1 Thessalonians 5:18
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
One of the things we as believers must never forget is to be thankful in all circumstances. When God says every or all. He means every and all!
Are you thankful that you have a job? Don’t forget many people don’t, and they would love to have the job that you currently have.
But what if you’re one of those people who doesn’t have a job? Are you thankful you don’t have a job? You now have more time to read your Bible, pray, spend with your family, share the gospel with the lost, etc. While most people simply view the in between times in life as stressful, they can actually be a lot of fun because when the job finally comes, we all get very busy once again.
I got a phone call this week that the relative of a ministry friend shot and killed himself. Are you ever thankful that you do not have to deal with the suicide of someone that is close to you?
Hebrews 13:5
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Is anyone glad that Jesus will never leave us during the tough times of life?
I met a guy in the airport just today who was in jail for 203 days due to some false charges that were brought against him. Throughout the ordeal, his family and his church supported him. The district attorney wanted him to plea bargain, but he would not do it. So eventually the case went to trial, and it lasted two days. When it was time for the jury to deliberate, they acquitted him of all charges in only 15 minutes!!
Psalm 22:8
He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
Would you trust the Lord even if the circumstances of life aren’t what you thought they would be? That is what the young man I met at the airport did. Lies are all eventually brought to light by the truth. That is what truth does!
Acts 16:25,26
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
Remember that great things can happen in prison if you will keep the faith!
We just received this email:
Remember Mike Northrup, Paul’s friend who persecuted us, growled at us, wrote 666 on our house, etc., then got saved? And shortly after that Mike came to our house, in tears, begging us to talk to his dad, Mike Sr., who was a drunk, and his marriage was falling apart because of it, etc. Wayne of course agreed, Mike’s dad came, and got saved. That was a couple of years ago. He’s now sober and growing in leaps and bounds as a Christian, and witnessing to everyone at work and all the family. The only problem was, his wife was Catholic, and VERY stubborn, and wanted nothing to do with Christianity, either from her son or her husband. They just loved her and ministered to her and served her very patiently for the last couple of years. Mike Jr. even took a semester off from Liberty University this semester, so he could spend more time with his parents and take classes at the community college here, which he could transfer back to Liberty next semester. Well, their labor paid off……Michelle got saved!!! Here are some pics from her baptism last Sunday, and their family all together. What a miracle!!! Praise God!!!! :))
Most people would be mad if someone scrawled 666 on their house instead of what they should be thinking: It might one day lead to an entire family’s salvation! Here is a picture of the family mentioned above:
Hebrews 13:15
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Also, don’t you love fathers and sons who love their wives and moms that much?
We just go this note on a book order:
This case order of One Heart Beat Away is for our local Corrections Center ministry. During a recent Sunday evening service one of the men declared: When I started reading this book, I doubted that there was a God. After reading over 20 pages, I now believe in God. He said that another inmate had taken (stolen) his copy, and he asked for another. Thank you for providing this resource.
Romans 1:20
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Is anyone glad that God gave us this amazingly beautiful universe that makes it so easy to prove that there is a God just by looking at what He made?
Oh, and never forget what God can do with a stolen book! That guy is in more trouble than he can realize as he reads the truth about Jesus!
Don’t you love this picture?
Yup, those are teenagers who had a day off of school for a teacher’s work day. So what did they do? Play video games? Go to the mall? Waste the day on the internet? Nope. They got together and got some tracts, booklets, and books and hit the streets witnessing! Yes, that is exactly what they did. Some of them had so much fun, they were going to hit that same area of town one night as well. Are any of you thankful for parents and schools that teach young people how important it is to reaching the lost?
This is an email that I got from a soldier in Afghanistan:
Hello Mark, I wanted to send you an email and thank you for giving me a copy of your book. I am really blessed to have that in my hands. I met you at the Atlanta Airport by the luggage pickup area back on September 20th. I was standing there in my Air Force uniform looking lost, looking for my luggage, and looking for Jesus. I was back home for three weeks visiting my wife and two daughters in NM, and my sick mother who is in MT. I was on my way back to Kabul, Afghanistan when you came up to me. I wasn’t sure what to think at first when you came up to me and asked me if I like to read. The truth is I really don’t like to read, but I still do for the betterment of my mind. However, I was intrigued by meeting you, and I started reading your book right away at the airport that day. It took me three weeks to finish it, but I’m glad I did.
As a kid, my parents had me go to Bible School and we went to church almost every Sunday. But somewhere along the line in my teenage years, I strayed away from Jesus and pressed on with my life going to school and working. I don’t like to sing, and I didn’t feel like sitting in church, so I quit going except for once in a great while.
But I did continue to pray for family and friends, in hopes my prayers would still be heard. I joined the Air Force when I was 19-years-old, and I now have been in the Air Force for almost 20 years. It has been over 20 years of emptiness.
Over the years, I have always known there is something missing from my soul. I know it is Jesus, and I have been looking for a way to overcome the emptiness that is inside me and become complete as a person. After reading your book, it answered many questions for me about the creation of the universe, heaven & hell, and our journey into eternity. I know I have sinned over the years and I do hope someday, I will have the opportunity to go to heaven. However, I’m still looking for that vision, conversation, and Bear Hug with Jesus of what I’m supposed to do with my life. For some reason, I have not felt that connection that others do, and I’m jealous. I know it may sound weird to say that. What I do know is that I need to get better educated about Jesus and immerse myself in Him. Mark, I’m going to continue to pray for family, friends, humanity, and myself to become closer to Jesus.
Don’t you just love those honest hearts that are seeking the truth?
Matthew 7:7
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
We recently got a nice email from a pastor’s wife:
So one of our college kids came back from Liberty University last semester convinced that ‘Friendship Evangelism’ was the way to go! No more coming to the Green with us, or talking to strangers, etc. He was just going to develop long-term friendships and see what happened. I gave him a copy of The Watchmen to read.
He just walked into my house with your book in his hand and said, ‘So much for Friendship Evangelism!! Jesus didn’t believe in it!!! Yep, Mark Cahill just totally convicted me I need to witness to strangers!
Isn’t it amazing what truth can do? All we need to do is share it, and the Holy Spirit will bring conviction. All that young man needed to hear is what the Bible and Jesus said. He had been grounded enough to follow that. He is now set to have a great life following the Lord as He obeys His Word.
John 8:31, 32
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Is anyone glad that we have truth and that all we have to do is share it with all those around us? We have so much to be thankful for. Be thankful for what the Lord has done in your life, by opening your mouth and telling others! Keep having one of those hearts that is thankful in every circumstance you face in life, until you finally meet Him face to face very soon!
Until the nets are full,
