Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.                                           I Thessalonians 4:16-18

Joy, prayer and giving thanks are three key hallmarks of a life that has been changed by the life transforming work of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This month we will set aside a day to remember and give thanks for all that God has done for us, and every year we set aside the first Thursday of the month as the National Day of Prayer, but what about joy; have you ever wondered why we don’t have Joygiving Day to go along with Thanksgiving and the National Day of Prayer?

It’s good to set aside a day for joy, prayer and giving thanks, but how much better is it to make every day a day of joy, as we live in the joy of God’s salvation; a day of prayer, as we live in communion with Jesus, speaking to Him and listening to Him; and a day of giving thanks to God for all that he has done in and through our lives.

Joy, prayer and giving thanks go together like chocolate, caramel and peanuts; each adds something that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts. So this Thanksgiving, while we take time to remember what God has done and to give thanks, may we also spend time in prayer and live in the joy that is ours as forgiven and cleansed children of God.

                                                                                With Gratitude and Thanks,

                                                                                                      Mark

The other day I was thumbing through an old fitness magazine when stumbled upon an article on a new workout routine. I had read the article before but for whatever reason I hadn’t given it too much thought. Perhaps I was content with the routines I was doing and didn’t see any need to change, but this time it jumped off the page at me and I thought, “This is exactly what I need.”

When it comes to God’s word, it often works in a similar way. We can read the same passage over and over again, but just when we need it, it jumps off the page like we’ve never seen it before. Or we can read a very familiar passage, say John 3:16, and all of a sudden it speaks to our heart in ways we’ve never considered before.

This shouldn’t surprise us since Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

In the days to come, spend some time with some familiar passages and as you read them, invite the Holy Spirit to apply them in your life in a fresh new way. If you do, I can promise you that God will meet you and speak to you in a powerful way.

                                                                    God’s Grace and Peace,

                                                                                         Mark

During the forest fires in Southern Oregon in early August smoke was filling the valley and it was hard to even be outside. At that time it seemed logical to pray for a drenching rain to sweep through the area to clear the air and to help with the fires.

For days I prayed fervently for such a rain to come upon us without ever imagining that God would answer my prayer while we were driving on I-5 in the area where the fires were located. The rain was indeed drenching, just like I had prayed; it was like driving through the final rinse in a car wash, only it went on and on and on.

As I was driving and giving God thanks for the rain that was so desperately needed my wife Patsy began praying another prayer, “Lord, we can’t see where we’re going, please keep us safe.” And I am happy to say that God answered that prayer too.

For me, this was a great reminder that while we pray we don’t always know the future and we need to stay alert and we need to be open to adjusting our prayers as the Holy Spirit leads and circumstances change, but most of all, we need to keep praying.

                                       God’s Grace and Peace,

                                                             Mark

I absolutely love spending time with our 20-month-old grandson Jack. It’s amazing to watch as he learns something new every day and along the way he has taught me some things too.

One day when Jack and I were walking around the outside of the house, when we came to the back door of the garage he wanted to go in. The door was locked and I didn’t have a key with me so I told him we had no way to get in. He immediately said, with all confidence, “Knock.”

Jack knows that every time he knocks on a door it opens for him, so it only made sense to him that if we knocked the door would open for us. Of course, what Jack hasn’t learned yet is that the reason the door opens is because of who is on the other side.

In Matthew 7:7and 8, Jesus invites us to ask, seek and knock; saying that those who ask receive, those who seek find and to him who knocks the door is opened. We receive, find and have the door opened not just because we ask, seek and knock, but because of whom we are asking, from whom we are seeking and who is on the other side of the door.

Jesus invites us to ask, seek and knock, but when we do we need to allow him to give, reveal and open as He chooses. When we do, in His love, Jesus will always give us what is best, reveal what we need to know and lead us to the place where He wants us to be.   

                                                                                        Asking, Seeking and Knocking,  

                                                                                                                       Mark