lives seeking to be more like Christ. What a great opportunity! Listen to God's direction and voice. Allow Him to speak to you. Remember, His spirit resides in you! LISTEN. I would love to hear about your experiences. Let me know how this "discipline" draws you into a deeper and more meaningful relationship with our Father. Thanks for your time and your love for our Father! Mark

Making a splash

Okay, it is getting warmer here, ha, up in the 50-60s this week and I naturally think about getting outdoors. I am amazed at the number of German people who want to go swimming whenever it starts, yes I said starts to get warm. The water is still to cold and yet people get in and splash around. Not me, it is still too cold. :-) But it has me thinking about making a splash in a different way. I know we are all terminal. We are born and then we proceed to the day until we die... I know that it sounds like I am being negative, but I do not intend to be that way. I just realize that death is as much a part of living as being born. But that is not even really my point, my point is, what kind of difference do we make while we are here on this earth. Let's face it, I am not Brad Pitt (no comments on that one please). My splash in this world is not the same as his... how about yours? How do we measure our splash, our effect on the world? Do we get to see all the ways that we have influenced others? How do you feel about your splash so far? Sometimes mine feels like a bellyflop. As Karen and I ate breakfast this morning we were discussing our influence in our world. We were pondering ways that we could make our influence a more positive thing. As we were talking, I was again gained the realization that, yes I want to be a positive influence on this world and to the people that God puts in my path, but it really is NOT about me. It IS about God. I want to be the person He designed me to be and use the talents he has given me and to share his love with those I come in contact with and trust that He will make the difference in these peoples lives. It is God's mission to bring the world to Him. Revelation and reconciliation. Showing Himself to the world and reuniting them with Him for a wonderful, eternal relationship. Okay, maybe my splash in the world is not as big as oh Brad, but you know what, God has blessed me to see how my life, love and following Jesus, has had an effect on other people. I have had the opportunity to make a positive influence on other people in this world, sometimes helping them, sometimes guiding them spiritually, sometimes helping them through difficult times. God has allowed me to see how my life has had a positive effect on some of the people I know, I am thankful for that. What I hope to do is continue to shine for my Father and hopefully make an impact on many other people for him, whether I know it or not. I am in the water... I am splashing away... giving praise and glory to my Father. Have a great day. Mark

Remember when?

Take a moment and think... I know, we are often so busy that we do not really take the time to sit in silence and just think. I come from a world (and a personality) that assess and then makes a quick decision and then move on to make it the right decision. Ha, doesn't always work out the best, but you already knew that didn't you? Okay, I am sidetracking. Think! Think back. What are a couple of your favorite memories. Take time to think over that question. Once you have thought of two (I know, it is hard to stop because one remembrance always leads to so many more) take a few moments and relish in those memories. Okay, it is also okay to let you mind wander a bit and think of where those thoughts lead you... How cool is that? God made us so that we could remember. Yea, I know, sometimes it is a bit painful, because we also are blessed to remember the hard things, the things we made mistakes in and the sorrows that we have experienced in life. But, I believe, God in His infinite wisdom knew and knows what is best for us. In other words, to remember even the bad times helps us not to repeat the mistakes we have made. To remember the tragedies in our lives helps us to identify with others who cross our paths that need true understanding, empathy not just sympathy, for what they are going through. As we met with other Christians yesterday I mentioned these things. I shared with them two of my favorite memories being, one my wedding day with Karen. Two or better put two and three, the birth of our children Elizabeth and Maranda. Even as I shared these precious times of my life with these people, painting a picture of why these were and are such incredible times for me, I began to think on even more... the girls becoming Christians, them getting married, Karen and I celebrating our 30th anniversary, the girls have kids... How cool is it that we can remember? I am just saying, it IS COOL! I am glad that we have a Father that made us in such a way that we can do this. I do realize that many of you who will read this have also been on the other side of that fence. What I mean is dealing with someone, probably someone you love very dearly, that is or has suffered from memory loss. How hard, how tragic, how difficult to deal with that situation. YOU know even more than I do how precious memories are. Thank you Father for giving us those memories of the ones that you have so blessed our lives by having them in our lives. Thank you. I am thankful that each and every Sunday, that I have the privilege to meet with fellow Christians and take the time out of our ever busy and hectic lives to take a few minutes to remember Jesus. We remember his birth, his life as a young man, his ministry, his death, his burial, his resurrection, his return to the Father and his promise to return for us and to take us to our home of being with him and with God for all of eternity. I am glad that we take this time to remember Jesus. I am glad that each week we choose to start our week with him in the center of our thoughts and remembrances. We are a blessed creation. We have the ability to remember. From those memories sometimes we learn not to repeat our mistakes, from some of those memories we are saddened by the loss of those we love, sometimes we just sit with a smile on our face and enjoy how incredible it is to have experienced so many special things and people in our lives and sometimes we remember that, because of Jesus, the tough times in our lives we know are only temporary and the great times in our lives will only continue to be greater as we share those memories and our being with our Lord and Father. We have eternal life. We remember Jesus. And all he has and is doing for us as we live on this earth. Thanks for stopping by today. Hope you are encouraged by the things your read today. If so, take a moment and give God the praise and thank Him for His incredible love for us! God bless and have a blessed day! Or as a dear friend of mine always says, "Be good and do good!". (Thanks Sarah!) For Him and with His love, Mark

Something to think about...

Sometimes things just hit you quite directly. I was meeting with a friend the other day and we were reading in Luke. We were practicing his English conversation. As we were talking about some of the simple points that Luke is making in his short letter, it struck me. I was taken aback a bit. I realized just how much that I accept about what the Bible says, just because I have had the opportunity to read, learn, study, be challenged by it and to grow because of making a choice to believe and follow the teachings of the Bible. Now, I am not selling short AT ALL the power of God and the work of His Holy Spirit in my and your lives. I am just saying that for over thirty something years I have been being influenced by the teachings in the Bible. My friend, very close to my age, has not. What I noticed as we talked was how our basic beliefs in life: how we treat others, how we look at others, how we react to others... is so different. I began to think about the golden rule, Matt 7:12. Jesus tells us to treat others the way we want to be treated. Many in the world will treat those people that are nice to them in a nice way. Some people in the world treat others in a way so that only they themselves will get ahead "in the game". Christians try to live by treating others good, because that is how we want others to treat us. It is also because we are called to be more than just average, more than just good enough, we are challenged to be a light for our Father and our brother Jesus Christ. Okay, this is nothing new, this is just looking at what we know and how we know the world is. But what struck me was how incredible it is to be a child of God. To be molded and made to be the way that God wants us to be, not how the world wants us to be. This is a BIG thing. Okay, perhaps you know me personally and you know that I do NOT always act like God would have me to act. I do not deny it. What I do is rejoice in the fact that even though I do not always act the way God wants or even the way I know I should be acting, I have forgiveness because of Jesus Christ. That makes me want to allow the Spirit to have a greater hold on my life and my actions and thoughts. But it also reminds me of how far He has brought me. I am trying to be a better person. I am trying to be different in a world full of meanness and hatefulness. I am, through God's Grace, a better example of Jesus to this world than I was 20 years ago. I am counting on, that if I live that long, in another 20 years I will be even a better light to this dark world than I am today. That comes because of the Spirit and because of me spending time in prayer and in study of the Bible. It has made an incredible difference in my life, my attitudes and my actions in my daily life. It has CHANGED me for the better. What a blessing it has been to have God's word, God's Spirit and God's love in my life. This might seem like I am rambling to you... but I challenge you to think over these thoughts. Remember the ways that God has worked in your life to make you not only a better person, but a very different one than you were a few years ago. Stop and think about not only the decisions you make everyday but also the actions that are played out in your life each day, because you follow The Master, Jesus Christ. My friend is reading with me in Luke, he has the opportunity to hear how I view the world and its people. He gets to hear how God has changed me as I have walked with Him. He gets to hear about the different way Jesus treated people. He gets to hear the Good News of forgiveness of sins through Christ. And I get to also be reminded of how blessed I am to have, for so many years, the opportunity to spend time in God's word and in His presence on a daily basis. I get the privilege to worship with people who are also striving to be more like Jesus. We are family. I am thankful for these reminders of how incredible it is to be a child of God! May you see this day how our Father is blessing you and using you as a blessing to this world. Mark